The cause of severe headaches is still a mystery though not as unknown as they once were. Herbs such as chamomile and feverfew were once used as headache treatment while today the research into treating headaches is huge with large sums of money being invested. Supposed cures come and go but severe headaches plague so many people with many different symptoms that it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of a severe headache.
The first headache treatment was laudumn, which completely ignored what type of headache; it was the standard treatment for all headaches. Laudumn effectively is able to dull pain but it is also highly addictive. Opiate medication is never used in today’s society to treat headaches since it does not actual solve what is causing your headache. Simply removing the pain and giving you an addiction is not worth the risk and there are many other more effective and less addictive treatments available.
It is thought that severe headaches can be linked to your gender, age, physiology and heredity as those that have parents that suffer from headaches also suffer from headaches. However, it is important to remember that not all treatments will be effective on everyone as everyone has different needs. You may need to try a few different treatments before you find one that works on your headaches.
Causes of Severe Headaches
Hereditary has been found to be a cause of severe headaches and if your parents are subject to severe headaches then it is likely that you will too. This is particularly pertinent for women more so than men and the headaches will most likely appear when you are a child or teenager. Once you start suffering from severe headaches you will need to try some different types of treatment, doctors suggest medication such as Inderal, which decreases the number of headaches you receive. However, Inderal is not effective at treating all headaches.
Mental conditions are also a cause of headaches and some are related to very serious illnesses such as meningitis, hypertension, brain tumor and a stroke. Headaches that are characterized by intense very severe pain that comes on quickly should be treated immediately and needs medical attention fast. Even those that tend to get frequent headaches should take swift action.
Some other common causes for headaches include insomnia, medication side-effects, menopause, specific food items, overconsumption of alcohol, hunger, PMS, being too cold, sun stroke, sinus infection, too loud noise, poor vision, poor posture and muscle tension from stress. These type of headaches may not need medication, as you may be able to make lifestyle changes that eliminate your headaches.
Determining the Cause of Your Headache
Most times you will need to visit a doctor to determine the cause of your severe headaches. Doctors will gather as much information about your life as possible, including your history concerning headaches, if you have suffered from any head trauma, how frequently you get headaches, the severity of your headaches, what makes your headaches worse, what makes them better, a list of current medications, occupation history, any current interpersonal relationships and what type of lifestyle you lead. You may need to undergo a brain scan to eliminate tumors from the possible causes of your headaches, but withy some time your doctor will be able to determine why you are suffering from severe headaches.
