And if you have a headache, what should you do? Severe headaches: what to do

We all have health problems from time to time. The most common type of ailment is persistent headaches. Most people prefer to solve this problem in the classic way: after taking a couple of pills, enjoy the receding discomfort. However, such actions are not only fundamentally wrong, but also very dangerous. "How so?" - you will be surprised. Let's try to understand this difficult situation.

The main causes of pain and its consequences

Constant headaches in themselves are not a disease, they only serve as a sign of any processes occurring in the body. Only by identifying and eliminating these factors, you can say goodbye to unpleasant sensations once and for all. So what can cause pain? First of all, it is customary to single out such states as:

• Colds (for example, SARS, acute respiratory infections).
• Osteochondrosis.
• Sinusitis and rhinitis.
• Intoxication.
• A brain tumor.
• Low or high blood pressure.
• Stress, sleep disorders.
• Dental diseases.

This list is far from complete. The consequences of prolonged headaches can be such problems as a sharp deterioration in vision, loss of balance, the appearance of hallucinations and visions, impaired coherent speech, delirium.

Treatment always depends on the cause.

Depending on what caused the onset of severe pain, a set of specific measures to eliminate it is also determined. So, if the sensations are associated with the appearance of a cold, then you can get rid of them with the help of ordinary drugs ("Paracetamol", "Analgin" or "Aspirin"). When pinching the vertebrae in the neck, you should undergo a course of special massage and gymnastics.

If persistent headaches are associated with jumping pressure, the diet should be carefully reviewed. With regular low rates, it is recommended to keep coffee or black tea, dark chocolate on hand. With high pressure, you should stop using these products, as well as Coca-Cola and alcohol. Tablets should be taken only with the permission of a doctor, while constantly measuring indicators with a special device - a tonometer.

Various nervous disorders and insomnia must also be treated. You can start by taking sedative herbs or mild medications (such as Persen or Novopassit). However, it should be recalled that self-medication can have unpleasant consequences. Therefore, be sure to consult with a specialist.

Migraine and its main symptoms

Persistent headaches have a second, official name - migraine. This condition is characterized by the following symptoms:

• Duration (an attack can last for several hours or several days).
• Heredity (a similar disease is often found in blood relatives, passed down from generation to generation).
• Sensitivity to external stimuli (bright light, strong smell, loud sound).
• Unpleasant additional manifestations (attacks of nausea, vomiting).
• Pain sensations of a different nature (pulsating, monotonous, may intensify depending on movement, loads).

Fighting migraine is very difficult, there are practically no means of prevention.

Folk remedies for headaches

If proven remedies do not help - persistent headaches continue - treatment can be built on traditional medicine methods. The following recipes have almost no contraindications, but they are quite effective:

• Apply onion rings to the temples and gently massage the skin. A similar remedy should be used for pain caused by PMS syndrome.
• Try inhaling different essential oils. A positive effect can be achieved when using citrus or menthol aromas.
• At the first sign of a migraine, prepare herbal tea based on thyme, mint or lemon balm. By the way, the last representatives of the flora are also used for local compresses (put cotton pads soaked in infusion on whiskey). Various healing decoctions can also be created from hawthorn or elderberry flowers. Classic, black, very strong tea with a small amount of sugar is no less effective.
• Not only tea can relieve pain, but also fresh juice. It is best to prepare a drink from foods such as carrots and cucumbers.
• The classic migraine remedy is cold cabbage leaves applied to the head. In the same way, you can use lilac or burdock.
• A hot foot bath can make head discomfort less painful.

Remember that self-medication with folk remedies is always less reliable and effective than taking special medications. However, such methods have much fewer contraindications and are almost incapable of harming health. If necessary, individual techniques can be combined with each other. Do not overdo it in the fight against migraines, moderation is important in everything.

Causes of pain in the temples

Persistent headaches in the temples are one of the most common cases. According to dry statistics, more than 70 percent of people living in developed countries suffer from this problem. It is difficult to say how accurate this figure is. After all, most of us do not turn to a specialist with a similar problem, but simply decide to self-medicate. Unpleasant sensations of this nature can be caused by the following reasons:

• Vegetative disorders (typical for a young age).
• Hypertension (typical for the elderly).
• Infectious diseases of various nature.
• Poisoning of a different nature (most often alcoholic).
• Migraine.
• Hormonal adjustment (with the onset of menstruation) and much more.

