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by curiousKristy on January 1st, 2007

curiousKristy

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How do we get headaches and how does medicine make it go away?

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Answers. 7 helpful answers below.

  • by Farino on January 4th, 2007

    Farino

    The most common cause of a headache is dehydration. This lessens the fluid between the brain and the membrane surrounding it and this squashes the brain causing pain. Thining the blood with paracetamol and/or aspirin will decrease the blood vessels allowing more space to getwater to the brain and membrane. Cooling the body is one of the most effective ways of treating a headache, cool yourself down in a lukewarm shower and less water will be used and more will get into the body decreasing the rate of dehydration.

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  • by JUSTNORMAL on January 1st, 2007

    JUSTNORMAL

    There are several reasons for headaches. Could be a sinus problem, stress headache, muscle spasms in the neck can cause them, bad vision, Migraines and other reasons. Depending on what kind of headache it is, certain meds relieve it. For example a Migraine usually requires narcotics or Imitrex, stress headaches are relieved by something like extra strength Tylenol. If it is due to muscle spasms, an anti-inflamatory works such as Advil, or Motrin and even generic Ibuprofen as it acts on the helps to decrease inflamation. If someone should suffer with no relief they should see a doctor or Neurologist to get to the source.

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  • by Kat1909 on January 4th, 2007

    Kat1909

    Head aches are tension in the head. So when you take asprin you thin out your blood and it lessens the tension.

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  • by -Ben 10- on January 15th, 2007

    -Ben 10-

    A headache (medically known as cephalalgia, sometimes spelled as cephalgia) is a condition of pain in the head; sometimes neck or upper back pain may also be interpreted as a headache. It ranks amongst the most common local pain complaints.

    Headaches have a wide variety of causes, ranging from eye strain, sinusitis, migraine and tension to life-threatening conditions such as encephalitis, meningitis, cerebral aneurysms and brain tumors (although more than 95% of headaches are not life-threatening). When the headache occurs in conjunction with a head injury the cause is usually quite evident; however, many causes are more unclear. The most common type of headache is a tension headache. Some experience headaches when dehydrated, or suffering from caffeine withdrawal symptoms.

    Treatment of uncomplicated headache is usually symptomatic with over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin, paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen, although some specific forms of headaches (e.g. migraine) may demand other, more suitable treatment, usually triptans.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_ache#Treatment

    Not all headaches require medical attention, and respond with simple analgesia (painkillers) such as paracetamol/acetaminophen or members of the NSAID class (such as aspirin/acetylsalicylic acid or ibuprofen). By far the most effective and rapid treatment protocol for the common tension headache is to lower body temperature. This can most easily be achieved by taking a lukewarm or cool shower until the headache is relieved.[citation needed]

    In recurrent unexplained headaches, healthcare professionals may recommend keeping a "headache diary" with entries on type of headache, associated symptoms, precipitating and aggravating factors. This may reveal specific patterns, such as an association with medication, menstruation or absenteeism

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  • by mstdawn on January 14th, 2007

    mstdawn

    Headaches are most commonly caused by:

    Illness
    Headaches often are a symptom of other illnesses. Viral infections, strep throat, allergies, sinus infections and urinary tract infections can be accompanied by headaches. Fever also may be associated with headaches.

    Skipping Meals
    Even if you're trying to lose weight, you still need to eat regularly. Fad diets can make you hungry and also can give you a headache. Not getting enough fluids — which leads to dehydration — also may cause a headache.

    Drugs
    Alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines, diet pills and other drugs may give you a headache.

    Often headaches are triggered by sleep problems, minor head injuries or certain foods (dairy products; chocolate; food additives like nitrates, nitrites and monosodium glutamate).

    Sometimes, headaches also can be caused by prescribed medication, such as birth control pills, tetracycline for acne and high doses of vitamin A. Less commonly, headaches can be caused by a dental infection or abscess, and jaw alignment problems (TMJ syndrome). Although headaches are only rarely caused by eye problems, pain around the eyes — which can feel like a headache — can be caused by eye muscle imbalance or not wearing glasses that have been prescribed for you.

    Only in very rare cases are headaches a symptom of a brain tumor, high blood pressure or other serious problem.

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  • by tsetsegirl on January 14th, 2007

    tsetsegirl

    Since there are a variety of "types" of headaches, it depends on the headache. If it's a "sinus" headache, then taking a decongestant would help---often changes in the barometric pressure due to weather changes can trigger sinus headaches. Other headaches can be caused by dehydration, which makes the blood thicker and harder for the heart to pump, and makes the blood vessels in the head constrict, which causes pain. Drinking water is the best solution for this headache. "Tension" headaches are most likely due to sudden changes in hormones and neurotransmitters when a person is under stress, and the pain receptors in the blood vessels supplying blood to the brain are working extra hard in order to trigger the release of all those chemicals. Medicine in this case helps because it blocks the pain receptors in those blood vessels. "Migraines" are an actual medical condition, and scientists don't know a whole lot about them, except that serotonin plays a very big role in them. This is probably because serotonin, the NT most well known for its role in mood regulation, is also used to regulate everything from nausea to pain to sleep to sexual drive to sensory perception and processing.

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  • by reagan78 on January 19th, 2010

    reagan78

    A good headache diary can be key to helping a doctor treat your headaches. I use iHeadache. It tracks symptoms, meds, disability, triggers, etc. It then produces a a report I can take to my doctor. I used to use a paper diary but was always forgetting to write things down. iHeadache is on my iPhone (it can also go on an iPod touch and BlackBerry) so I have it with me at all times. I love it! Their website is http://www.iHeadacheApp.com.

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