Headaches

From WebHealth

Common causes of headaches
Type of headache:	Comments:
Primary headaches :
Chronic daily headache	often associated with narcotic drug dependency
Cluster headache	males more commonly affected
Migraine headache	the second most common headache, genetic factors play an important role
Tension type headache	the most common headache
Secondary headaches:
Brain abscess	caused by pressure on the meninges
Brain tumors	increased pressure from tumor
Cerebral aneurysm	triggered by blood vessel
Dental pain	radiating via trigeminal nerve
Dialysis headache	electrolyte disbalance causes it
Epidural hematoma	caused by pressure on the meninges
Giant cell arteritis	triggered by temporal artery
Hypertension	dilatation of brain vessels causes it
Hypoglycemia	low blood sugar triggered
Meningitis	direct irritation of meninges
Neck abnormalities	neck pain can cause headaches
Postconcussion headache	headache from trauma to head
Subdural hematoma	direct pressure on meninges causes it
Temporomandibular joint disease	trigeminal nerve mediated headache
Trigeminal neuralgia	common after shingles (herpes zoster)
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Headaches are very common and can be divided into primary headaches that occur spontaneously and secondary headaches that are due to another underlying medical cause. The table above gives more details and provides links to more detailed explanations.

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Neurological disease

Common causes of headaches

Contents 1 Brain tumors 2 Cerebral aneurysm 3 Dental pain 4 Dialysis headache 5 Giant cell arteritis 6 Hypertension 7 Neck abnormalities

[edit] Brain tumors

Another cause for headaches can be the development of a brain tumor. Use this link to get to the site where brain cancer is discussed in detail.

[edit] Cerebral aneurysm

Another cause can be the accumulation of blood in the subarrachnoid space from the rupture of a cerebral aneurysm. Use this link to get to this chapter.

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Common causes of headaches

[edit] Dental pain

Headaches can be caused by dental abscesses, root canal disease, underbite, overbite and night time tooth grinding. Cavities also can cause headaches. The common denominator is an irritation of the powerful trigeminal nerve, which supplies teeth with sensitive nerve fibers. This can trigger the brain stem and the cortex of the brain to produce a severe, overpowering headache. See your dentist, if you are aware that your teeth are the cause of this headache. Nature equipped us with a built-in alarm system and we better pay attention to it!

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Common causes of headaches

[edit] Dialysis headache

Headaches in the setting of hemodialysis for kidney failure can occur from too little sodium concentration in the dialysis fluid (Ref.4, p. 1511). Another mechanism of developing a headache in association with hemodialysis is when the blood pressure has significantly dropped about 4 hours after the start of hemodialysis (Ref.4, p. 1512).

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Common causes of headaches

[edit] Giant cell arteritis

Giant cell arteritis has been discussed in another chapter. This is a rheumatological disease where there is a strong association with polymyalgia rheumatica. Headaches are often associated with a condition, called temporal arteritis. This, if not treated can lead to blindness of the eye on the side of the headache. Use this link to get to this chapter: Polymyalgia rheumatica and temporal arteritis.

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Neurological disease

Common causes of headaches

[edit] Hypertension

The mechanism of headaches caused by high blood pressure is due to swelling of the meningeal membranes from congestion based on uncontrolled hypertension. For details click on this link.

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Neurological disease

Common causes of headaches

[edit] Neck abnormalities

Neck abnormalities come in many different forms. There are inborn (congenital) neck abnormalities with malformations in the lower cervical spine area (6th and 7th vertebral bodies) or at the upper end of the cervical spine in the first and second vertebral body area. These abnormalities,arthritic changes and changes from trauma to the neck can lead to chronic neck pain, which has been dealt with in more detail under this link in another chapter. All of these problems can lead to headaches, mostly of the variety of the tension type headache.

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Neurological disease

Common causes of headaches

References:

1. Goldman: Cecil Textbook of Medicine, 21st ed.,2000, W. B. Saunders Company

2. B. Sears: "The top 100 zone foods". Regan Books, Harper Collins, 2001.

3. The Merck Manual, 7^th edition, by M. H. Beers et al., Whitehouse Station, N.J., 1999. Chapter 176.

4. Noble: Textbook of Primary Care Medicine, 3rd ed.,2001, Mosby, Inc.

5. Goroll: Primary Care Medicine, 4th ed.,2000, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins

6.Rosen: Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice, 4th ed., 1998, Mosby-Year Book, Inc.

7. Ruddy: Kelley's Textbook of Rheumatology, 6th ed.,2001, W. B. Saunders Company

8. Ferri: Ferri's Clinical Advisor: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment, 2004 ed., Copyright © 2004 Mosby, Inc.

9. Rakel: Conn's Current Therapy 2004, 56th ed., Copyright © 2004 Elsevier