Foods that cause pain

Oddly enough, but constant headaches in the temples can be caused by malnutrition. A number of products within half an hour after their use can lead to extremely unpleasant sensations. The reason for this is a special additive - monosodium glutamate. It is found in semi-finished products, sauces, chips, various spices. Be sure to pay attention to the composition of the product before you buy it.

Neck pain, causes

No less common is a constant headache in the back of the head. Determining its nature is much more difficult. The reasons for its appearance may be related to:

• Cervical spine (diseases, pinching, sprains).
• Nervous disorders, stress, insomnia.
• Mental and physical strain.
• Neuralgia of the occipital nerve.

A persistent headache in the back of the head is another reason to see a doctor. First aid measures include taking a standard tablet of Citramon or Aspirin, excluding external stimuli and ensuring complete rest. By reducing the active movement and fixing the head in one position, you will feel how the pain recedes.

Migraine and nausea are dangerous symptoms

Constant headaches and nausea can be dangerous symptoms of complex processes occurring in the human body. So, a temporary feeling of discomfort and vomiting can be associated with food poisoning, but the regularity of such phenomena most often indicates disorders of the nervous system, brain tumors, and meningitis. In addition, this combination may be characteristic of a brain injury, a banal concussion, or severe edema. In any case, only a professional doctor can diagnose such a condition. To summarize, it is worth noting that persistent headaches and nausea can be signs of the following diseases:

• migraine;
• brain tumor;
• hypertension;
• diabetes;
• nervous breakdown.

Drowsiness due to headache

People living in modern megacities often complain of such a phenomenon as constant headache and drowsiness. General weakness of the body and a desire to sleep is a characteristic symptom of a huge variety of diseases, but it may well be a sign of ordinary fatigue. In combination with chronic pain in the head, drowsiness can be a clear symptom of cerebral hypoxia. Such a disease can be caused by a number of external and internal factors. Most often these include:

• Prolonged lack of fresh air (poorly ventilated area).
• Diseases of the heart, lungs, blood vessels.
• Poison poisoning.

It is quite possible that these signs also indicate one of the most common diseases of our time - vegetovascular dystonia. Additional symptoms of this disease include lethargy, respiratory failure, cold skin of the extremities, and pain in the heart. To get rid of such unpleasant characteristics, you should definitely contact a neurologist and undergo a course of treatment for the pathology itself.

How to deal with folk methods with dizziness and pain?

Constant dizziness and headaches are also very dangerous. This condition is quite easy to determine. You feel the movement of objects around you, emptiness, the urge to vomit, the skin turns pale, perspiration appears, the heart begins to beat faster. The cause of this condition can be nerve damage, vascular disease, various injuries. First aid measures in such a situation include the following actions:

• Brew and drink tea based on lemon balm. To prepare it, you need a tablespoon of raw materials and a glass of boiling water. Brew the drink for 40 minutes.
• Drink a glass of freshly squeezed carrot juice.
• Try to eat a couple of spoons (preferably 100 grams) of seaweed.

We form a first-aid kit: basic medicines and their properties

See your doctor if you have persistent headaches. What to do before the specialist accepts and examines you? Do not tolerate discomfort, if folk remedies do not help, use pharmaceutical preparations. Remember, you should know the measure in everything. Having cured the head, you can easily spoil the stomach. To achieve the desired result, always follow the instructions that come with the medicine. What drugs are best kept in the first aid kit? There is no single answer to this question. The most famous are medicines:

• "Analgin". The action is based on blocking pain impulses in the nerve endings. Effective for headache and toothache. Begins to act 20-30 minutes after ingestion.
• "Aspirin". Relieves pain, brings down the temperature and thins the blood. Can be used for intracranial pressure.
• "Paracetamol". The safest medicine approved for use by pregnant and lactating women, young children.
• "Ibuprofen". The drug is also approved for general use, approved by WHO, universal for all types of pain syndrome.

An important reason to visit a doctor

Constant severe headaches are a reason to consult a specialist and undergo a comprehensive examination. Be prepared for the doctor to start asking you various questions. In order not to forget important information, try to prepare for the answers at home. You will need to determine the frequency of migraine, the presence of reactions to external stimuli, the presence or absence of additional symptoms, the location of the pain, and much more. Which doctor should be contacted to solve such a problem? The answer is simple: a neurologist is responsible for this area of ​​human health.

Be attentive to your health

Drowsiness, dizziness, fever and persistent headache are not diseases in themselves, but are only signs of internal changes that can be quite dangerous for your health. By using painkillers, you are only dealing with the external manifestation of the disease, without affecting its underlying cause. Such actions can be called negligent, because the disease develops, progresses and can lead to dangerous consequences. With a regular headache, be sure to consult a specialist and undergo an examination.

