Why does my head hurt for several days in a row - what to do? The headache does not go away for several days The headache does not go away what to do

First of all, it should be taken into account that regular headaches appear in a person if he develops a malignant brain tumor.

Specialists distinguish several types of cephalalgia (headache), which manifests itself for a long period of time:

• Vascular. With an increase or decrease in blood pressure.
• Nervous. Caused by stress, psychological overwork.
• Tension pain. Accompanied by pain in the cervical spine.
• Toxic. It is provoked by food, drug, alcohol poisoning.
• Infectious. Occurs with meningitis, encephalitis, sometimes accompanies colds, flu, tonsillitis.

Provoke prolonged headaches injuries of the head, neck, concussion. Moreover, discomfort can appear not only immediately after the injury, but also after a certain period of time after recovery: in a month, a year.

If the patient has a headache for the third day, one should not forget about such a pathological condition as an increase in intracranial pressure.

Characteristics of the pain syndrome

The nature of the headache manifests itself depending on the cause of the discomfort. It is not enough to tell the doctor that you have a headache for a week, you also need to describe in detail your feelings. For a long time, pain accompanies:

• Migraine. There is a throbbing nature of the pain, which can become aching. It hurts not only the head, the backache is given to the ear, eye, jaw. The duration of the attack is up to two days.
• Cluster pains are burning, sharp, paroxysmal. Unpleasant sensations cover one part of the head, eyes, cheekbones. The attack lasts minutes and passes. Then it reappears on the same day. Episodes of cluster pain last from two weeks to 4 months.
• Meningitis. The peak of pain in meningitis is reached when the temperature rises to 40 degrees. Damage to the meninges causes acute unbearable pain. Painful sensations capture the entire head, a feeling of fullness gradually appears (as if the head is about to explode).
• Encephalitis. The disease is accompanied by a prolonged intense headache of a bursting, pressing nature. Unpleasant sensations do not go away after sleep, aggravated by movement.
• Increase in blood pressure. Of course, you can identify the disease by measuring the pressure with a tonometer. But what if this device is not at hand? It is possible to suspect the development of arterial hypertension if the patient has a headache in the back of the head for the second day. At the same time, unpleasant sensations are similar to those that a person feels with a migraine: pulsation, heat, fullness. There may be a feeling of goosebumps running along the back of the head, neck.
• A decrease in blood pressure is accompanied by dull, pressing, aching pain in the frontal, parietal region of the head. Discomfort occurs after daytime sleep, gradually covers the entire head.
• Tension pains usually appear on both sides of the head, have a moderate squeezing character. There is no pulsation, with movement the discomfort increases slightly.

Pain from poisoning

Prolonged headaches are noted if a person is subjected to drug poisoning - for a long time takes a certain drug that causes discomfort. The specific nature of the pain depends on the cause of the poisoning:

• Lead poisoning provokes periodically exacerbated chronic pain, capturing the entire head.
• With regular inhalation of gasoline vapors, aching pain appears in different areas of the head, often changing its localization.
• If the discomfort is caused by food poisoning, constipation, the pain is inexpressible, dull in nature, and diffusely spreads throughout the head.

Psychological factors

I've been having a headache for a week, what could it be? If injuries, infectious diseases are excluded, perhaps the pain is psychological in nature. With this type of discomfort, pulsating, squeezing pains are noted in one or two points of the head, sometimes with a feeling of fullness.

How to eliminate pain?

What to do if the headache does not go away even after the pills? When discomfort is caused by hypertension, the following activities are permissible at home:

• Measuring blood pressure with an automatic blood pressure monitor.
• A hypertensive patient who has been diagnosed can take the drugs prescribed by his doctor earlier.
• If arterial pressure rose in a person for the first time and pain torments the patient for several days, you can take an antispasmodic (No-shpu, Drotaverin).

If the cause of pain is poisoning, intoxication of the body should be reduced:

• Stop taking the toxic drug.
• Drink Activated carbon- 1 tablet per 10 kg of human weight (no more than 15 tablets per day).
• In case of food poisoning - rinse the stomach by drinking plenty of water.
• Drink aspirin to thin the blood and relieve pain.

Despite the measures taken and taking medications, the headache still does not go away? It is imperative to eliminate the source of intoxication, for example, constantly ventilate the room or install an air purifier if the windows of the apartment face a busy avenue.

Patients who periodically suffer from migraine, cluster pain, know that taking medication may not bring relief. Reduces discomfort:

• Tight head wrap, you can use a scarf, kitchen towel, woolen handkerchief.
• Good rest: it is desirable to sleep for at least 10 hours in absolute silence.
• Sleep in a room with no lights. With such a rest, the production of sleep hormones is normalized, a person recovers faster.

No way to sleep? Ask your family not to make noise, avoid loud sounds, bright lights. This rule also applies if a person has discomfort due to a cold. In addition, you can relieve pain if:

• Drink a lot: fruit drink, chamomile tea, black tea with raspberries, honey.
• Take antipyretics: Paracetamol, Ibufen.
• Observe bed rest.
• Do not watch TV, do not play on the computer.
• To sleep a lot.

As soon as the patient begins to recover, the headache will subside.

How to avoid complications after a head injury or the effects of stress?

After a concussion, a headache torments you, flies fly before your eyes for several days, did you feel very tired? It is necessary to extend the rehabilitation period:

• Lie in bed, get up only to use the toilet.
• Observe the silence mode: do not listen to music with headphones, exclude the appearance of loud sounds.
• Do not play computer games, completely abandon the use of gadgets: phone, e-book.
• Do not read books, newspapers.
• Avoid scandals, showdown, nervous shocks.

If the discomfort in the head is caused by a nervous shock, you should also normalize your psycho-emotional state.

• Drink tea with mint, lemon balm.
• Take a sedative: Valerian extract, Glycine, Sedavit.
• Get a relaxing head massage.
• Relax actively: go hiking, visit a museum, ride a bike, swim in the pool or go to a yoga class.
• Get away from business problems.
• Build family relationships.

You can find something to your liking, a hobby that will greatly captivate and help you forget about problems. Sometimes, to get rid of a nervous headache, you need to contact a psychologist or psychotherapist.

Management of chronic headache

Have you had a headache for 4 days? Does the pain constantly change its character, sometimes it hurts the forehead, sometimes it burns the back of the head? Analgin and Sumamigren do not help, and cold compresses only increase the discomfort?

When at home it is impossible to get rid of discomfort, you should consult a doctor. Additional reasons for urgent medical attention:

• Previously, the pain of this nature of the patient was not disturbed.
• Not so long ago, a patient was diagnosed with a concussion.
• There were moderate daily pain sensations in the morning, passing by the evening.
• Discomfort is accompanied by acute pain in the eye, behind the ear, numbness of the limbs, impaired speech, vision.
• A migraine attack is suspected, but even after three days it does not go away, the pills do not help to cope with discomfort.
• The patient has a high temperature and does not go astray with antipyretic drugs.
• The man falls, loses consciousness.
• Every day the pain gets worse.

It is worth noting separately what you can not do:

• Take painkillers one after the other.
• Suppress discomfort with alcohol.
• Make a diagnosis on your own and start treatment with potent drugs, tranquilizers.
• Trying to get rid of pain in radical ways: going to the bathhouse, diving into an ice hole.

Attention! Diseases such as meningitis, encephalitis are treated only in a hospital setting. A doctor can make an accurate diagnosis. In case of an atypical pain syndrome, be sure to call an ambulance.

Folk methods of treatment

When you have a headache for a week, and there is no way to see a doctor, you can alleviate the condition with the help of simple procedures. Relieves discomfort for a certain time:

• Hot foot bath.
• Cold and hot shower.
• Self-massage of the neck and head.
• Acupressure.
• Use of cold or warm compresses.
• Lotions with natural ingredients: grated potatoes, pumpkin gruel, cabbage leaves, burdock.
• Aromatherapy (you can use tea tree, lemon, valerian, laurel, mint, lavender oil for inhalation).
• Decoctions with medicinal herbs: oregano, Ivan tea, chamomile, peppermint.

Remember! Home treatment is not a panacea. This is only a temporary solution that can be used when there is no way to get medical help.

Prevention

Watch your diet, prolonged headaches appear in patients who abuse caffeinated drinks, chocolate, eat a lot synthetic products, spices containing monosodium glutamate.

Dose physical and intellectual loads. Even absolutely healthy people "burn out" at work, refusing to rest, communicate with friends and cultural leisure.

The head hurts for a long time in those patients who cannot organize the daily routine, go to bed late and get up for dinner. Normalize your daily routine, have a good rest, regularly undergo medical examinations, and discomfort will not bother you.

Video

All information on the site is provided for informational purposes only and cannot replace the advice of your doctor.

Prolonged headache - what is behind this ailment

There are many types of headaches of varying duration. Prolonged headache is characterized by an intense course, occurs more than 15 days a month and may portend a serious illness.

