Do you know the causes of headaches?

It can be an annoying hammering that stops her thinking, an unbearable pressure on her temples that brings her to bed, a horrible tension in the back of her neck that spoils her day, an unnerving heaviness in her eyes that doesn't let her see, or a simple discomfort that is removed with a paracetamol.

But whatever the degree of intensity, the fact is that almost everyone has a headache from time to time. And there are people for whom a headache every 24 hours is part of the daily routine. What is this common affliction? What causes it? What do the experts know on the subject?

That undesirable headache.

Headache is not a disease, but a symptom. Like any change in the body, it can signal that something is wrong and should be given its importance. A simple neuralgia can be the first warning of something serious that can be controlled if it is discovered in time. Only a doctor can determine the problem behind the symptom. If you take pain relievers day after day, you are only masking the signals your body is sending. So sometimes it is advisable to take a break, remove the pills, feel the pain, and let an expert determine what is affecting your body.

Of course, not all headaches portend a hospital stay. Most of them have a specific cause and can be eliminated in a short time with the right medicine. But it is very important to know which ones require medical attention.

When to see the doctor?

Make an appointment with your doctor if you have a:

• Sudden headache, with no apparent cause.

• Headache accompanied by fever.

• Headache accompanied by seizures

• Headache that makes you lightheaded or makes you lose consciousness.

• Headache after receiving a blow to the head

• Headache that makes you lightheaded or makes you lose consciousness.

• Headache after receiving a blow to the head.

• Headache accompanying other local pain in the eyes, ears, etc.

• Headache that begins in a previously pain-free older person.

• Headache that prevents you from leading a normal life.

• Headache every day or too frequent.

What should we do?

At the first sign of pain, breathe in some fresh air. Leave the room, where there may be excess carbon monoxide or a leak in the heating system in the office or at a social gathering, the problem may be an overdose of tension or excitement created by crowding of people filling their rooms. lungs of oxygen, it is very possible that the discomfort is lessened. If that doesn't work, take a break in a place where silence reigns.

A horizontal position can alleviate pain so stretch out on a bed and take a nap if you can. If the pain is produced by muscular contractions, a massage in the affected area (almost always the neck), the heat of a heating pad or a hot shower work miracles. Hunger also causes headaches, and since we all live by counting calories, yours may have been caused by lack of food. Avoid it by eating a sensible diet, which allows you to eat enough food for your physiological needs. If you take acetaminophen, do not exceed the limit that doctors recommend. More than 2 tablets at a time will not take away the pain any faster, and an inordinate dose can exacerbate the pain and intoxicate you.

Do not experiment with the medications you have at home. Remember that different types of headaches require different treatments. For example, pain caused by muscle tension is relieved with muscle relaxants and pain relievers. The headache that accompanies infections requires the use of antibiotics. The migraine caused by high blood pressure (hypertension) can be counteracted with medicines that lower the pressure. When pain begins with a nasal passage disorder, it is cured with a decongestant. Allergy headaches respond well to antihistamines. But don't forget that all of these medications require a prescription.

How can we classify the headache?

Neither the brain tissues nor the skull feel pain when directly stimulated. But there are very sensitive parts: the scalp, blood vessels and certain coverings capable of any type of stimulation no matter how slight. Pain can be classified as follows:

• Dilation of the arteries of the heads. Just as the ankle hurts when it is inflamed, the blood vessels hurt when they become dilated. Migraines and headaches related to fever, carbon monoxide poisoning or any other type of intoxication, hangovers and hunger originate in the cerebral arteries.

• Stretching (pulling) of sensitive structures within the head. A tumor, an abscess, or a hemorrhage does not hurt because of the direct pressure applied to the brain tissues, but because they stretch the arteries more than normal.

• Inflammation or irritation of any of these supersensitive structures. Like local infections, in a finger for example, an inflamed artery causes pain if it is one of the brain coverings, the result is a truly unbearable headache.

• Prolonged contraction of the neck muscles. Keeping your head rigid and tightening your neck muscles is the most natural reaction to things or events that drive you out of your mind. This inevitably produces the most common headache in the world, the one born of tension. Since the pain caused by inflamed arteries sometimes forces us to hold our heads rigid in our quest to seek relief, we must be careful not to aggravate the problem with an unnecessary dose of tension.

• Spreading pain begins as a local pain in the eyes, ears, nose, sinuses, teeth, etc. And it grows until it becomes a massive headache.

• When the headache does not have a physiological reason, the cause is psychological: an emotional conflict or a case of anxiety becomes a physical symptom.

When we have headaches we must seek medical help, and thus know the causes that produce it and avoid that constant, annoying and unbearable symptom that can spoil the day.

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