Headaches are one of the most common ailments in humans. Barely feeling this symptom, many are in a hurry to take various painkillers, most often in the form of tablets. However, sometimes situations arise in which the head hurts, the pills do not help, and most people do not know what to do, what to do.

The reason nothing helps is that headaches are often just a symptom of more serious illnesses. In this regard, it is necessary to deal not with the consequences, but with the source of the problem, that is, with the cause of the disease.

There can be many prerequisites for the appearance of a headache - from simple overwork to problems requiring surgical intervention. Most often, a headache does not go away for the following reasons:

• stressful condition caused by conflicts or excitement;
• excessive physical activity;
• rheumatism in the neck;
• excessive use of alcohol or tobacco;
• drops in blood pressure;
• allergies or poisoning;
• drug exposure;
• weather dependence.

It is not difficult to cope with most of the listed factors - it is enough for a person to change his lifestyle a little, respond more calmly to difficulties and balance the diet.

However, in some cases this will not be enough and you will need to take specialized drugs or the help of a qualified specialist. The latter is especially important, since self-medication can lead to a deterioration in the condition or the loss of precious time for medical care.

Doctors note that a headache may be one of the symptoms of the following health problems:

There are also types of headaches that are not associated with other pathologies. These include:

• migraine;
• cluster headache.

As you can see from the list, the diseases are serious. That is why, if the head hurts a lot (and especially if) and the pills do not help, an early diagnosis is necessary in order to prevent complications in the future.

Migraine

This disease is characterized by a long duration - from several hours to several days and often has a hereditary character. Women are the most affected by the disease. The causes of migraine are mainly sleep problems, hormonal changes, unbalanced nutrition and vascular pathology. With a migraine, the pain is usually throbbing in nature and focused on one side of the face.

You can recognize the disease by the symptoms that precede it:

• irritability;
• isolation;
• vomiting or nausea;
• aversion to bright light and noise.

In order for the headache to go away, some changes in the diet are needed. So, experts recommend giving up alcohol, coffee, citrus fruits, smoked products, chocolate, eggs and cottage cheese. It is best to immediately contact a specialist when symptoms appear and undergo a complete diagnosis of the body, based on the results of which a further course of treatment will be proposed. If this is not possible, then the following folk remedies can help:

• lemon peel, which is applied to the temporal areas;
• freshly squeezed potato juice;
• tincture based on clover leaves;
• blackcurrant juice, take 3-4 times a day;
• massage of the temporal areas using peppermint oil.

cluster pain

The disease resembles the previous one, but differs in a smaller area of ​​the painful area. As a rule, it occurs in one point of the head. It is most common in athletic men. Characteristic features of the patient's appearance, as a rule: a square face, a split chin and bright eyes. This type of headache does not occur in children.

Cluster pain is more acute than migraine. In addition, there is a burning sensation of the head in the area of ​​​​the eyebrows and pain in the eyes. The pain may eventually spread to the ears, jaw, or temples. The duration of pain varies from several tens of minutes to several hours. In some cases, seizures may disappear for a long time. The symptoms of the disease are as follows:

• irritability;
• eyes watery and redden;
• pallor;
• nausea;
• nasal congestion;
• sweating.

A possible cause of pain is a change in the hormonal background associated with impaired functioning of the hypothalamus.

Brain tumor

This neoplasm appears in the brain tissues and can be both malignant and benign. The latter can be cured without surgery. A malignant tumor grows very quickly and metastasizes. Therefore, the disease is difficult to treat, especially in the later stages.

With this disease, pain is felt constantly, and during movement it only intensifies. The most severe pain occurs in the morning and at night due to the accumulation of excess fluid in the tissues. The nature of the pain is pressing, throbbing.
In addition to the headache itself, other symptoms gradually appear:

• bouts of vomiting;
• dizziness;
• vision problems;
• impaired coordination of movements;
• numbness of the limbs;
• memory impairment;
• loss of consciousness;
• persistent signs of fatigue.

Treatment carried out at the initial stage has a much greater chance of success than in the later stages. Why is it recommended not to delay visiting the attending physician. Sometimes the patient's life depends on it. As a rule, radiation therapy and certain medications are prescribed. In some cases, surgery cannot be avoided. Treatment based on folk remedies does not help here. The maximum that can be achieved is to ease the symptoms.