It is difficult to meet a person suffering from only one type of painful syndromes in the head. For some reason, pain may alternate or be mixed. Depending on the mechanism of occurrence and symptoms, prolonged headache is divided into the following categories:

1. Vascular. Pathology occurs with narrowing or expansion of blood vessels, with hypotension or high blood pressure, as well as with other vascular diseases: atherosclerosis, migraine. In this case, there are pulsating sensations in the temples and dizziness.
2. The pain of muscle strain is provoked by stress, prolonged uncomfortable body position, diseases of the spine. A person feels squeezing spasms in the back of the head and around the head.
3. Neuralgia. Neuralgic diseases cause short-term attacks when touching the facial zone and may be the result of inflammation of the trigeminal or occipital nerve.
4. Liquorodynamic. Intracranial pressure, hydrocephalus, inflammatory diseases of the brain, various cysts of the brain are provoked by a disorder in the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid through the vessels.
5. Toxic. Manifested when the body is intoxicated with harmful substances, medicines. Poisoning can be the reason why your head hurts for a long time.
6. Infectious. It is formed under the influence of viral infections, SARS, sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, meningitis and encephalitis.
7. Consequences of brain or soft tissue injuries. Symptoms may appear much later, so any bruises in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe skull should not be left without the attention of a specialist.
8. Oncological. Prolonged headache is a frequent companion of tumors and neoplasms in the organs of the central nervous system. It is characterized by intensity, lack of relief when taking painkillers, impaired gait and speech of the patient.

Causes

There can be many reasons why your head hurts every day.

Migraine

An attack can occur suddenly and last from 4 to 72 hours. In this case, photophobia, nausea, tearing, pulsating sensations from one part of the head, most often in the temple, are observed.

fluctuations in blood pressure

Hypertension often causes headaches for several days. Spasms are localized in the temporal and occipital region.

trigeminal neuralgia

Shooting sensations on the face are a symptom of neuralgia. Such soreness can occur frequently, but last no more than 1 minute, give to the ears or lower jaw.

Abscess

Purulent processes in the brain, accompanied by fever, can cause prolonged pain syndromes that occur in the temples and forehead.

Arteritis

Arteritis is an infectious disease complicated by fever, swelling in the eye area, and difficulty moving the head. Treatment of the disease is complex and may take several years.

Iron-deficiency anemia

A constant low content of hemoglobin in the blood can cause prolonged pain syndromes in a person. At the same time, general well-being worsens, squeezing in the head, dizziness, and weakness are felt.

adenovirus infection

Inflammatory diseases of the eyes and respiratory organs can lead to constant aching spasms in the head, high fever, tinnitus, and nausea.

Meningitis, encephalitis

Inflammatory diseases of the meninges are always accompanied by prolonged pain, chills, decreased vision and hearing, fainting and dizziness may appear.

Diseases of the spine, osteochondrosis

When squeezing the vertebral arteries, herniated intervertebral discs often hurts in the area of ​​the temples and in the center of the head. Hypoxia, insufficient blood circulation of the vertebral arteries lead to permanent cephalalgia.

cerebral ischemia

It is a consequence of atherosclerosis or hypertension. Narrowing of small capillaries leads to oxygen starvation of the brain. As a result, prolonged painful symptoms in the head are formed.

Abuse pain

The development of abuse pain syndromes occurs with the abuse of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and analgesics.

Neoplasms of the brain

Tumors, cysts, vascular aneurysms often provoke chronic cephalalgia, which tends to increase. Concomitant manifestations may be an increase in intracranial pressure, vomiting, nausea, impaired speech and coordination.

Liquorodynamic cephalgia

A change in intracranial pressure leads to persistent pain in the head, accompanied by pulsation, nausea, and vomiting.

External factors that provoke the development of prolonged pain symptoms in the head include:

1. Overwork. With a neglectful attitude to rest, constant fatigue, an overstrain occurs, characterized by a feeling of constriction of the entire surface of the head and a constant flow.
2. Hormonal restructuring of the body. Prolonged cramps often bother teenagers, pregnant women and women during menopause.
3. Insomnia, chronic lack of sleep lead to a general decrease in body strength and can be a factor causing prolonged pain syndromes in the head.
4. Stress, depression, anxiety.
5. Muscle strain.

First aid

No one can endure a headache for long. When a headache does not go away for several days in a row, a person is forced to consult a doctor.

So, how can we help ourselves with long-term headaches in several ways:

• first aid measures for conditions of chronic cephalalgia are painkillers aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen. However, they can only have a temporary effect;
• if constant soreness in the head worries a pregnant woman or is caused by intoxication, drinking plenty of plain water, juices, herbal decoctions will help reduce symptoms. This method is suitable for moderate severity syndromes;
• at the first sign of impending soreness in the head, you should relax and take a break, change the position of the body, drink strong black tea with sugar;
• if a stressful situation arises, take a calming herbal remedy, a solution of valerian or motherwort;
• make a light massage of the head, neck, temples;
• taking a contrast shower or bath with medicinal herbs help prevent an attack at the very beginning;
• if there is a tendency to vascular disorders, a cold compress or hot lotions to the site of localization of spasms will help.

As a rule, with chronic pain, drug treatment is directed to the cause that causes them. Depending on the type of pain and the mechanism of their appearance, they use:

• medicines that stabilize blood pressure;
• beta-blockers and nootropic drugs for oxygen deficiency;
• carry out infusion therapy for poisoning.

Diagnostics

When contacting a specialist, you need to pay attention to the following factors:

• When did chronic pain first appear?
• duration of seizures;
• presumed causes of occurrence;
• accompanying symptoms;
• in which parts of the head pain appears;
• nature of pain.

Based on a patient survey, the doctor draws up a clinical picture of the disease and sends for additional studies:

• magnetic resonance imaging;
• electroencephalography;
• Ultrasound of the vessels of the head and neck;
• biochemical and general blood test;
• consultations of doctors of other specializations: ophthalmologist, otolaryngologist, neurosurgeon, psychiatrist.

Treatment

If your head hurts for a long time, the most reasonable thing would be to go to the doctor. Further therapy will depend on the diagnosis of a specialist. The patient may be prescribed the following procedures:

• physiotherapy;
• cranial osteopathy - used in complex treatment with the help of a doctor's hands. Work with the bones of the skull and brain structures stabilizes the movement of cerebrospinal fluid, normalizes blood supply in the vessels;
• physiotherapy;
• compresses and lotions;
• manual therapy of the temples and neck;
• reflexology with the help of point effects on the nodules and nerve endings, acupuncture;
• fixation of the cervical region in a corset for vertebral pathologies or cervical osteochondrosis.

Medicines used to treat chronic cephalalgia include:

• antidepressants: amitriptyline, paroxetine, melipramine;
• muscle relaxants: tolperisone, mephedol, tizanidite;
• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs: ibuprofen, ketoprofen, naproxen.

Prevention

In some people, pain symptoms may recur after therapy. However, doctors do not advise getting involved in taking medications: this can provoke even more intense syndromes. The recommendations of doctors for the prevention of prolonged pain in the head come down to simple tips:

• a full night's sleep - at least 8 hours;
• avoidance of overwork, rest during the working day, relaxing exercises for the muscles of the skeletal system;
• fresh air, regular ventilation of the premises;
• a healthy diet that includes vitamins and minerals;
• regular courses of soothing herbs: peony, valerian, motherwort;
• exclusion of bad habits - smoking and alcoholic beverages.

Conclusion

“Headache does not go away” - very often a doctor hears when taking patients. The success of therapy mainly depends on the person himself. A timely appeal to a specialist will help to avoid the negative consequences and the development of many head diseases.

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The site is consulted by a neurologist Rothermel T.P.

The information is provided for reference purposes only.

Do not self-medicate.

At the first sign of disease, consult a doctor.

Why can a head hurt for a week

Sensation The sensation of a headache is familiar to most people. Due to the peculiarities of modern life, such sensations are manifested more and more often. However, there are people who do not know this feeling. Medical statistics show that only about 15% of the population do not know how a headache manifests itself. But the population of large cities hardly belongs to this category. It is precisely from this category that you can increasingly hear that your head hurts for a week, almost without ceasing.

Causes of headaches

Headache is the body's signals about any damage or unfavorable course of internal processes. This manifestation often accompanies various diseases, being one of their symptoms. The possible duration of such an unpleasant sensation is from a couple of seconds to several weeks. This manifestation has a special medical name - cephalgia.

Headaches can also occur in children. About 15% of people who have experienced a headache learned what it is in childhood. And only one-twentieth of this contingent, who know firsthand about cephalalgia, has a serious illness accompanied by such a symptom. In this case, without curing the underlying disease, it may not be realistic or very difficult to get rid of headaches.

Currently, there are about two hundred varieties of headaches, which can be conditionally divided into two main groups:

1. Headaches with no detectable cause. During the examination, the patient does not find clearly expressed pathologies, but the pain does not go away. Here, there is a direct correlation with dysfunctions of the analgesic systems that begin 2. Headaches manifest themselves directly with a specific disease, for example, with the presence of a neoplasm in the brain or other pathologies.

The most common today are two causes of cephalalgia:

Manifestation Mechanism

The walls of blood vessels in the human brain are quite elastic. However, if they are overstretched, headaches can occur, accompanied by rhythmic dull and constantly pulsating beats in the head, which can appear on any side of it. This type of pain is inherent in the following diseases:

• arterial hypertension, as well as its antipode - hypotension;
• migraine;
• vegetovascular dystonia (with emerging crises).

