Headache is a common, frequent symptom that can be a manifestation of many diseases and serious injuries, but can also be caused by non-pathological factors. So how to determine the cause of headaches? Is it dangerous?

1. Mechanism of headache

Before looking into the causes of headaches, let’s look at the mechanism and origin of this condition. In fact, this is a reaction of the nervous system inside or outside the body when stimulated. There are many sources of stimulation such as: anemia, inflammation, tumor invasion, diseases that cause dilation and twisting of blood vessels,…

Headaches have many causes, which may or may not be due to illness.

The mechanism of headaches caused by physical injuries often occurs in two ways:

• Physical injuries increase the production of chemical mediators, which act on pain receptors, thereby causing headache symptoms. These mediators are usually kinin, serotonin, prostaglandin.
• Physical injuries cause mechanical stimulation of pain receptors, such as twisting, stretching, edema of blood vessels or other pain receptor-bearing tissues.

From this mechanism, it is possible to identify more than 70 groups of causes of headaches, most of which are benign. However, if headaches occur continuously, accompanied by other abnormal symptoms, it can be a sign of a dangerous disease.

2. What causes frequent headaches?

The causes of headaches can be divided into two large groups, pathological and non-pathological.

2.1. Headaches due to illness

Headaches can be caused by non-dangerous illnesses such as:

-Sinusitis:

90% of sinusitis cases have symptoms of frequent headaches or migraines. To completely eliminate this symptom, sinusitis must be cured.

Sinusitis causes frequent headaches

– Migraine

This is also a fairly common cause of headaches, medically known as cerebral vascular disorders or vascular headaches. Patients have irregular migraines, the scalp veins are tense and twitching, with moderate to severe pain. The disease is common in middle-aged women, and headaches often occur in the morning.

Migraine is quite benign, but headaches have a major impact on the patient’s health and life. In some cases, the disease can cause neurological complications.

– Glaucoma

Diseases of the eye’s nervous system are also one of the causes of headaches. In particular, diseases of accommodation disorders, glaucoma, … cause severe migraines. In addition, symptoms of impaired vision, red eyes, etc. appear.

– Anemia

Anemia, especially anemia of the brain, causes severe headaches, accompanied by symptoms of fatigue, dizziness, etc. Patients need to find the cause and treat anemia to overcome this condition.

– Chronic diseases

If patients experience continuous headaches, it may be due to chronic diseases such as diabetes, lupus erythematosus, high blood pressure, etc.

Headaches may be due to dangerous diseases that cannot be ignored such as:

–stroke 

Patients who have had a stroke before often have continuous headaches, which may be accompanied by other symptoms such as: decreased vision, vomiting, changes in consciousness, decreased ability to speak, loss of balance, numbness in the face, etc. It is necessary to detect warning signs early for timely intervention, avoiding strokes that can cause serious consequences, even death.

Frequent headaches can be an early sign of a stroke.

– Brain tumor

About 50% of patients with brain tumors often have headaches of unknown cause, the pain is worse at night until morning. In particular, the pain becomes increasingly severe, beyond tolerance. To diagnose whether the headache is caused by a brain tumor or not, a CT scan or MRI is needed.

– Brain or meningeal infection

The characteristics of this dangerous disease are continuous headaches, along with obvious symptoms of infection such as: frequent fever, fear of light and noise, stiff neck, etc. MRI, blood tests, and spinal fluid puncture are also needed to diagnose the disease.

– Traumatic sequelae

Head trauma from severe to mild causing chronic hematoma damage is also the cause of frequent headaches. To overcome this condition, surgery is needed to release nerve compression and drain the hematoma.

2.2. Non-pathological headaches

Most headaches are caused by non-pathological factors, mainly due to unhealthy lifestyles and psychology such as:

• Dehydration causing anemia, lack of oxygen to the brain.
• Stress, prolonged tension, frequent anxiety.
• Hormonal changes in postpartum women, premenopausal women or during the menstrual cycle.
• Side effects of certain drugs, stimulants such as beer, alcohol, coffee, etc.
• Lifestyle disorders in people who often stay up late, people who frequently travel between countries.

Often having headaches due to non-pathological causes of benign nature, patients should still pay attention to regulating and changing to healthy living habits.

3. How to deal with headaches

Headaches that are not caused by diseases also affect the patient’s daily life to some extent. Some simple remedies below can also help you limit this condition:

• Relax your mind, relieve stress.
• Apply ice or massage the temples.
• Exercise regularly.
• Drink plenty of water, from 1.5 to 2 liters of water per day.
• Limit drinking alcohol, smoking, abusing coffee, tea, …
• Eat lots of green vegetables, fruits, supplement essential vitamins and minerals.

Many patients abuse painkillers when they often have prolonged headaches. Abusing painkillers makes the underlying disease worse, causing many health consequences. It is necessary to find the cause and eliminate it from the cause to help eliminate unpleasant headaches.

Distinguishing the cause of headaches due to dangerous or benign diseases, non-pathological causes is very important to be able to overcome and eliminate the disease. If you often have headaches with other unusual symptoms, go to medical facilities for advice and treatment as soon as possible. Do not be subjective with any unusual signs of illness.