Sometimes the pain appears due to intoxication. You can get poisoned, for example, by the fumes of toxic substances contained in clothing or furniture. To remove the pain, it is enough to get rid of problematic household items. However, the most common cause of headaches is food poisoning. If you suspect this disorder, you must:

• wash the stomach;
• take activated charcoal;
• drink a laxative.

These measures will help to remove harmful substances from the body, as a result, the pain will decrease or completely stop. In case of poisoning, headache pills do not help. In case of alcohol poisoning, it is advised to drink a little orange juice or mineral water.

Pressure drops

Unstable blood pressure, in addition to headaches, can lead to dizziness or even a stroke. If this problem occurs, be sure to contact a specialist. Having found the cause of the blood pressure drops, he will prescribe the appropriate drugs.

In some cases, a headache is added to the toothache over time. Of course, first of all, you need to solve the problem with your teeth by visiting a good dentist. Decoctions based on the following herbs will help:

• fragrant mint;
• Linden;
• sage;
• chamomile flowers;
• yarrow.

Before taking the tincture, it should be cooled to room temperature, as too hot or cold liquid will only aggravate the symptoms.

stress and depression

Stressful and conflict situations, excitement, depression almost always lead to a headache. The main thing in this case is to calm down, try to get rid of the problem and relax. Sometimes it will be enough to take a mild painkiller and valerian tincture. But the main thing is to sleep well.

As a preventive measure, it is necessary to ventilate the premises more often, change the working position every half hour, and also do exercises. Head massage helps a lot. It will not be superfluous to seek psychological help from a specialist. After seeing a psychologist, a person sometimes completely reconsiders his views on problems. In especially advanced cases, antidepressants or sleeping pills may be prescribed.

If the result is positive, appropriate medications and measures will be prescribed. An attempt at self-treatment can lead to sad consequences, as some remedies can worsen the situation.

Treatment Methods

It is not always necessary to rush to take medications with a headache. It can be addictive and in some situations will only make the pain worse. The best solution would be to do a light head massage, namely the forehead, temples and back of the head. Then it is advisable to go for a walk in the fresh air. Herbal tea with the addition of mint or motherwort will have a beneficial effect on the condition. But drinking coffee is not recommended.

When working, you need to change positions more often, use table lamps if necessary, and ventilate the room more often. Upon returning home, you should take a contrast shower and drink a cup of honey with milk. If all this does not help, then you need to take painkillers. However, remember that this should not be done more than once a week, so as not to be addictive.

• the head should not be supercooled, so you need to wear a hat or other headgear;
• try to find out the cause of the disease by consulting a specialist;
• try not to get depressed and maintain a positive attitude no matter what;
• healthy sleep is the key to your health;
• do not forget about periodic walks in the fresh air;
• with severe pain, avoid sudden movements and unpleasant odors;
• take painkillers less often.

Folk remedies

With a headache, hawthorn and oregano with the addition of lemon help well. The decoction is prepared by adding a tablespoon of one of the herbs, lemon and a spoonful of honey (optional) to a container of boiling water. Next, you need to let the remedy brew, and then take it 50 ml 15 minutes before meals 2-3 times a day. A popular folk remedy is taking baths with infusions of aromatic herbs and lemon balm.

Conclusion

If you suffer from headaches often, and conventional pain medications do not help, you should definitely make an appointment with your doctor. Correct and timely treatment with the use of suitable drugs will help to avoid problems and complications in the future. Of course, most often pains appear due to stress and overstrain, but it’s still not worth the risk, because your health, and in some cases even life, is at stake.

The other day, another, already the third, version of the International Classification of Headaches was released. Even if doctors and scientists hardly understand all the intricacies of the issue, then what can we say about ordinary patients! in the head, especially regular and intense ones, reduce the quality of life and can make a person practically disabled. You can’t tolerate such pain - you need to find the cause, and then deal with treatment and prevention.

What does "headache" mean?

Why explain this, you ask? It’s already clear to everyone what “headache” means - every adult has encountered this condition at least once in his life. But few people know how a headache is born - and this understanding is important in order to distinguish between different types of pain.

To begin with, there are no pain nerve endings in the brain. That is why surgeons even perform brain surgery while the patient is conscious - it does not hurt, because there is simply nothing to hurt. And for the same reason, when the “head hurts”, the brain itself cannot hurt. The only exception is migraine.

