We all experience headaches from time to time; in fact, 50% of adults all around the world have the same problem. While we can blame that to the stressful modern lifestyle (which is certainly an important factor), there are many other causes to headache. We hope this article can help you to realise that your constant headache should not be a long-term burden, and seek medical treatment so that you can enjoy life at the fullest.
Recognising headache
While everyone understands headache as pain experienced in the head region, one’s headache may be different from others. Headache can vary in the following aspects:
- Time of onset - young or old age
- Frequency and timing of the headache
- Location of the pain - one side of the head, both side of the head and/or around the eye; localised or generalised (cannot pinpoint an exact place of pain)
- Severity and pattern of pain - throbbing pain, shooting pain, grading your pain on a scale of 1 to 10
- Other symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound
- Trigger - what seems to precede or cause the headache
Describing your headache to your doctor this way can help the doctor to learn about your condition better.
There are many types of headaches, such as migraine, tension headache and headaches caused by nerve damage. Your doctor would carry out examinations, tests and clinical investigation to diagnose the cause and type of headache, so that the appropriate treatment can be given to you.
Common causes of headache
Some of the common causes of headache are:
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Stress — Maintain a regular sleep pattern. Perform regular exercise. Modify the work environment. Do relaxation techniques, such as yoga.
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Diet. Any food can be a potential trigger, but food that is implicated includes cheese, citrus fruit, chocolate. You may maintain a food diary to find out if a particular food is causing the headache.
However, detecting triggers is a complicated matter because there can be more than one trigger to headache happen at the same time. While it’s useful to keep track of what may be causing your headache, you’re encouraged to see a doctor for more information if the headache is bothering you.
Red flags of headache
When is a headache a dangerous sign and warrants a visit to a doctor?
- Unbearable/ intense headache that is not relieved by any painkillers you’ve bought over-the-counter.
- Headache comes with fever
- If a child has a headache, stiff neck and high fever, it may be due to meningitis, a bacterial infection in the lining of the brain. Meningitis requires intravenous antibiotic treatment and must be monitored by healthcare professionals closely until it’s resolved.
- If your headache develops within 1 to 3 months after a head injury, you should get it reviewed by a doctor to rule out any post-injury complications such as haematoma.
- When your headache is accompanied with nausea and vomiting
- Loss of consciousness
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
These may suggest more sinister triggers to headache, and you should see a doctor for further examination as soon as possible.
A word from DOC2US
If you have any questions related to headache, you can consult our professional doctors and healthcare professionals on DOC2US. DOC2US is a mobile application that allows you to talk to a doctor or any healthcare professionals via text chat at any time and from anywhere. For better communication, you can even send our online doctor images or voice messages related to your medical inquiry.
Download DOC2US app on Apple App Store, Google Play Store and Huawei App Gallery; or use our web chat at https://web.doc2us.com/
Note: DOC2US is not for medical emergencies. In the event of urgent medical conditions, please call 999.
Disclaimer: As a service to our users and general public, DOC2US provides health education contents. Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
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Cover image credit: Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels
