Headache: a possible complication ?

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Extract from the article: Headache is a very common pain. For this reason, we often tend to downplay its importance. We simply wait it out, either dipping into the many over-the-counter remedies available or, at best, making a trip to the pharmacy. But what could these ...

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Headache is a very common pain. For this reason, we often tend to downplay its importance. We simply wait it out, either dipping into the many over-the-counter remedies available or, at best, making a trip to the pharmacy. But what could these headaches be hiding ?

As the causes and consequences are not the same, it's important to be able to characterize these headaches. It's vital to identify the type of pain, so you can treat it more effectively. 

Secondary headache

Secondary headache is like a messenger. It accompanies a pathology, such as sinusitis, flu or a cold, or more serious trauma after a shock. It can be recognized by its sudden onset or unusual development. When accompanied by fever, for example, it is a warning of an abnormality that needs to be located and treated as quickly as possible.

Tension headache

In tension headache, the pain is quite present. She generally located in the forehead and temporal areas. It is said to be “non-pulsatile”. It's pulsatile, when you feel your heart beating in your head; and the pain is moderate. In the strongest cases, the person may feel muscular tension around the skull or in the back of the neck. We then investigate possible causes : fever, cranial trauma, stress. More often than not, we come across psychosomatic causes, anxious personalities or high levels of stress. This is one of the reasons why this type of headache usually occurs at the end of the day. It's important to put a stop to this process as soon as possible, to prevent the pain from becoming chronic.

Migraines

It's a headache that's difficult to treat, because we don't yet understand all its mechanisms. It's quite incapacitating, as it can last for hours with no way of alleviating the symptoms. It can be recognized by the fact that the pain spreads mainly to one side of the skull, either left or right. Pain, nausea, fatigue, sensitivity to light or sound : the migraine attack grows until it stabilizes at a certain threshold. Unfortunately, there's not much the patient can do about it. That's why migraine sufferers need to anticipate their attacks as far as possible.  It's generally advisable to reduce the consumption of stimulants, stress or sensory aggression, and to keep an eye out for signs such as fatigue, hyperactivity, drowsiness, repeated yawning, irritability, hunger, euphoria or depression, constipation or feeling cold. In general, a crisis does not come without warning signs.

The consequences of repeated migraine attacks should not be underestimated, as they may be responsible, among other things, for an increased risk of prostate cancer.

The most serious cases

You need to be very vigilant in the case of recurrent headaches that are not rapidly relieved by your usual medication. Vascular angina and chronic paroxysmal hemicrania are quite rare. They are identified by a sensation of extreme pain that grips half the face. In such cases, the doctor will immediately refer the patient for further tests to avoid complications.

William O.

Article validated by Dr Jean-Claude Bakpatina, general practitioner at the “Floréal” clinic in Lomé.