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Types of headache

Headaches are divided into primary and secondary. The primary ones are independent neurological diseases, but the secondary ones are associated with some concomitant disease. If you have a headache, it is most likely the primary pain - it accounts for 90% of complaints. Nevertheless, first of all, the doctor must exclude secondary pain. Some are relatively harmless - such as pain and otitis media - but others can be dangerous.

Signs that may indicate secondary pain in the head: appeared for the first time after 50 years, changed character (the whole head used to hurt, and now only the left temple), “thunder-like” pain (starts abruptly and quickly intensifies), increases with sneezing, coughing, change in body position.

When patients see a doctor about a headache, they often think that this is a secondary pain - and they blame it on cervical osteochondrosis, vascular problems, or increased intracranial pressure. But in fact, these reasons rarely cause a headache.

Kirill Skorobogatykh

Cervical is simply the process of age-related wear of the intervertebral discs in the cervical spine. This is a completely normal condition for an adult, and it should not cause pain. But there is a rather rare type of headache - cervicogenic, it accounts for approximately 1% of all headaches. Such pain is really connected with the neck - only not with osteochondrosis, but with the joints of the three upper cervical vertebrae.

Problems with blood vessels, namely with the blood supply to the brain, do not cause headaches - as we remember, there are no pain receptors in the brain. But some vascular pathologies can still cause pain in the head. For example, a rupture of an aneurysm causes a hemorrhage in the brain - the blood begins to irritate the pain receptors of the meninges, there is a sharp and acute pain, which is rapidly increasing. Another possible cause of pain is a dissection of a large artery, in particular, the carotid one. Such a pathology often occurs due to trauma - a blow to the head and neck, a car accident - and manifests itself in the form of a sudden severe pain in the head. If you suspect an aneurysm rupture or arterial dissection, you need to call an ambulance - these are extremely dangerous conditions that can end in death.

Finally, increased intracranial pressure(ICP) can cause headaches, but this is rare. Symptoms of headaches with high ICP: daily pain that gets worse when you lie down and decreases when you stand, nausea and. Even with an increase in ICP, swelling of the optic nerve head develops in the fundus - therefore, if headaches of this nature are suspected, patients are sent to see the fundus. But high ICP cannot be determined by MRI, although radiologists periodically write about this in their conclusions.

The cause of increased intracranial pressure is usually something that physically increases the volume of the substance in the skull: cysts, tumors, the same hemorrhages. Then the method of treatment is to remove the neoplasm. Another, very rare option is idiopathic: with this disease there are no formations in the brain, there are no visible reasons for the increase in ICP, but the pressure is still elevated. This disease usually occurs in women with, and weight loss most often normalizes intracranial pressure.

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What hurts in the head

If the doctor did not find any evidence of a secondary headache, then it hurts in the head itself. And one of the most common reasons migraine. Another common type of primary pain in the head is tension headache.

Most likely, the patient who came to the doctor with complaints of a headache is migraine. Although it is somewhat less common than tension headache, it is much more intense and causes more suffering - which is why migraine patients still reach the clinic.

Kirill Skorobogatykh

Neurologist, Head of the University Headache Clinic

In Russia, out of 100 million adults aged 18 to 65, about 20% suffer from migraine. It causes such severe pain in the head that people can drop out of work and social life for one or more days. The symptoms of a migraine are as follows: pain is unilateral, throbbing, aggravated by movement and any physical activity, discomfort from light and / or sounds, nausea. A migraine attack usually lasts from four to 72 hours. Before the onset of an attack, there may be a so-called prodromal period, when there is no pain yet, but weakness, drowsiness are felt, it is more difficult to concentrate, strange food “urges” appear - according to such symptoms, one can suspect the approach of a migraine.

Migraine comes with and without aura. Attacks with aura are less common, about 30% of cases, and are more severe than usual. Aura is a neurological disturbance that appears before the onset of a headache and lasts up to an hour. These may include spots of light in front of the eyes, numbness in the hand/face/tongue, tunnel vision, and even difficulty speaking. Normally, all manifestations of the aura disappear as soon as the pain begins, and only in extremely rare cases, neurological disorders can remain after an attack.

There is a rare and frightening form of aura called the Alice in Wonderland syndrome. With such an aura, it seems to a person that the surrounding objects become larger or, conversely, decrease in size. There is speculation that Lewis Carroll also suffered from migraine, and in the book "Alice in Wonderland" he bizarrely described the symptoms of his aura.

Migraine treatment aims to relieve pain as soon as possible. With migraine with aura, it is advisable to drink painkillers at the first symptoms of aura, with ordinary migraine - as soon as it starts. The sooner you take the pill, the faster the attack will pass - you can’t endure a migraine in any case. They take non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) for migraine, if they do not help - special drugs for migraine, triptans.