Severe manifestations of arterial hypotension and migraine are accompanied not by pulsating, but by bursting and pressing, and sometimes bursting pain. Spasm of the vessels of the head is accompanied by a local decrease in blood supply (ischemia) and hypoxia (decrease in oxygen content). In this case, the pain takes on a dull, squeezing form and is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, the appearance of "flies" before the eyes and moments of "faded" light. It is possible to change the color of the skin, in particular, its pallor.

With any other pathological changes in the body, a specific manifestation of headaches, inherent only to this disease, is possible.

Headaches due to overexertion

This type of headache is very common. Due to certain factors, tension cephalalgia is experienced by up to half of the entire population. Its initial manifestation is aching pain, then it compresses and squeezes the head with something like a hoop. Pain becomes exhausting and dull.

A person is forced to continue to perform his professional functions or daily duties, but at the same time he feels tired and overwhelmed. Most often, stress cephalgia haunts office workers who are in a stuffy room and perform the same operations in a monotonous rhythm. And the brain is subject to constant stress. Such people get fresh air only on the way home or to work, and then for a short time, since there is also little of it in transport.

This type of pain occurs due to the constant tension of the muscles of the neck, forehead, back of the head, as well as the shoulder girdle, in conjunction with intense brain activity. The stressed state of both tendons and ligaments also plays an important role.

Why can a headache appear in our dynamically changing time? The reasons are the presence of frequent stresses and work conflicts, the constant position of "sitting", the systematic driving of a car with a forced concentration of attention, changing weather conditions, excessive physical exertion, especially against the background of malnutrition. This is not a complete list, because the lack of fresh air, the inability to fully relax, alternating loads and relaxation of the body in a modern dynamically changing life, are also factors that affect a person’s well-being.

Migraine is one of the most common causes

Migraine is another common cause of cephalalgia. The manifestation of this disease is one-sided or alternating sides in turn. Migraine is another common cause of cephalalgia. The manifestation of this disease is unilateral or alternating headaches in turn, which can be quite pronounced. Their manifestation is possible with an increase or be pulsating. Pain is so pronounced that it leads to nausea and a painful reaction when looking at a bright light. This condition sometimes lasts for several days.

Migraine is a hereditary disease and affects mainly women. However, men, although in smaller numbers, but this disease has not passed. It can occur in teenagers and even young children. It is believed that complete relief from migraine cannot be achieved. But the course of the disease can be alleviated, and the attacks of the disease can be reduced to a certain minimum.

The main cause of cephalalgia in migraine is expanding brain vessels that provoke pain receptors. The possibility of manifestation of such a condition arises due to hormonal disorders, the short time allocated for sleep, heavy physical exertion on the body, and even because of some foods eaten.

Often, with this ailment, pains appear, called cluster pains - accompanied by short attacks of rather pronounced pain on one side and concentrating in the eye area. Her possible development- night time, a few hours after falling asleep. In this case, it may be accompanied by tearing and swelling of the mucous membranes of the nose. After an hour, the pain disappears, but its occurrence is possible several times during the day. Such repetitions can last a week or two.

• red wine and preferably alcoholic beverages in general;
• chocolate;
• citrus fruits and nuts;
• eggs, as well as aged cheeses;
• coffee (if it is impossible to refuse, drink no more than a cup a day);
• smoked products and meat products with the popular additive E621 - monosodium glutamate, as well as preservatives.

Modern medicine has developed drugs that are produced specifically for the relief of migraine.

Some diseases accompanied by cephalalgia

Arteritis

Arteritis is an inflammation of the walls of the arteries caused by an infection. With the development of a brain infection, the pain syndrome is pronounced. There is a feverish state, movements in the cervical region are limited. Pain is possible both on one side and on both sides of the head. The temporal arteries swell. Blood tests indicate an inflammatory process.

When temporal arteritis occurs, it is important to quickly diagnose the disease in order to preserve vision. The actual treatment can take years.

anemia

This disease occurs when the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood decreases, usually accompanied by a decrease in the number of erythrocytes (red blood cells). Anemia, which is the most common, is due to a lack of iron in the body.

Symptoms that are common to any type of anemia are as follows:

• fatigue, decreased performance;
• headaches, accompanied by tinnitus and flashing "flies";
• increased heart rate during any physical exertion;
• shortness of breath even at rest.

Iron deficiency anemia is accompanied by cephalalgia, which lasts perhaps even for a week. Appetite is reduced, the skin becomes pale, and sometimes acquire a greenish tint. Hair falls out, and angular stomatitis appears (cracks in the corners of the mouth that do not heal). Swallowing food is difficult, the stool becomes irregular, constipation is disturbing. The patient's taste sensations change greatly.

brain tumors

Cephalgia is manifested by dull pain that does not go away for a week. Such manifestations can occur due to a head injury, from exposure to contraceptives, or due to an infection that has entered the pituitary gland. Constant, dull pain is accompanied by a significant increase in body weight, hair growth throughout the body, sexual dysfunction, and double vision.

intracranial hypertension

Intracranial pressure can manifest itself for many reasons. The characteristic symptoms are varied. Clinical manifestations in adults are different from those in children. One of the leading signs of the disease is headache, which occurs mainly in the morning after sleep. Its localization is possible in any part of the head - temples, forehead, nape. It has a pronounced bursting or pressing character. Accompanied by a rare pulse, vomiting, drowsiness. Blood pressure may rise or fall. Throws in sweat and dizziness appears. Memory is impaired, it is impossible to concentrate. In connection with problems of the optic nerve, visual disturbances can occur up to the onset of blindness.

Headache Prevention

How to protect yourself from the occurrence of frequent headaches? The main task is to remember that cephalalgia does not occur from scratch, external causes are always present. It remains only to track them in time so as not to repeat such actions or circumstances in the future. For example, with weather dependence, you don’t need to set yourself up in advance for weather changes so that your head doesn’t hurt. It is better not to listen to any forecasts at all, but to constantly set yourself up for an optimistic wave.

Of course, one should not forget to cover one's head in cold weather, observe a daily routine that is comfortable for oneself, alternate working days with proper rest, and be sure to find time every day for walks in the fresh air. During sedentary work, it is necessary to take breaks - five minutes not for a smoke break, but for performing several exercises.

Each of us has faced the problem of headache and more than once was able to appreciate all the troubles of either short-term or long-term, exhausting cephalalgia.

Our body reacts to the presence of a particular disease, so you should not just wait for the headache to go away on its own. It is necessary to understand its types, causes and choose the right medicine, especially in cases where the head hurts for several days, causing great discomfort and, of course, affecting the quality of life.

There are several main types of cephalalgia.

Each of them has its own characteristics in the manifestation and in the tactics of treatment.

Vascular cephalgia

Occurs against the background of an increase or decrease in blood pressure. It is generally accepted that a headache appears only with hypertension, but in fact the head hurts not only with a strong vasodilation, but also with hypotension.

Possible diseases:

• hypertension;
• hypotension;
• atherosclerosis;
• migraine;
• cervical osteochondrosis;
• temporal arteritis.

Occurs with diseases of the trigeminal or occipital nerve at the site of their passage.

Most often - in the maxillofacial region.

Possible diseases:

• neuralgia of the occipital nerve;
• trigeminal neuralgia.

Occurs when overstressed.

• nervous tension;
• chronic stress;
• uncomfortable working posture;
• visual strain;
• overexertion of the neck muscles;

Liquorodynamic cephalgia

It occurs due to an increase or decrease in intracranial pressure.

• hydrocephalus;
• a variety of brain cysts (in particular -);
• inflammatory processes in the brain;
• violation of venous outflow;

It is one of the symptoms of infectious diseases.

Possible diseases:

• SARS;
• flu;
• meningitis;
• encephalitis.

Toxic cephalgia

It can appear when the body is intoxicated with toxic substances and medicines.

Possible reasons:

• alcohol abuse;
• ingestion of toxins and poisons;
• poor environmental conditions in the place of residence or work;
• drug poisoning.

Oncological cephalgia

Occurs with oncological diseases not only of the brain, but also of the blood or endocrine glands.

• tumors of the central nervous system;
• other neoplasms.

There are many varieties and causes of headaches, provoking factors can be 2-3 or more.

For most pains, a mixed mechanism of occurrence is characteristic, and it is the combination of all factors that influences their appearance.

The most common diseases that cause cephalgia

Despite the abundance of causes of headaches, I would like to elaborate on 3 of them. These are migraine, poisoning and muscle tension.

Migraine

Migraine is equally likely to occur in children, adults, and adolescents. The average duration of attacks is from several hours to a week.

If we describe the sensations experienced by patients during a migraine, then we can say that not only the head hurts, but there is a characteristic sharp pain in the region of the orbits, there are also backaches towards the ear, jaw or back of the head.

In this case, photophobia, nausea and lacrimation can be observed. The causes of migraine are not known for certain, there are only unproven theories. The only thing that can be said with certainty is that women suffer from this disease much more often.

Tension headaches

They occur primarily against the background of stress, improper diet and drinking, lack of sleep, prolonged exposure to an uncomfortable position. Such pain is characterized by intense discomfort in the forehead, extending into the head.

Such headaches are often chronic and are accompanied by constant fatigue, poor sleep, and decreased appetite. They can last for several hours within 15-30 days.

