Headaches are the most reported health problems that many people are likely to experience several times during their lives. The main symptom of headaches is persistent pain in your face or head. This pain is often described as a constant, dull, throbbing, or sharp sensation. If left untreated, headaches can become severe and interfere with your everyday activities. Consulting with your healthcare provider can relieve your headache and help you regain control of your life. Depending on the severity of your headache, your doctor will offer various treatments such as medications, stress management, massage therapy, and ice and heat therapy. Now let’s take a closer look at the different types of headaches treated by headache Dundalk experts.
Migraines
Headaches with migraines usually involve an intense throbbing pain on one side of your head. If you are diagnosed with a migraine, you may experience muscle weakness, partial vision loss, difficulty speaking, numbness, and increased sensitivity to smell, sound, and light. For severe cases, vomiting and nausea are common. If you notice any of these symptoms, it would be best to seek immediate medical assistance. While the immediate cause of migraines is yet to be considered, you can manage its symptoms by remaining well-hydrated, resting in a dark, quiet place, and placing an ice pack on your forehead.
Tension Headache
Tension-type headaches present themselves as dull, persistent pain that is felt on both sides of your head. Other symptoms are heightened sensitivity to sound and light, neck, shoulders, face, and head tenderness, and pressure behind your eyes. Common triggers of this headache include eye strain, loud noise, poor posture, inadequate sleep, and dehydration. To help relieve tension headaches, your doctor may recommend regular exercise, adequate sleep, acupuncture, stress management, depression, and anxiety.
Cluster Headache
This type of headache causes you to feel an intense piercing or burn behind or around one of your eyes. Various reports have indicated that cluster headaches are more common among males than females. Some of its symptoms include; swollen eyelids, restlessness, runny nose, watery eyes, and increased sensitivity to light. Similar to migraines, the immediate cause of cluster headaches is still unclear. To help manage the frequency of cluster headaches, your doctor may recommend oxygen therapy and steroid use.
Exertional Headache
Exertional headaches are usually caused by strenuous physical exercise, with triggers such as weight lifting, jumping, bouts of sneezing, and running. While the symptoms are temporary, they present as a sharp pain in your head. The most recommended treatment solution for Exertional headaches is over-the-counter painkillers.
Rebound Headache
Rebound headaches, sometimes referred to as medication-overuse headache, is among the most reported type of headaches. The symptoms of rebound headaches are similar to those of migraines or tension headaches. To help relieve its symptoms, your doctor may prescribe pain-relieving medications such as opioids, ibuprofen, and aspirin.
Seek Professional Help for Immediate Headache Relief
The symptoms of many headaches can be easily managed with several preventive treatments, but the prescribed method will differ by the type of your headache. This is because some headache types can be managed with medication, while the same medication may trigger others. Your healthcare provider will work closely with you to develop a suitable treatment that will help reduce the intensity, frequency, or intensity of your headaches. Are headaches interfering with your everyday functioning and causing you mood disorders? Contact your doctor.