Even more often than migraine, in Russia it occurs tension headache- it is experienced by 30% of adults. Tension headache is caused by overexertion of the muscles of the neck, shoulders, and trapezium. If you sit in an uncomfortable position for a long time, carry heavy weights, take on too much weight in the gym, or are just constantly nervous - expect a tension headache.

According to the symptoms, a tension headache is an "anti-migraine": it is bilateral, not pulsating, not very intense, there is no nausea and sensitivity to light and sounds. Fortunately, tension headaches are not as painful as migraine headaches and go away fairly quickly. Often painkillers are not even needed - just take a walk in the fresh air and stretch your muscles.

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Prevention

In our country, 10% of people suffer from headaches 15 days a month or more - this means that the pain has become chronic. Such pain greatly reduces the quality of life, so measures must be taken to reduce the frequency of attacks.

Taking painkillers all the time won't help. On the contrary, if a person takes painkillers more than 10 times a month, overuse headaches occur. This means that the head hurts already from the very reception of painkillers. More pills - more pain, and the head starts to hurt more and more often.

“To reduce the number of seizures, we prescribe special treatment. These can include antidepressants, antiepileptics, blood pressure medications, and even Botox injections. The course of treatment is from six months to a year, after which headache attacks should become less frequent. Next - non-drug prevention, namely, a change in lifestyle depending on the type of headaches, ”says Kirill Skorobogatykh.

With migraines, it is important not to forget to eat on time, sleep well (not a little and not a lot, excess sleep also provokes a migraine), avoid your own migraine “triggers” - they are all different for everyone. Even certain foods and drinks, such as red wine, can trigger a migraine attack. People prone to migraines need to keep track of when they most often have an attack - and then try to avoid triggers.

With frequent tension headaches, you should think about changing your work chair, stretch your muscles more often and take breaks, go out into the fresh air. For any type of headaches, it will be useful to avoid stress, do yoga, Pilates or exercise therapy, move more, meditate. In more complex cases, biofeedback technology can help, which teaches a person to relax by tracking feedback from the body. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help you cope better with everyday stress.

As for less traditional methods, there is a “black” and “grey” zone. Osteopathy is a "black" zone, you should not contact these specialists in any case.

Kirill Skorobogatykh

Neurologist, Head of the University Headache Clinic

Acupuncture, manual therapy, according to the doctor, are recognized practices of official medicine, but there is not enough evidence of their effectiveness in migraine. Therefore, this is a “gray” zone: it’s not a fact that it will help, but it’s also unlikely to harm. In addition, the placebo effect is very strong in pain therapy - so if you believe in "needles", you can use this method to treat and prevent headaches. Massage is also in the "gray" zone - it's very nice, but not very effective in treating headaches.

If, with all the preventive measures, headaches still interfere with your life, become more frequent and stronger, you should definitely seek help from a doctor, ”concludes Kirill Skorobogatykh.

Kirill Skorobogatykh
Candidate of Medical Sciences, Neurologist, Director of the University Headache Clinic

“Headache is one of the most common problems with which patients come to the doctor,” says Kirill Vladimirovich. Indeed, caries is more common. We are used to enduring a headache or taking it with medication, but is this the best way out?

How to understand what is happening

“When a patient comes to me with a headache, the most important thing is to exclude the possibility that this headache is a symptom of a more threatening condition. We call this pain “secondary,” and it can be associated with various diseases of the nose, ears or eyes, infection, head trauma, and more. The doctor has “red flags” at his disposal, which indicate the possible presence of another dangerous disease, ”says the doctor.

Fortunately, secondary pain is only 5-10%. Much more common are "primary" headaches, which are independent diseases of the brain itself. The most common of these are tension headaches and migraines.

When it hurts, but not very much

If your head starts to hurt after a hard day at work, but there are no additional symptoms (nausea, discomfort from light or sounds), most likely you have tension headache.

“Usually, these pains are bilateral, localized in the frontal or occipital region, have a monotonous pressing character, but are quite moderate in intensity,” Kirill Vladimirovich describes the symptoms.

Read also 10 Warning Signs You Have Anemia

When it hurts and interferes with life

It happens that recurring headache attacks turn into a real test and take away the opportunity to continue working.