In case of poisoning with food or alcohol products, headaches may appear, but they can hardly be called prolonged. You can get poisoned not only by food or drinks, but also by drugs. In this regard, patients are constantly warned that uncontrolled medication not only will not help in the current situation, but can also lead to poisoning.

Such cases are quite frequent, and the duration of the disease directly depends on the time it takes to remove drugs or alcohol from the body.

Each of the above types of cephalalgia is accompanied by very unpleasant symptoms. Perhaps dizziness, nausea, photophobia, the patient may complain that his head hurts for several days in a row, without ceasing. In this case, there are ways to cope with pain at home before visiting a medical facility. Namely:

• drink tea with lemon balm, lemon or mint;
• well ventilate the room;
• take a walk in the fresh air;
• do self-massage, best of all the temporal and occipital region of the head;
• take a contrast shower from time to time.

Preventive measures

The primary preventive measure has always been a healthy lifestyle. It is not uncommon for a prolonged headache to recede simply after the normalization of sleep and rest. If the head hurts for a long time, then sometimes a walk in the fresh air is enough. But when you are literally plagued by a persistent headache for several days in a row, and you don’t know what it might be, then you should immediately go to the doctor’s office.

If you drink a lot of coffee, chocolate, smoked meats, alcohol and foods with harmful additives, then later you don’t have to wonder why your head hurts for a long time.

It is also necessary, if possible, to combine physical and intellectual activity, to work out in the gym longer and, if possible, to balance the mode of your work in order to avoid overstrain. It often happens that the head hurts for 5 days or even a month, but the patient tries to cope with this with the help of uncontrolled pills. In this case, a person not only loses the time needed for treatment, but can also cause irreparable harm to health.

Separately, I would like to highlight the topic of female cephalgia. This can easily be explained by a change in the hormonal background, which is the cause of frequent headaches and mood swings. A headache for several days in a row can disturb the fair sex during the period:

• start of menstruation;
• early pregnancy;
• menopause.

In all these cases, the head hurts not due to the presence of any pathologies, but due to changes in the hormonal background. A mild headache can be relieved with a cold compress or a long rest. Particular attention should be paid if a pregnant woman does not have a headache for some time.

The seriousness of the situation lies in the fact that during pregnancy it is forbidden to take most painkillers. If the symptoms appeared, for example, due to malnutrition or lack of sufficient air in the room, then it will be easy to deal with them.

But if a headache has been haunting you for two days or more, don't wait for it to go away on its own. You need to urgently contact your doctor.

Diagnosis of the disease

When contacting a medical institution, it is necessary to state in detail to the doctor your complaints:

• focus on the very first, perhaps even minor manifestations of pain;
• clarify what form headache attacks have, constant or periodic (specify how long the attack lasts);
• name additional symptoms that accompany this attack;
• indicate in which parts of the head pain is more pronounced;
• describe pain.

You can also speed up the process of diagnosing with your own thoughts about why your head hurts, so who, if not you, knows better than anyone the individual characteristics of your body. And it is very important to mention the presence or absence of traumatic brain injuries, this information can radically change the plan for further treatment.

After your conversation, the doctor will have to refer you to additional tests and examinations:

• checking the vessels of the brain and neck;
• general and biochemical blood test;
• electroencephalography;
• advice from other experts.

Headache Treatment

If the pills do not help, the patient should be prescribed adequate treatment, and it does not matter if the head hurts for a week or only the second day. It can be various procedures, and prescription of medicines.

Non-drug treatments include:

• physiotherapy;
• massage of the temples and neck-collar zone;
• acupuncture;
• lotions and compresses.

The medicinal preparations prescribed depending on the type of cephalalgia include:

• antidepressants;
• muscle relaxers;
• anti-inflammatory drugs (non-steroidal).

There are many different methods of dealing with headaches, including folk remedies, but only a qualified specialist will be able to correctly diagnose the disease, explain what to do, and prescribe the right treatment.

What actions are strictly prohibited for headaches

Even if you follow all the recommendations for the prevention of cephalalgia, use the listed methods of reduction and elimination, one wrong step can nullify all your efforts. Undesirable actions include the habit of some patients to endure a headache.

Many believe that analgesics are harmful, and it is better to just wait until the pain subsides on its own. But this is not the case, taking the pills at the first appearance of symptoms can prevent a more severe attack. It is best to take the medicine immediately, because with a headache, the body is under stress, which negatively affects the quality of life and can provoke anxiety and even depression.

Don't numb the pain with alcohol. This method can improve the situation only in case of a decrease in pressure, and in many others it can even increase the attack.

It is also not recommended to visit the steam room or try to relieve pain with cold douches. This leads to a sharp expansion or narrowing of blood vessels and can be dangerous for the body, which is already experiencing enormous stress.

Having studied the information about cephalalgia and its treatment methods, do not forget that a headache is a reaction of the body to malfunctions. If cephalgia occurs no more than 2 times a week, then there is no cause for concern. But this issue requires an individual approach, and any symptoms should be treated with caution.

If the headache persists and prolonged spasms prevent you from enjoying life, be sure to consult a specialist. If the doctor has already diagnosed you and prescribed a medicine, then you need to take it, but still try to find out the causes of a prolonged headache.

Many people are familiar with headaches. It occurs for a few minutes, but sometimes the head hurts for several days in a row. So our body gives a signal that its normal work is disrupted. And in order to understand how to help yourself, you need to understand the causes of malaise. In medicine, a headache is called cephalgia. According to statistics, 25% of the world's population at least once a year suffer from prolonged attacks of this disease.

The cause of prolonged headache is damage to the nervous system. It can be provoked by meningitis, brain tumor or hemorrhage. The intensity of pain increases or temporarily decreases. When exposed to provoking factors, symptoms persist for a long time. Here are the main causes of prolonged cephalalgia:

• tension pain;
• cerebrovascular disease (hemorrhage, temporal arteritis, arterial hypertension);
• migraine;
• irritation of the meninges with meningitis or encephalitis;
• a sharp increase or decrease in intracranial pressure;
• concussion and various brain injuries;
• hangover, sinusitis, SARS and other reasons.

Deterioration of health, dizziness and headache provoke stress, inhalation of vapors of chemicals, lack of oxygen, malnutrition. Sometimes these symptoms occur due to improperly fitted glasses, noise, bright lights or flat feet. With vertebral artery syndrome, pain is accompanied by tinnitus, tingling in the back of the head and neck. These sensations haunt the patient constantly, and exacerbations last several hours or a week.

A decrease in hemoglobin levels leads to a decrease in oxygen supply to the brain. In this case, there are dizziness, cephalgia, fatigue from minor exertion. These symptoms bother a person constantly until the iron level returns to normal.

It happens that none of the listed reasons is suitable, and the headache torments for a very long time. What could it be? This condition is called psychalgia, the cause is hidden in nervous disorders. For example, with depression, a person feels pain for a long time, which intensifies or subsides. At the same time, it is difficult to determine localization, as well as the nature of sensations.

The brain itself does not experience pain, it occurs in the skin, muscles, blood vessels, periosteum and membranes of the brain. In various diseases, certain mechanisms are activated that signal a problem.

The growing pulsation inside the skull, which is localized on one or both sides, occurs due to a strong stretching of the walls of the blood vessels. This condition is characteristic of migraine, attacks of hypotension or hypertension, it can persist for more than three days. More than 10% of the inhabitants of different countries experience migraine.

Dull pressing pain indicates swelling of the walls of blood vessels. Prolonged spasm causes hypoxia of brain tissue. Gradually, nausea, dizziness, darkening of the eyes are added to the pain symptoms. If you do not provide a normal flow of oxygen to the tissues, then the pain will last for a very long time.

Strong relaxation of the venous walls is accompanied by aching pain in the forehead, swelling of the eyelids and nasal mucosa. This is most pronounced in the morning. If this condition is combined with increased blood viscosity, pain in the occipital region is frequent. They are aggravated in a horizontal position, with head tilt, tension in the abdominal muscles, wearing tight collars and ties.

If you have a headache for several days in a row, you need to contact a neurologist, as the cause can be very serious. Usually the doctor uses the following diagnostic methods:

• MRI of the vessels of the brain to exclude thrombosis and pathology of the circulatory system;
• radiography of the cervical spine for the presence of osteochondrosis;
• blood test for sugar level;
• conducts a study of the hormonal background;
• dopplerography during pregnancy;
• gynecological examination after childbirth.

Comprehensive diagnostics will help to accurately determine the cause and begin to eliminate it, since a headache that lasts more than one day indicates serious health problems. Here are some diseases that are accompanied by debilitating bouts of cephalalgia:

1. Arteritis. Infectious lesions of the vessels of the brain.
2. Trigeminal neuralgia. Accompanied by unilateral shooting pain in the ear and jaw. Even with intensive treatment, the pain persists for 5 weeks.
3. Adenovirus infection and adenoiditis. When the disease occurs, high fever, swelling of the nasal mucosa, lacrimation and ringing headaches.
4. pituitary adenoma. The formation of a tumor in the brain causes aching pain. As it grows, small hemorrhages occur, which reduces the patient's vision. Attacks last up to 5 days and often recur.

Many diseases develop rapidly, causing irreparable harm to the brain. Therefore, it is so important to consult with a neurologist and other specialists in a timely manner.

