There can be many reasons for the
condition you describe (headache). The
CT-scan that was performed excluded a
brain tumor. Good for you! Brain tumors,
FYI, are very rare causes for headaches.
There are few types of headache that are
classed as follows:
1. TENSION headaches are due to tight,
contracted muscles in your shoulders,
neck, scalp, and jaw. They are often
related to stress, depression, or anxiety.
Overworking, not getting enough sleep,
missing meals, and using alcohol or street
drugs can make you more susceptible to
them. Headaches can be triggered by
chocolate, cheese, and monosodium
glutamate (MSG). People who drink caffeine
can have headaches when they don't get
their usual daily amount of caffeine.
Other common causes include:
• Holding your head in one position for
a long time: such as sitting at a
computer, using a microscope, or a
typewriter. Poor sleep position.
Overexertion. Clenching or grinding your
teeth.
Tension headaches tend to be on both sides
of the head. They often start at the back
of your head and spread forward. The pain
may feel dull or pressurized, like a tight
band or vice. Your shoulders, neck, or jaw
may feel tight and sore.
2. MIGRAINE headaches are severe,
recurrent headaches and are generally
accompanied by other symptoms such as
visual disturbances or nausea. They tend
to begin on one side of your head,
although the pain may spread to both
sides. You may have an "aura" (warning
symptoms that start before your headache)
and feel throbbing, pounding, or pulsating
pain.
3. CLUSTER headaches are sharp, extremely
painful headaches that tend to occur
several times per day for months and then
go away for a similar period. They are far
less common.
4. SINUS headaches cause pain in the front
of your head and face. They are due to
inflammation in the sinus passages that
lie behind the cheeks, nose, and eyes. The
pain tends to be worse when you bend
forward and when you first wake up in the
morning. Postnasal drip, sore throat, and
nasal discharge usually occur with these
headaches.
5. OTHER types of headache include:
- occurrence coinciding with a cold, the
flu, fever, or premenstrual syndrome.
- If you are over age 50 and are
experiencing headaches for the first time,
a condition called temporal arteritis may
prove to be the cause. Symptoms of this
condition include impaired vision and pain
aggravated by chewing. There is a risk of
becoming blind with this condition.
Therefore, it must be treated by your
doctor right away.
- Rare causes of headache include: Brain
aneurysm ( a weakening of the wall of a
blood vessel that can rupture and bleed
into the brain), Brain tumor, Stroke or
TIA, Brain infection like meningitis or
encephalitis.
At this time you can request an X-ray
image of the cervical spine and the
peri-nasal sinuses. You can also perform
an eye examination (sight, eye bottom and
eye pressure), an ENT-examination
(sinuses, hearing, balance etc.), and a
neurological examination (complete
neurological status). If all examinations
appear OK, then anxiety and stress can be
considered as causes for the symptoms you
experience. You may appeal to a
neurologist, an ophthalmologist and an
ENT-specialist for investigating the
possible reasons for the headaches.
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