Kirill Vladimirovich explains it this way: “Such pains are usually unilateral, pulsating, of medium or high intensity, and they are aggravated by physical exertion. If at least two of the four criteria are met and these attacks are also accompanied by unpleasant sensations (nausea or vomiting, increased sensitivity to light or sounds), then the most likely diagnosis is "migraine".

When it hurts like never before

A headache that frightens you with its abrupt onset, intensity, or character is a sure sign that it's time to call an ambulance. These are the very “red flags” that speak of the possibly secondary nature of the headache.

Yes, this could be the onset of a migraine or other illness, but time is key in dealing with an emergency, so don't put off seeing a doctor.

• Thunder-like headaches - sharply arisen, intense and growing to a maximum in minutes.
• A new type of headache that appeared after the age of 50.
• Change in the nature of headache attacks (more often or stronger than usual, longer or completely new course).
• Headache that changes abruptly with change of position.
• If the headache occurs against the background of a severe chronic disease (HIV, oncological disease).
• Headache due to high temperature.
• Sudden nausea, vomiting, confusion, convulsions, impaired speech or pupil dilation.
• If headaches are provoked by sneezing, coughing, straining.

Why does my head hurt

With secondary headaches, everything is relatively simple: there is an underlying disease (sinusitis, otitis media), which affects the pain receptors of nearby tissues. The signal is sent to the pain center of the cerebral cortex and attracts our attention: something is wrong there!

With independent headaches, it is more difficult to explain the cause: the substance of the brain is devoid of pain receptors, so the brain itself cannot get sick. Research suggests that in such cases, the sensitivity of neurons is impaired in a person and the transmission of pain signals is facilitated. Simplifying, we can say that the balance is disturbed in two systems: the one that perceives pain, and the one that blocks it.

“As long-term practice shows, most often people explain headache attacks by three reasons: osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, vascular problems or high intracranial pressure. But I must say that in fact these are very rare situations - and then such a headache will be considered secondary, ”says the expert.

99% of the population has a headache at some point in their lives. If this pain is periodic, not accompanied by loss of consciousness and severe neurological disorders, then people adapt to it. And in vain. With proper discipline of the patient in more than half of the cases, the treatment of headache is quite successful. Unfortunately, not everyone goes to the doctor on time.

Doctors name a lot of causes of headaches. In the latest classification, there are over two hundred of them. The main ones are vertebrogenic (the name is very symbolic - this category includes all types of headaches that occur due to obstruction of blood flow in the occipital part of the head), migraine pain, with changes in blood pressure, after traumatic brain injuries and with infectious diseases ( even, for example, with chronic rhinitis).

There is also a psychogenic headache. It includes (mental or physical), as well as pain in anxiety and depression. Most often, this is either aching, or pressing, or throbbing pain, concentrated in the occipital, temporal or frontal areas, or “spilled” throughout the head. Patients agree on one thing: it can be tolerated for a long time, more than an hour - for sure. And there is no motivation to immediately go to the doctor. So they live - for years, decades ... A handful of pills, sound sleep, timely vacation - and everything returned to normal by itself.

It will hurt and pass

If not only relatives and colleagues know about your headache, but even followers in social networks, and by its intensity you can, without measuring blood pressure, figure out how much and what kind of antihypertensive drugs you need to throw into yourself this time, or you know exactly which the pill and in what dosage it helps, and carry the medicines with you, if your doctor raises his eyes to the ceiling and, sighing heavily, coos something confidentially that “you need to worry and be less nervous”, then such a headache is most likely , will give you the opportunity to procrastinate further. And when your head hurts, you absolutely don’t want to make an appointment, go to the doctor, explain something to someone ... In any case, soon the “head will pass” and life will shine again with all colors.

At the moment of a headache attack, people behave quite typically. A person seeks to retire, smells, bright lights and sounds are annoying. Some try to lie down and not move, some, on the contrary, float around the room without stopping.

Remember Alla Pugacheva's clip about noisy neighbors? There is a wide bandage on the head, the nerves are stretched to the limit. Here is a portrait of a typical sufferer. The world is reduced to the size of a darkened and quiet bedroom. The state when the head still does not hurt, on the contrary, is accompanied by an attack of violent activity and intense body movements. Everything is usual.

Pain at its peak

But one day the pain overshadows everything. It becomes so strong that you immediately understand: this is a “different” pain, unusual, unlike anything else. "Wild" - her patients call her. Burning, boring, tearing or constricting the head, piercing, sharp, intolerable, covering the whole head or part of it. This may be accompanied by loss of consciousness or confusion, convulsions, nausea and vomiting, immobility of one limb or half of the body, impaired speech or vision. Yes, anything! After such a joy from life, you are unlikely to experience ...