What to do if the pain caught you by surprise? Actions taken at the first symptoms of cephalalgia can relieve discomfort.

You need to measure your blood pressure. If significant deviations are noticed, you need to take a pill to normalize the condition. As a first aid, the following techniques are suitable:

• cool water compress with the addition of mint and lavender essential oils;
• to saturate the brain with oxygen, it is necessary to ventilate the room as often as possible and spend more time in the fresh air;
• drink black sweet tea or herbal collection from chamomile or mint;
• head massage (frontal, temporal and parietal area);
• a small warm-up for the neck and back muscles.

Most people who suffer from headaches prefer to self-treat, but if the symptoms persist for 2 weeks, consulting a doctor is indispensable.

To alleviate the condition, you need to follow a diet. Exclude chocolate, smoked meats, spices, cheese, sausages from the diet. Under no circumstances should alcoholic beverages be consumed. You should stop smoking. With long attacks, you can not often use cooling compresses and heating pads. This provokes vasospasm and reduces blood flow to the brain.

If the pain reliever taken does not work, you should not take the second pill. This will only reinforce side effects. Regular use of analgesics may provide temporary relief, but the underlying cause of the pain will remain. Only a comprehensive examination will help to identify it.

There is no universal way to get rid of pain, because it is caused by various processes in the body. If the patient already knows the cause, we can talk about its treatment.

With ICP or vasoconstriction, vasodilator drugs will help. You can reduce the pressure with the help of aminophylline and diuretics. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can reduce discomfort.

To combat migraines, special complexes have been developed, since conventional painkillers will not work. It is recommended to take Sumatriptan, Amigrenin, Zorig. They cope well with migraines, but with symptoms of a different origin, they will not help. Such drugs are prescribed by a doctor if the head hurts for several days. You need to start taking under the supervision of a doctor.

Many patients use prescriptions traditional medicine. They can be combined with traditional treatment, but it is important to inform the attending physician. Here are a few folk remedies from pain.

To achieve good result, you need to take them for at least 3 weeks:

1. A tablespoon of viburnum berries is rubbed with a teaspoon of honey, a glass of warm milk is added to the mixture. Take once a day for high blood pressure and nervous overload.
2. A paste of grated ginger with water is applied to the forehead and left for 10-15 minutes. It speeds up blood circulation and oxygen supply to the muscles.
3. Cut the onion into two parts and apply to the temples for 15-20 minutes. The procedure is repeated three times a day during the period of exacerbation. The course of treatment is 3-5 days, then a break is made.

Prevention of cephalalgia

It is better to prevent any disease than to deal with its consequences for a long time.

With the help of ways to strengthen the body, you can prevent the occurrence of headaches.

Sleep is of great importance. It is necessary to give him from 7 to 9 hours a day. You should follow the regime and completely relax during the rest. Orthopedic pillow and mattress will help the spine to take the correct position.

Playing sports and walking in the fresh air will saturate the blood with oxygen and protect against osteochondrosis. So the likelihood of infringement of blood vessels will be minimized.

It is important to monitor your psychological state so as not to provoke an attack of psychalgia. During the day, you need to be distracted from heavy thoughts and allow yourself small joys: roller skating, skiing, amateur activities, going to the cinema, and so on.

If pain accompanies a person for a long time, you need to keep a diary of well-being. It notes the frequency, strength and localization of cephalalgia.

The products used, the duration of sleep, the level of physical and mental stress are indicated. Women need to correlate attacks with the menstrual cycle, since hormonal levels change during the month. Such observations will help the person or the doctor determine why the head starts to hurt.

Medical statistics show that only about 15% of the population do not know how a headache manifests itself. But the population of large cities hardly belongs to this category. It is precisely from this category that you can increasingly hear that your head hurts for a week, almost without ceasing.

Causes of headaches

Headache is the body's signals about any damage or unfavorable course of internal processes. This manifestation often accompanies various diseases, being one of their symptoms. The possible duration of such an unpleasant sensation is from a couple of seconds to several weeks. This manifestation has a special medical name - cephalgia.

Headaches can also occur in children. About 15% of people who have experienced a headache learned what it is in childhood. And only one-twentieth of this contingent, who know firsthand about cephalalgia, has a serious illness accompanied by such a symptom. In this case, without curing the underlying disease, it may not be realistic or very difficult to get rid of headaches.

Currently, there are about two hundred varieties of headaches, which can be conditionally divided into two main groups:

1. Headaches with no detectable cause. During the examination, the patient does not find clearly expressed pathologies, but the pain does not go away. Here, there is a direct correlation with dysfunctions of the analgesic systems that begin 2. Headaches manifest themselves directly with a specific disease, for example, with the presence of a neoplasm in the brain or other pathologies.

The most common today are two causes of cephalalgia:

Manifestation Mechanism

The walls of blood vessels in the human brain are quite elastic. However, if they are overstretched, headaches can occur, accompanied by rhythmic dull and constantly pulsating beats in the head, which can appear on any side of it. This type of pain is inherent in the following diseases:

• arterial hypertension, as well as its antipode - hypotension;
• migraine;
• vegetovascular dystonia (with emerging crises).

Severe manifestations of arterial hypotension and migraine are accompanied not by pulsating, but by bursting and pressing, and sometimes bursting pain. Spasm of the vessels of the head is accompanied by a local decrease in blood supply (ischemia) and hypoxia (decrease in oxygen content). In this case, the pain takes on a dull, squeezing form and is accompanied by nausea, dizziness, the appearance of "flies" before the eyes and moments of "faded" light. It is possible to change the color of the skin, in particular, its pallor.

With any other pathological changes in the body, a specific manifestation of headaches, inherent only to this disease, is possible.

Headaches due to overexertion

This type of headache is very common. Due to certain factors, tension cephalalgia is experienced by up to half of the entire population. Its initial manifestation is aching pain, then it compresses and squeezes the head with something like a hoop. Pain becomes exhausting and dull.

A person is forced to continue to perform his professional functions or daily duties, but at the same time he feels tired and overwhelmed. Most often, stress cephalgia haunts office workers who are in a stuffy room and perform the same operations in a monotonous rhythm. And the brain is subject to constant stress. Such people get fresh air only on the way home or to work, and then for a short time, since there is also little of it in transport.

This type of pain occurs due to the constant tension of the muscles of the neck, forehead, back of the head, as well as the shoulder girdle, in conjunction with intense brain activity. The stressed state of both tendons and ligaments also plays an important role.

Why can a headache appear in our dynamically changing time? The reasons are the presence of frequent stresses and work conflicts, the constant position of "sitting", the systematic driving of a car with a forced concentration of attention, changing weather conditions, excessive physical exertion, especially against the background of malnutrition. This is not a complete list, because the lack of fresh air, the inability to fully relax, alternating loads and relaxation of the body in a modern dynamically changing life, are also factors that affect a person’s well-being.

Migraine is one of the most common causes

Migraine is another common cause of cephalalgia. The manifestation of this disease is one-sided or alternating sides in turn. Migraine is another common cause of cephalalgia. The manifestation of this disease is unilateral or alternating headaches in turn, which can be quite pronounced. Their manifestation is possible with an increase or be pulsating. Pain is so pronounced that it leads to nausea and a painful reaction when looking at a bright light. This condition sometimes lasts for several days.

Migraine is a hereditary disease and affects mainly women. However, men, although in smaller numbers, but this disease has not passed. It can occur in teenagers and even young children. It is believed that complete relief from migraine cannot be achieved. But the course of the disease can be alleviated, and the attacks of the disease can be reduced to a certain minimum.

The main cause of cephalalgia in migraine is expanding brain vessels that provoke pain receptors. The possibility of manifestation of such a condition arises due to hormonal disorders, the short time allocated for sleep, heavy physical exertion on the body, and even because of some foods eaten.

Often, with this ailment, pains appear, called cluster pains - accompanied by short attacks of rather pronounced pain on one side and concentrating in the eye area. Its possible development is at night, a few hours after falling asleep. In this case, it may be accompanied by tearing and swelling of the mucous membranes of the nose. After an hour, the pain disappears, but its occurrence is possible several times during the day. Such repetitions can last a week or two.

• red wine and preferably alcoholic beverages in general;
• chocolate;
• citrus fruits and nuts;
• eggs, as well as aged cheeses;
• coffee (if it is impossible to refuse, drink no more than a cup a day);
• smoked products and meat products with the popular additive E621 - monosodium glutamate, as well as preservatives.

Modern medicine has developed drugs that are produced specifically for the relief of migraine.

Some diseases accompanied by cephalalgia

Arteritis

Arteritis is an inflammation of the walls of the arteries caused by an infection. With the development of a brain infection, the pain syndrome is pronounced. There is a feverish state, movements in the cervical region are limited. Pain is possible both on one side and on both sides of the head. The temporal arteries swell. Blood tests indicate an inflammatory process.

When temporal arteritis occurs, it is important to quickly diagnose the disease in order to preserve vision. The actual treatment can take years.

anemia

This disease occurs when the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood decreases, usually accompanied by a decrease in the number of erythrocytes (red blood cells). Anemia, which is the most common, is due to a lack of iron in the body.

