And it’s impossible to think: why does my head hurt?

According to the World Health Organization, about one-third of men and more than half of women in developed countries suffer from tension and tension headaches. Approximately one in seven adults also experience migraines. Headaches seem like the most “common” ailment that everyone is familiar with, but in fact they have a huge impact on life. They deprive strength, energy, efficiency, reduce the quality of life.

Anastasia Nosko, neurologist, candidate of medical sciences, head of the Botulinotherapy Center in Neurology at the European Medical Center, tells about what headaches can be and how to treat them.

What is a headache?

Headaches are divided into primary and secondary. In primary headaches , there are no organic disorders in the body that could be the cause of painful sensations. Tension headaches and migraines are the most common subtypes. There are a number of factors that can provoke them. Knowing them and observing a certain lifestyle allows for effective prevention and reducing the frequency of attacks. However, some cannot do without the professional help of a doctor and medication.

Secondary headache is a consequence of other diseases. Most often it occurs against a background of fever, inflammation, metabolic disorders or trauma. That is why differential diagnosis is always carried out. After all, headaches are often caused, for example, by problems with ENT organs, chronic inflammation of the sinuses, problems with vision (there are so-called headaches of visual overstrain). Sometimes the examination program also includes a general blood test, so, often the cause can be iron deficiency. As a rule, people cope with secondary headaches by taking analgesics.

When is it worth going to the doctor?

Once again, we emphasize: headaches are perceived by most people as normal, but a visit to the doctor is necessary. A specialist will help you figure out exactly what type of pain you are experiencing.

If the pain is secondary, the cause must be identified for effective treatment. As a rule, this can be done by clearly developed diagnostic algorithms. The case is more complicated with primary. Diagnosis is formed on the basis of a set of symptoms. In such a situation, the competent participation of a doctor is necessary. Most people who experience malaise regularly, believe that they have migraine.

Self-diagnosis is often erroneous.

Tension-type headache
This type of headache usually occurs in the afternoon. The person feels that the heaviness is as if spilled all over the head. It is also described as a squeezing sensation, as if a tight hat is being put on the head. On a pain scale, it is usually rated 4-5, with an average duration of 4-6 hours. The muscles in the neck and shoulders may also ache. Some people experience tension headaches daily, while others experience it a few times a month.

Migraine
Migraine is a fairly complex condition. If the attack is preceded by unpleasant symptoms (numbness of fingers, narrowing of the field of vision, flashing “lightning” in front of the eyes), it is a migraine with aura, but the disease can occur without precursor symptoms.

More often the pain is unilateral, although it can hurt on both sides. And children complain of pain in the whole head. Accompanied by nausea, light and sound phobia, the intensity of pain is usually high. The attacks last from four to 72 hours. The aura lasts about 20 minutes.

There are many myths about the causes of migraine. In particular, it is believed that the head can hurt because of vascular problems, osteochondrosis, due to changes in weather and atmospheric pressure. Doctors refute these assumptions. The root cause of migraine, unfortunately, has not been identified, the study continues. But the factors that provoke it are established reliably. These include sleep disorders, stress, eating disorders, dehydration. Often migraine can be provoked by alcohol.

How to get rid of a headache?

The usual algorithm of action for headaches is to take a pill and wait until the discomfort passes. With secondary pain, it is necessary to treat the underlying disease.

Migraine and tension headache are a big problem. These are chronic diseases, and it is not always possible to achieve their complete cure. Doctors consider therapy successful if the frequency and intensity of primary pain can be reduced by 50% or more.

Treatment of migraine should always be under the supervision of a doctor, because the appointment of drugs is purely individual and it must be regularly adjusted. In chronic migraine successfully used botulinum therapy (method of treatment with drugs that block neuromuscular transmission). This method is used if a patient has a headache for more than 15 days in a month, against which there are about eight migraine attacks.

In Russia, starting from 2020, drugs that have been successfully proven in the USA and Europe over the last five years – monoclonal antibodies to CGRP – have become available. CGRP is a compound whose release can trigger migraine. And monoclonal antibodies block its activity or receptors susceptible to it. Side effects and contraindications in this treatment are practically absent, but it is important to individually select the dosage. The method has shown high efficacy in the treatment of migraine, especially in cases where previous therapy has failed. In 20% of cases, it completely relieves the patient of attacks.

What to pay attention to when you have a headache?

Quite often headaches do not pose a danger to the patient and pass after taking the appropriate drugs. However, there are conditions that should never be left unattended. These are the so-called “red flags”, at the appearance of which it is necessary to consult a specialist.

Regardless of whether you have chronic headaches or not, if the unpleasant sensations are increasing in intensity and frequency, this is a reason to go to the doctor. For example, there are people who experience a mild headache 1-2 times a week on the background of fatigue. Suddenly, its character changes: for example, before it was felt all over the head, and now – in a certain area. Or it was moderate, but now it is intense and prolonged. The addition of other symptoms to the headache, such as nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, difficulty in movement, dizziness, difficulty in perceiving reality – these are also alarming signals of the body. In these cases, it is necessary to visit a neurologist immediately.