Cures for Headaches

To find cures for headaches, the first thing you need to know is which kind of headaches you have.

Chronic headaches

Do you have headaches that affect you several times a month or more? Do you headaches come in clusters? Are they related to anything hormonal or to stress in your life?
If you answered, “yes” to any of these questions you have what is known as chronic headaches. There are four types of chronic headaches.
Migraine headaches

The first, and most common, type of chronic headaches is migraine headaches. These chronic headaches involve pain so intense that all people who have one just want to lie down and wait for it to go away. Other symptoms of migraine headaches include.

• Nausea and vomiting
• Sensitivity to light and sound
• Cold-like symptoms
• Inability to function normally or below normal at work and at home when suffering the headache.
• Head pain that has a pulsating or throbbing quality.
• Moderate to severe pain -- possibly on only one side of your head, although it can occur on both sides
• Pain so intense it interferes with your regular daily activities
• Pain that becomes worse if you engage in physical activity
• Feeling of being nauseated with or without vomiting
• A heightened sensitivity to light and sound

Cluster headaches

The second type of chronic headaches is called cluster headaches. The main symptom of these headaches is described by their title - they occur in a cyclical pattern or cluster. These clusters may last from weeks to months, followed by periods during which the headache attacks stop completely. While the cluster pattern can vary from one person to another, most cluster headache sufferers have one or two cluster periods a year.

The signs or symptoms that accompany these headaches can include red, flush face, reduced pupil size, drooping eyelid and swelling around the eye on the side of the face where there is pain.

Chronic daily headaches

An estimated 4% to 5% of all adults in America experience headaches nearly every day. These headaches are known as chronic daily headaches. The most common symptoms of these headaches are:
• Pain that is dull and moderate most of the time
• Headaches that occur more than 15 days a month.
• Headaches that are present for at least six months of the year
• Headaches accompanied by nausea, sleeplessness or irritability and feelings of squeezing, burning, pounding or drilling.

Tension-type headaches

Tension-type headaches are a condition characterized by bilateral, mild to moderate pain and pressure that is often described by sufferers as having “a vise around the head.” Some patients with these type headaches experienced severe pain and a serious disability. These headaches can last from 30 minutes to a whole day. The symptoms of a tension-type headache are:

• A dull, achy pain or sensation of tightness in your forehead or at the sides and back of your head.
• Headaches that are either episodic or chronic (episodic tension headaches occur less than 15 days a month, whereas chronic tension-type headaches occur 25 days or more a month).
• Headaches that typically last four to six hours.
• Being able to walk upstairs and then forward without the headache getting worse.
• The ability to eat when you have a headache.
• Pain that is usually mild or moderately intense.
• Pain that starts soon after you wake up in the morning or early in the day.

Non-chronic headaches

There is also a class of headaches that are not chronic, that is they do appear month after month, year in and year out. Some of these are:

• Ictal headache
• Ice cream headache
• Thunderclap headache
• Toxic headache
• Coital cephalagia or sex headache
• Sinus headache
• Medication overuse headaches

Diagnosing chronic headaches

While the symptoms listed above may help you understand which type of headaches you have, the only way to get a true diagnosis is to see your healthcare provider. However, before you do so, you should keep a headache diary for several weeks. Whenever you have a headache, you can write down factors such the symptoms you felt, what you had eaten prior to the headache, how long the headache lasted, what you were doing prior to the headache, where you were, and exactly how the pain felt.

Cures for headaches

The sad fact is there are no cures for some types of chronic headaches such as migraines. But there are ways to treat these headaches that can help you feel better and experience fewer of them. In fact, there are many treatments available for chronic headaches. Following is an overview of the most common treatments for the four types of chronic headaches. You can get more detailed information on these treatments by clicking on the appropriate link. For example, if you feel your problem is migraine headaches and want more detailed information on treating them, just click on the link, “Help for migraines.”

 Migraines

As a general rule, the best way to treat migraines is with prescription drugs. Some of the more widely used of these include Topomax, Phenergan, Inderal and Depakote.
Also, if you learn there are certain foods, such as chocolate, that trigger your migraines, you may be able to treat them with simple changes in your diet.

Cluster headaches

Once again, the best way to treat cluster headaches is with prescription medications. Generally speaking, induction and maintenance therapies aimed at stopping cluster headaches (prophylactic treatment) are begun at the same time. Corticosteroids such as prednisone (Deltasone, Sterapred, and others) and dexamethasone (Decadron) are used to break the headache cycle. These drugs are used to jump-start treatment for maintenance therapy and are not meant for long-term use. Drugs that are designed more for long term help include Imitrex Verapamil and even lithium.

Chronic daily headaches

If you suffer from chronic daily headaches, your treatment will have two goals – first, to prevent future attacks and, second, to abort (relieve) your headaches. Prevention of these headaches can include the taking of prescribed drugs, avoiding or minimizing the causes of your chronic daily headaches, and learning such self-help measures as biofeedback or relaxation exercises. Antidepressants such as Amitriptyline (Aventyl), nortriptyline (Pamelor) and other tricyclic antidepressants are the most widely used treatments for all forms of chronic daily headache.

Tension type headaches

Tension-type headaches are usually triggered by some internal or environmental stress. The most common of these stresses include social relationships, friends, work and school. One way to prevent these headaches it with aerobic exercises such as walking, swimming or biking. The drugs used most often to prevent them are Nalfon, Ansaid, and Oradis KT. The prescription drugs used most often to treat them are divalproex (Depakote) and gabapentin (Neurontin). The good news about tension type headaches is that it is often possible to treat then with over-the-counter drugs, including aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen.

As you cans see from this brief summary, there are many cures for headaches available. However, the first and maybe most important step is to get a good diagnosis so you will know which cures for headaches would be best for you.

Do you have trouble sleeping?

There are a number of natural ways to stop tossing and turning and enjoy a good night;s sleep that lets you wake up feeling refreshed and full of energy. Go to the Natural, Restful Sleep site to learn how.

Other Sites Worth Checking Out

Migraine Help - Sinus Headache Help - Chronic Tension Headache Help - Chronic Tension Headache Help - Menapause Headache Help - Headache and Neck Pain Help - Headache Pain -
Chronic Daily Headache Help - Headache food triggers -Getting the right diagnosis