Symptoms that are common to any type of anemia are as follows:

• fatigue, decreased performance;
• headaches, accompanied by tinnitus and flashing "flies";
• increased heart rate during any physical exertion;
• shortness of breath even at rest.

Iron deficiency anemia is accompanied by cephalalgia, which lasts perhaps even for a week. Appetite is reduced, the skin becomes pale, and sometimes acquire a greenish tint. Hair falls out, and angular stomatitis appears (cracks in the corners of the mouth that do not heal). Swallowing food is difficult, the stool becomes irregular, constipation is disturbing. The patient's taste sensations change greatly.

brain tumors

Cephalgia is manifested by dull pain that does not go away for a week. Such manifestations can occur due to a head injury, from exposure to contraceptives, or due to an infection that has entered the pituitary gland. Constant, dull pain is accompanied by a significant increase in body weight, hair growth throughout the body, sexual dysfunction, and double vision.

intracranial hypertension

Intracranial pressure can manifest itself for many reasons. The characteristic symptoms are varied. Clinical manifestations in adults are different from those in children. One of the leading signs of the disease is headache, which occurs mainly in the morning after sleep. Its localization is possible in any part of the head - temples, forehead, nape. It has a pronounced bursting or pressing character. Accompanied by a rare pulse, vomiting, drowsiness. Blood pressure may rise or fall. Throws in sweat and dizziness appears. Memory is impaired, it is impossible to concentrate. In connection with problems of the optic nerve, visual disturbances can occur up to the onset of blindness.

Headache Prevention

How to protect yourself from the occurrence of frequent headaches? The main task is to remember that cephalalgia does not occur from scratch, external causes are always present. It remains only to track them in time so as not to repeat such actions or circumstances in the future. For example, with weather dependence, you don’t need to set yourself up in advance for weather changes so that your head doesn’t hurt. It is better not to listen to any forecasts at all, but to constantly set yourself up for an optimistic wave.

Of course, one should not forget to cover one's head in cold weather, observe a daily routine that is comfortable for oneself, alternate working days with proper rest, and be sure to find time every day for walks in the fresh air. During sedentary work, it is necessary to take breaks - five minutes not for a smoke break, but for performing several exercises.

15 Possible Causes of Headaches

If the head hurts for a long time, then the causes may lie in an organic lesion of the nervous system. In this case, cephalalgia continues for several days in a row, constantly, increases gradually, and if there are also provoking factors, then more intensively.

Usually headaches are caused by migraine, brain damage, trauma, irritation of the meninges, a decrease or increase in intracranial pressure.

Cause cephalalgia and the following reasons: hangover, glaucoma, sinusitis, cough. There is also the so-called psychalgia, which accompanies depressive states. In this case, the pain is of a moderate nature, increases periodically, but it is very difficult to determine its location and nature.

Cephalgia is of several types:

1. neuralgic,
2. liquorodynamic,
3. muscle tension,
4. infectious, toxic
5. vascular.

Manifestations of cephalalgia depending on the cause

Pain in the head can manifest itself in the form of simultaneous blunt blows with a very strong stretching of the walls of blood vessels in hypertension and hypotension.

If the wall of the vessel swells, then the pain from pulsating turns into a dull, bursting one. Spasm of the artery can lead to tissue hypoxia. Then cephalgia is accompanied by a feeling of lightheadedness and nausea, pallor of the skin, black highlights before the eyes. The pain lasts for a very long time, if at the same time there is not enough oxygen to the tissues and at the same time the walls of the vessels spasm.

Headaches in the morning are manifested by a strong relaxation of the vascular walls of the veins (hypotension). They continue for several days. Accompanying symptoms include: swelling of the mucous membrane of the nose, mouth and pharynx.

If intracranial pressure is increased, then cephalalgia is accompanied by constantly occurring vomiting. Noise, ringing, drowsiness appear when the delivery of oxygen to the tissues is disrupted, and they experience a lack of it. Such cephalalgia most often has a different intensity. The head hurts and if the viscosity of the blood increases, at which the erythrocytes lose their elasticity, platelets become prone to aggregation, the composition of the blood changes.

Migraine pain can last from several hours to several days. With cluster pain, the eye socket and the area around it most often hurt, and pain occurs most often at night 3 hours after falling asleep. These attacks appear for quite a long time, several times a day.

If your head often hurts, then you should pay attention to the factors that provoke it, make an appointment with a neurologist and talk about them. After all, cephalgia can be triggered by a variety of diseases.

Causes of pain

Tension cephalgia. In the region of the temples and the back of the head, a headache manifests itself with pain from excessive muscle tension. She, as it were, pulls her head into a tight ring at 5 o'clock or a little less. Nausea is extremely rare. This type of cephalalgia lasts for three or more days and is often triggered by stress. Removed by paracetamol, ibuprofen.

Injury. With head injuries of any degree, cephalgia is a normal phenomenon. Even if a person may not notice that he was injured, then a headache will definitely remind him of this.

Arteritis. Pain syndrome against the background of a brain infection occurs due to arteritis. A fever appears, and at the same time neck movements are limited, vision is lost. Swelling of the artery occurs within 3 or 4 hours. With this disease, it is necessary to make a diagnosis as soon as possible in order to correctly prescribe treatment and preserve vision. After all, it will take at least three years to be treated.

Intracranial pressure. Pain in the head also manifests itself with a decrease in intracranial pressure, if a person undergoes a lumbar puncture. If the third day the head hurts, the pain in the face area appears, then this may be caused by reduced pressure inside the skull. If the pain is stopped, then it can be eliminated even in a day.

Syndrome of the vertebral artery. Cephalgia is accompanied by noise and ringing in the ears, dull stabbing pain in the back of the head, neck. These pains are permanent and are manifested by attacks that can last from a few seconds to an hour and painkillers do not help, they only slightly alleviate the condition.

Cephalgia with neuralgia of the trigeminal facial nerve. It will be one-sided, shooting. It captures the lower jaw, is paroxysmal in nature. Relieve pain with carbamazepine.

inflammatory processes. For several days, the head hurts with purulent and inflammatory processes of the most diverse localization. In this case, there is a strong increase in temperature to a critical point, general weakness occurs, and appetite is lost.

But the main symptom is a aching severe headache and inflammation in the area of ​​fistula formation. Since the fistula does not go away for a long time, then, accordingly, the headache can be observed for the same amount of time. Passes as soon as the wound heals, the pathological process disappears.

brain abscesses. Pain is most often localized in the temporal lobes. If abscesses metastasize to the frontal lobes, then the head hurts for a very long time, the pains do not subside throughout the day. With abscesses, hearing, smell, and taste disorders are added to cephalalgia, and muscle tone decreases.

adenovirus infection. Causes aching cephalalgia. At the same time, a person's temperature rises, appetite disappears, and vomiting appears. Such pain accompanies the sick person for 2 or 4 weeks. With such an infection, the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract and conjunctiva are affected.

Adenoiditis. Inflammation of the nasopharyngeal tonsil can also cause headaches. Basically, this disease occurs in childhood and is provoked by infections. In acute adenoiditis, the head hurts constantly because the outflow of lymph and blood from the brain is difficult, as congestion appears in the nose. Breathing becomes difficult, the mucous membrane of the nasopharynx becomes inflamed.

brain tumors. The cause of persistent headaches can serve as a pituitary adenoma. Gonadotropinomas and thyrotropinomas (these are rare forms of tumors) during development begin to put pressure on the diaphragm of the Turkish saddle, patients begin to have a headache in the eye sockets, forehead and temples.

This cephalgia has a dull character and does not go away within three or five days. It can be triggered by a serious head injury, the action of contraceptives, an infection in the pituitary gland (pituitary gland).

Symptoms of pituitary adenoma: significant weight gain, increased body hair growth, sexual dysfunction, thyrotoxicosis, double vision, constant dull pain, nasal congestion. With pain caused by a tumor, some other special symptoms should be considered. These are suddenly hardened muscles, their weakness, impaired speech function (the tongue is braided), visual impairment.

In pregnant women, the head can also hurt for three days with an increase in ophthalmic-neurological symptoms, as a hemorrhage occurs in the adenoma. However, after childbirth, the tumor does not increase, but involutes.

Aneurysm. With aneurysms of the vessels of the brain, the head hurts in the forehead without any precursors, sometimes there is an incomplete paralysis of the cranial nerves (with arterial aneurysm). If an aneurysm ruptures, then a very pronounced cephalgia occurs, which quickly spreads throughout the head, as if spilling over the entire inner surface. This results in nausea, loss of consciousness, and frequent bouts of vomiting.

Anemia. For several days, the head hurts with iron deficiency anemia, when the amount of hemoglobin in the blood decreases significantly. In this case, cephalgia is complemented by dizziness, shortness of breath during the simplest physical exertion, appetite is lost, the skin acquires a greenish tint. The following signs may also be observed: non-healing wounds form in the corners of the mouth, dashes are visible on the nails, it is difficult to swallow, hair breaks.

Cephalgia caused by allergies and food. In this case, there is tearing, runny nose. Allergic pain is treated with antihistamines. Pain from food can manifest itself if you eat ice cream very quickly in the heat, drink a cold drink. Such pain passes very quickly when the body temperature becomes stable. Nitrates in sausages and monosodium glutamate also cause acute headaches, as well as pain in the chest, neck, shoulders, and face.

