Headache

Headaches cause pain that people worldwide are all familiar with. As an example, according to the American National Headache Foundation, more than 45 million Americans suffer from chronic and recurring headaches - a figure higher than the 33 million people who suffer from asthma, diabetes and heart conditions. Specialists have classified over 250 types of headaches - with the most frequent incidence of tension-type headaches (54%) and migraines (38%).

Tension-type headache:

Is often caused by stiffness in shoulders, neck and jaw muscles.

Is usually related to stress, depression and/or anxiety.

The usual bilateral headache (both sides of head) is low to moderate in intensity and does not increase with physical activity.

May be triggered by overwork, lack of sleep, inadequate diet or consumption of alcoholic drinks.

Untreated tension headaches may last from 30 minutes to 7 days. So-called episodic tensional headaches usually appear less than 15 days a month. Whenever the incidence of headaches is higher, the condition is described as a chronic headache.

Migraine:

Is the second most frequent type of headache and much more common in women, especially during their childbearing age, since it may be associated to hormonal changes.

Its most characteristic symptom is a severe throbbing pain in one or both sides of your head, which may also include sickness and light-and-noise sensitivity.

The duration of migraine attacks are extremely variable: without treatment, they may last 4 to 72 hours and occur once to 6 times per month on average.

Sometimes, migraines can be preceded by other specific symptoms or by the so-called "aura", when you experience pulsating lights in your field of vision.

Unfortunately, there is no current cure for migraines, but it is eventually possible to control migraine attacks more effectively if you avoid your personal trigger factors and take the right pain reliever in time.

Most people suffering from headaches will benefit from taking some or all of these preventive measures:

Identify what triggers the headache - it may be diet, lack of appropriate rest, changes in hormone concentrations, etc.

Make some changes in your lifestyle, by having a more organized routine in order to avoid body imbalance.

Learn relaxation techniques (such as meditation and visual imagery) and minimize your daily stress level.

Take the right pain reliever when the headache starts. Aspirin® has proved to effectively relieve tension headaches as well as migraine attacks.

Consult a medical doctor immediately if you have a headache after getting hit, have a stiff neck, fever, feel confused, lose consciousness or have eye pain or earache. Be sure to read and follow label directions.