Medical advice will come later. And now - medical observations. In 99% of cases with such a strong pain attack, people first drink "some" pill. Of those that are in the first aid kit, they were found by a neighbor, they were shown on TV (well, where at first “everything hurts”, and then - happiness in full sips and the world is beautiful and amazing).

In principle, this is the right tactic. The only problem that most doctors point out is the dosage. With a strong, almost unbearable headache, eager to “drown out” it immediately, people take a completely insane amount of painkillers that can “poison” the body for a long time. And then people wait. When it "passes", when the pill "works", when the morning comes. And when things get really bad...

If the attack took you by surprise

So, a strong, first-time headache. You are conscious, outwardly - no damage. What could it be? Yes, whatever! After all, the brain itself cannot get sick - there are no pain receptors in it. Pain occurs due to tension or irritation of many pain-sensitive areas located in the head or neck: the skull (periosteum), muscles, nerves, arteries and veins, subcutaneous tissue, eyes, sinuses and mucous membranes. That's why:

Tip number 1. Do not try to diagnose yourself! With a strong, sudden, first-time headache - call a doctor! Sit down and call someone adequate and unfussy to help you (in case you pass out). Do not take more than a double dose of painkillers and remember that the medicine needs time to work.

Tip number 2. Take your temperature before dialing the ambulance. Because a headache can accompany the onset of a viral or infectious disease. In any case, you will give the doctor the opportunity to start the work of making a diagnosis two minutes earlier. Remember, sometimes minutes can save a life.

Tip number 3. Try touching your chin to your chest. If you can’t because the pain in the occipital region is getting worse, feel free to dictate this formidable symptom to the call center operator. Because meningitis is not a toy, but a very dangerous complication of many seemingly harmless SARS.

Tip #4 If you have a blood pressure monitor, check your blood pressure. And preferably - on both hands. Because a good half of all new cases of hypertensive crises are accompanied by very strong cephalalgia. A hypertensive crisis is already serious. It can easily lead to a heart attack or stroke.

Tip #5 Remember in detail what happened the day before. There is a special kind of headache - toxic. It occurs when poisoning with various chemicals or as a side effect of taking medications. Such a headache is often caused by drugs that lower blood pressure, nitrates, psychotropic drugs, and many other substances. By the way, many teenagers were saved by the meticulousness of their parents, who asked the sick child in detail about the circumstances of the party the day before.

Tip #6 See and touch. Even a healthy person can experience a severe headache after a heat or sunstroke, being in a stuffy room, carbon monoxide poisoning or car exhaust. By the way, do not forget about such a thing as amnesia. A person who has been hit on the head sometimes completely forgets the circumstances of the injury. Examine yourself in the mirror, palpate the skin under the hair and neck for bruises, wounds or scratches.

Tip number 7. Don't waste time. The most unpleasant case is the presence of a volumetric formation in the brain. It can be either a tumor, or an abscess, or even outflow of blood. The diagnosis can only be made with the help of neuroimaging, so if the head hurts for a long time, do not delay the appeal to the neurologist. Remember: in its diversity, headaches have no equal!

Tip #8 If the headache has gone as suddenly as it appeared, do not cancel the ambulance call. In some of its types, for example, with intracerebral bleeding, a “bright” period may occur before the appearance of the most formidable complications. Wait for the doctor. Do not rush to write a will and finish the "most important". Try to sit comfortably and relax.

Tip #9 When you go to the doctor, keep a piece of paper ready with a record of which headache medicines you have taken. And medical gratitude will have no boundaries!

Attention! If the headache is accompanied by loss of consciousness or its stupefaction, convulsions, nausea and vomiting, immobility of one limb or half of the body, impaired speech or vision, then there are no options - call a doctor immediately. And do not self-medicate and help each other.

For others, there is only one advice: do not let the patient die from your “care”. Do not try to give water to a person who is unconscious, do not put foreign objects in your mouth during a convulsive attack, do not “wash your stomach” with profuse vomiting that does not bring relief, do not shake a dangling arm or leg! Loosen tight clothing, let in fresh air, and gently turn your head to the side.

The sooner the patient gets to the hospital, the more chances he has to stay alive and unharmed. After all, pain can be a manifestation of such serious diseases as stroke, meningitis or encephalitis. Remember, only a doctor can make a diagnosis. And the advice "do no harm" - applies not only to doctors ...

Valentina Saratovskaya

Photo thinkstockphotos.com