Other factors

Daily cephalgia can be triggered by: taking new medications or withdrawing old drugs, metabolic problems, head injuries, infections. A week of headaches can occur in numerous situations: daily stress, diabetes, cervical osteochondrosis, hypertension.

The causes of headaches include a constant incorrect position of the body, weakness of the back muscles, flat feet, a violation in the cervical spine. In the initial stages of the disease, such symptoms are characterized by depression, stroke, vegetative-vascular dystonia, kidney pathology, and hypertension.

What Not to Do

• If your head hurts, then it is better not to take alcoholic beverages. Of course, the pain can let go, but it will only be temporary, then it will return again.
• You do not need to take a second painkiller pill, as an overdose of them can lead to more serious consequences and side effects.
• Prolonged cephalgia should not be stopped with ice packs, since such a procedure will only complicate the condition due to spasm of peripheral vessels. Cigarettes will also not save you from a headache, on the contrary, they can provoke new bouts of pain and dizziness.

A healthy lifestyle is very important, especially in today's time.

What needs to be done?

First of all, you should measure the pressure to rule out hypertension, if the pressure is elevated, then you should take pills.

If the head hurts for several days and the pain is constantly present, do a few harmless procedures that will help stop it, but do not harm the person. Tablets are not used, and the pain recedes.

1. You can apply a towel soaked in water with drops of mint and lavender diluted in it to your forehead or temples.
2. Drink a cup of chamomile, mint tea and try to sleep.
3. Self-massage can also help. Gentle movements from the forehead to the back of the head or from the crown to the ears, from the top of the head to the neck and stroking the temples will ease the pain.
4. Constant ventilation of the room supplies oxygen to the brain. You should also walk more often or play sports in the fresh air.
5. If your head hurts every day, then you should temporarily postpone eating the following foods: chocolate, red wine, smoked fish and meat, hot spices, nuts and cheese, as they contain tyramine, sausages.

Most people prefer self-treatment, but if the headache does not go away within 10 to 15 days and analgesics are constantly taken, then the most serious consequences can occur.

Treatment

First of all, with cephalgia, it is not the symptoms of pain in the head that should be eliminated, but its causes, the source.

With vertebral artery syndrome, vasodilators such as nicotinic acid preparations, aminophylline, diuretics relieve pain with increased intracranial pressure. With stress and osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, physiotherapy and acupuncture are necessary in combination with ibuprofen.

Migraine pains are treated with the help of special drugs that act on serotonin receptors in the brain. It can be Sumamigren, Zomig, Amigrenin. With other provoking factors, these medicines will not work.

It should be remembered that the first doses of tablets should be carried out under the direct supervision of a doctor and fix your condition every week. Such drugs are prohibited during lactation, pregnancy, age after 65 years and hypertension.

Prevention

• You should periodically be distracted from your psychological problems so as not to provoke psychalgia. This will help simple children's entertainment: skating, skiing, rollerblading, sledding. They will return the state of euphoria, help you escape from everyday routine worries and problems, and therefore prevent headaches associated with psychological stress.
• Daily outdoor sports often prevent cephalalgia or get rid of it better than any medication, an orthopedic pillow helps muscles relax and corrects posture.
• In the presence of persistent headaches, records should be kept that record the time of onset of pain, their nature. It should also be noted in the records what was eaten that day, what physical activity, sleep and work patterns were. Women should also note any changes in their hormonal levels during the menstrual cycle, as hormonal surges also affect headaches. With these records, it will be possible to figure out all the triggers of cephalalgia and avoid them in order to prevent a headache.
• Sleep hygiene should be monitored: get enough sleep, go to bed and get up at the same time.

It should be remembered that headaches are more often a symptom of a disease, and not an independent disease. It causes numerous troubles, but it also serves a useful service. Pain signals a malfunction inside the body, sometimes even very strong.

If cephalgia manifests itself somehow unusually, too strongly, for a long time, then you should not postpone a visit to the doctor, undergo an examination. Only in this case, you can protect yourself from possible complications.

What to do if your head hurts for several days and weeks in a row?

Many people are familiar with headaches. It occurs for a few minutes, but sometimes the head hurts for several days in a row. So our body gives a signal that its normal work is disrupted. And in order to understand how to help yourself, you need to understand the causes of malaise. In medicine, a headache is called cephalgia. According to statistics, 25% of the world's population at least once a year suffer from prolonged attacks of this disease.

Causes of prolonged headache

The cause of prolonged headache is damage to the nervous system. It can be provoked by meningitis, brain tumor or hemorrhage. The intensity of pain increases or temporarily decreases. When exposed to provoking factors, symptoms persist for a long time. Here are the main causes of prolonged cephalalgia:

• tension pain;
• cerebrovascular disease (hemorrhage, temporal arteritis, arterial hypertension);
• migraine;
• irritation of the meninges with meningitis or encephalitis;
• a sharp increase or decrease in intracranial pressure;
• concussion and various brain injuries;
• hangover, sinusitis, SARS and other reasons.

Deterioration of health, dizziness and headache provoke stress, inhalation of vapors of chemicals, lack of oxygen, malnutrition. Sometimes these symptoms occur due to improperly fitted glasses, noise, bright lights or flat feet. With vertebral artery syndrome, pain is accompanied by tinnitus, tingling in the back of the head and neck. These sensations haunt the patient constantly, and exacerbations last several hours or a week.

A decrease in hemoglobin levels leads to a decrease in oxygen supply to the brain. In this case, there are dizziness, cephalgia, fatigue from minor exertion. These symptoms bother a person constantly until the iron level returns to normal.

It happens that none of the listed reasons is suitable, and the headache torments for a very long time. What could it be? This condition is called psychalgia, the cause is hidden in nervous disorders. For example, with depression, a person feels pain for a long time, which intensifies or subsides. At the same time, it is difficult to determine localization, as well as the nature of sensations.

The brain itself does not experience pain, it occurs in the skin, muscles, blood vessels, periosteum and membranes of the brain. In various diseases, certain mechanisms are activated that signal a problem.

Varieties and development of pain symptoms

The growing pulsation inside the skull, which is localized on one or both sides, occurs due to a strong stretching of the walls of the blood vessels. This condition is characteristic of migraine, attacks of hypotension or hypertension, it can persist for more than three days. More than 10% of the inhabitants of different countries experience migraine.

Dull pressing pain indicates swelling of the walls of blood vessels. Prolonged spasm causes hypoxia of brain tissue. Gradually, nausea, dizziness, darkening of the eyes are added to the pain symptoms. If you do not provide a normal flow of oxygen to the tissues, then the pain will last for a very long time.

Strong relaxation of the venous walls is accompanied by aching pain in the forehead, swelling of the eyelids and nasal mucosa. This is most pronounced in the morning. If this condition is combined with increased blood viscosity, pain in the occipital region is frequent. They are aggravated in a horizontal position, with head tilt, tension in the abdominal muscles, wearing tight collars and ties.

Methods of additional examination

If you have a headache for several days in a row, you need to contact a neurologist, as the cause can be very serious. Usually the doctor uses the following diagnostic methods:

• MRI of the vessels of the brain to exclude thrombosis and pathology of the circulatory system;
• radiography of the cervical spine for the presence of osteochondrosis;
• blood test for sugar level;
• conducts a study of the hormonal background;
• dopplerography during pregnancy;
• gynecological examination after childbirth.

Comprehensive diagnostics will help to accurately determine the cause and begin to eliminate it, since a headache that lasts more than one day indicates serious health problems. Here are some diseases that are accompanied by debilitating bouts of cephalalgia:

1. Arteritis. Infectious lesions of the vessels of the brain.
2. Trigeminal neuralgia. Accompanied by unilateral shooting pain in the ear and jaw. Even with intensive treatment, the pain persists for 5 weeks.
3. Adenovirus infection and adenoiditis. When the disease occurs, high fever, swelling of the nasal mucosa, lacrimation and ringing headaches.
4. pituitary adenoma. The formation of a tumor in the brain causes aching pain. As it grows, small hemorrhages occur, which reduces the patient's vision. Attacks last up to 5 days and often recur.

Many diseases develop rapidly, causing irreparable harm to the brain. Therefore, it is so important to consult with a neurologist and other specialists in a timely manner.

How to behave during an attack?

What to do if the pain caught you by surprise? Actions taken at the first symptoms of cephalalgia can relieve discomfort.

You need to measure your blood pressure. If significant deviations are noticed, you need to take a pill to normalize the condition. As a first aid, the following techniques are suitable:

• cool water compress with the addition of mint and lavender essential oils;
• to saturate the brain with oxygen, it is necessary to ventilate the room as often as possible and spend more time in the fresh air;
• drink black sweet tea or herbal tea from chamomile or mint;
• head massage (frontal, temporal and parietal area);
• a small warm-up for the neck and back muscles.

Most people who suffer from headaches prefer to self-treat, but if the symptoms persist for 2 weeks, consulting a doctor is indispensable.

To alleviate the condition, you need to follow a diet. Exclude chocolate, smoked meats, spices, cheese, sausages from the diet. Under no circumstances should alcoholic beverages be consumed. You should stop smoking. With long attacks, you can not often use cooling compresses and heating pads. This provokes vasospasm and reduces blood flow to the brain.

If the pain reliever taken does not work, you should not take the second pill. This will only increase the side effects. Regular use of analgesics may provide temporary relief, but the underlying cause of the pain will remain. Only a comprehensive examination will help to identify it.

Features of therapy

There is no universal way to get rid of pain, because it is caused by various processes in the body. If the patient already knows the cause, we can talk about its treatment.

With ICP or vasoconstriction, vasodilator drugs will help. You can reduce the pressure with the help of aminophylline and diuretics. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can reduce discomfort.

To combat migraines, special complexes have been developed, since conventional painkillers will not work. It is recommended to take Sumatriptan, Amigrenin, Zorig. They cope well with migraines, but with symptoms of a different origin, they will not help. Such drugs are prescribed by a doctor if the head hurts for several days. You need to start taking under the supervision of a doctor.

Many patients use traditional medicine recipes. They can be combined with traditional treatment, but it is important to inform the attending physician. Here are some folk remedies for pain.

To achieve a good result, you need to take them for at least 3 weeks:

1. A tablespoon of viburnum berries is rubbed with a teaspoon of honey, a glass of warm milk is added to the mixture. Take once a day for high blood pressure and nervous overload.
2. A paste of grated ginger with water is applied to the forehead and left for a minute. It speeds up blood circulation and oxygen supply to the muscles.
3. Cut the onion into two parts and apply to the temples for a minute. The procedure is repeated three times a day during the period of exacerbation. The course of treatment is 3-5 days, then a break is made.

Prevention of cephalalgia

It is better to prevent any disease than to deal with its consequences for a long time.

With the help of ways to strengthen the body, you can prevent the occurrence of headaches.

Sleep is of great importance. It is necessary to give him from 7 to 9 hours a day. You should follow the regime and completely relax during the rest. Orthopedic pillow and mattress will help the spine to take the correct position.

Playing sports and walking in the fresh air will saturate the blood with oxygen and protect against osteochondrosis. So the likelihood of infringement of blood vessels will be minimized.

It is important to monitor your psychological state so as not to provoke an attack of psychalgia. During the day, you need to be distracted from heavy thoughts and allow yourself small joys: roller skating, skiing, amateur activities, going to the cinema, and so on.

If pain accompanies a person for a long time, you need to keep a diary of well-being. It notes the frequency, strength and localization of cephalalgia.

The products used, the duration of sleep, the level of physical and mental stress are indicated. Women need to correlate attacks with the menstrual cycle, since hormonal levels change during the month. Such observations will help the person or the doctor determine why the head starts to hurt.

Bechterew's disease and other autoimmune diseases

Back pain (dorsalgia)

Other pathologies of the spinal cord and brain

Other musculoskeletal injuries

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Curvature (deformity) of the spine

Treatment in Israel

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Tumors of the spine, brain and spinal cord

Answers to questions from visitors

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Radiography and other instrumental diagnostic methods

Symptoms and syndromes of diseases of the musculoskeletal system

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Our expert - Phytotherapist Svetlana Olkhovskaya.

Headache is a serious symptom, so it is better not to take this phenomenon lightly and undergo a comprehensive examination by a therapist and a neurologist. You will probably need to check the condition of the cervical spine, and maybe the vessels of the brain. But if specialists do not find any neurological pathologies in you, you can try to cope with the trouble on your own.

Prohibited

But first, about what not to do if you suddenly have a headache:

● Take pills. This is not the best solution, especially if they are abused. The fact is that most analgesics and many vasodilators have an echo effect, that is, over time they themselves begin to provoke an attack of pain.

● Drink alcohol. It dilates the blood vessels and at first, indeed, it becomes easier, but then the condition worsens.

● Drink coffee. If you have high blood pressure or have a tendency to atherosclerosis, even one cup of coffee can hurt. However, for hypotension, on the contrary, a couple of sips of coffee will be a salvation. For those who constantly take horse doses of this drink, an extra dose will not help, but will only make it worse.

● Smoking. Nicotine causes a sharp vasospasm, from this the pain will become even more intense.

● Pamper yourself with delicacies. It is known that the so-called "gourmet migraine" can be provoked by hard cheeses, legumes, chocolate, nuts, cocoa, citrus fruits, spices, red and sparkling wines, crabs, smoked meats.

It's time to take over your head!

And now about what you should do to cope with the attack yourself.

1. The easiest way is to do nothing, but just lie down, close your eyes and relax in complete silence, wait 10-15 minutes until it passes by itself. In most cases, the method works.

2. Make a head massage with light stroking movements from the forehead to the back of the head. Next, walk from the top of the head down to the ears and from the top of the head to the back of the head, smoothly descending to the neck. Don't forget to massage your neck too.

3. Ventilate the room well or, if time and weather permit, go for a walk in the fresh air.

4. Darken the room and humidify the air with the help of appliances or simply by hanging wet rags on the radiator.

5. Take a warm (but not hot) bath by adding a few drops of essential oils to the water: lavender, lemon, peppermint, marjoram. Fragrant foam and sea salt are welcome! Alternatively, standing under a hot shower will help relieve spasmodic headaches caused by muscle spasm at the back of the neck and head. You can do mustard foot baths - they reduce blood pressure in the brain.

6. Make cold compresses - they constrict blood vessels in the painful area and reduce pain pulsation. A bag of ice cubes wrapped in a towel should be applied to the forehead, temples or back of the head for about 10-15 minutes.

7. Spread whiskey or the occipital region with menthol ointment (an ordinary Vietnamese balm will do) or essential oil (citrus or rosemary).

8. Drink a glass of still water. Often cramps arise from dehydration of the body, which can occur not only on a hot day, but also, for example, after a workout in the gym.

9. Eat something warm: soup, porridge. Irregular eating often leads to headaches. This is likely due to fluctuations in blood glucose levels.

10. Listen to calm, pleasant music or watch an interesting humorous program. Laughter not only tones blood vessels, but also contributes to the production of endorphins, pleasure hormones, which have an analgesic effect.

11. If your head hurts quite often, and examinations do not find any neurological disorders in you, try wearing a string of natural yellow amber around your neck all the time. It is believed to ward off migraines.

Medications from the fridge

Traditional medicine knows many ways to help a sick little head. Some recipes contain quite exotic ingredients, such as bear fat. But still, most of the recommendations are quite feasible.

Since ancient times, our savvy ancestors used various natural substances to treat headaches. And most of them were edible: cabbage leaf, apple cider vinegar, honey, potatoes and other products. Well, what are we worse? We open the refrigerator and see what delicious things we have there that can also become healing?

1. Take a cabbage leaf, briefly dip it in boiling water, cool it and apply it to your forehead, temple or nape - where it hurts. You can also boil potatoes in their skins and apply mashed warm potatoes directly in their skins to the forehead and temples. And another excellent remedy is lemon peel, peeled from white pulp.

2. Drink freshly brewed black or green tea with a few mint leaves, generously adding sugar, and honey is even better. Honey contains potassium and magnesium, which relax the arteries, allowing it to improve blood flow to the brain. These same elements are rich in apple cider vinegar. Dilute a teaspoon of vinegar in a glass of boiled water and drink - it should feel better.

3. Look into the kitchen and look for rosemary among the spices. This herb is good not only as an addition to fish or meat, but also as a cure for migraines. It prevents some headaches related to stress. Rosemary helps to resist spasms of blood vessels. Most The best way use - brew it like a tea. Pour one teaspoon of dried rosemary leaves into a glass of boiling water, cover, let steep for 10 minutes, strain and drink.

4. Many medicinal herbs effectively relieve headaches. For example, tea from lavender leaves and flowers is useful for this scourge. An excellent analgesic property has a common chamomile. You can also make a mixture of equal amounts of peppermint, oregano, and fireweed. For 1 st. a spoonful of the mixture - half a liter of boiling water. Insist, wrapped for 30 minutes, strain. Take 0.5-1 glass. But it is dangerous for pregnant women to take herbs.

5. With frequent migraines, you need to change your diet and lean on foods rich in vitamin B2 (riboflavin).

Most often, brain cells in people who suffer from headaches receive an insufficient amount of the necessary components, and hence energy. Therefore, you need to periodically “feed” your brain cells with vitamin B2. It is found in liver, yeast, rose hips, eggs, milk, pulses, spinach, apricots, dark green leafy vegetables, tomatoes, and cabbage. A good "cure" for migraine is a fresh apple.

Despite the fact that poor diet, stress and fatigue are the main causes of headaches, dental problems can also be the cause of headaches. Headaches are based on malocclusion and an incomplete set of teeth. In the event that the headache is localized in the area of ​​​​the eyeballs, you notice pain in the masticatory muscles, grind your teeth, feel clicks in the jaw joints, suffer from pain or ringing in the ears, neck or lower back pain, feel dizzy, consult a dentist .

Important

Headache is not a trifle, Dutch doctors warn. They argue that it may be a sign of focal lesions of the brain, which can be detected with careful examination. After checking about 300 people who complained of headaches, as well as 140 people from the comparison group, on magnetic resonance imaging, scientists identified 60 foci of cerebral infarction in 31 participants in the experiment who complained of migraine. At the same time, in patients with headache, heart attacks were detected seven times more often.