Prolonged headache - what is hidden behind this ailment. What to do if the pain is chronic. Headache Prevention

Headache signals damage and trouble in the body. It accompanies a variety of diseases and conditions and can last one or two seconds or several weeks.

Causes of a headache

long headache occurs due to organic damage nervous system associated with brain tumor, meningitis, hemorrhage. The head hurts periodically, constantly, with a gradual increase in pain and intensely, with provoking factors - for several days in a row.

Headache when:

migraine;
tension headache;
vascular diseases of the brain: 1 - arterial hypertension, 2 - subarachnoid hemorrhage, 3 - arteriovenous malformation, 4 - temporal arteritis;
irritation meninges(with meningitis and encephalitis);
changes in the decrease in CSF pressure ( cerebrospinal fluid) after lumbar puncture and increase it (with tumors of the brain of the head, thrombosis of the sinuses of the veins, intracranial benign hypertension);
trauma, concussion;
other reasons: during sexual contact, hangover or post-alcohol syndrome, damage to the sinuses (sinusitis), glaucoma, during coughing, straining.

Persistent headache appears on the background of vomiting, confusion, epileptic seizure, acute manifestation neurological symptoms corresponding to the lesion.

But there is also cephalgia, in which there is no organic pathology of intracranial structures. This is the so-called psychogenic headache (psychalgia), often associated depressive disorders. In this case, a person feels it as a pain of moderate intensity, intensifying periodically, but it is difficult to determine the localization and character.

Types of headache

Headache or cephalalgia is of 5 types: vascular, muscle tension, neuralgic, infectious-toxic and liquorodynamic. Each type has its own mechanism of manifestation and defining clinical features, so the head often hurts for a long time: a day, two or a month, which depends on the sensitivity to pain of a person and his cranial nerves containing sensory fibers.

Not all tissues of the skull have pain receptors. The places of their localization are the skin with subcutaneous tissue, tendons and muscles, vessels in the soft integument of the head, cranial periosteum, meninges, intracranial veins and arteries. Headache as a result of combinations of various pain mechanisms with various diseases.

Mechanisms of development of vascular cephalgia

Headache can manifest itself as rhythmic, synchronous and pulsating blunt blows in the head from one or both sides with excessive stretching of the walls blood vessels(migraine, arterial hypotension, hypertension, crises of vegetovascular dystonia).

With edema of the vascular wall and severe arterial hypotension and migraine it turns into a dull, pressing, bursting or breaking. Arterial spasm leads to local ischemia and tissue hypoxia. Then the headache will be dull, squeezing, breaking, accompanied by lightheadedness or nausea, dizziness, "black flies", darkening of the eyes, pallor of the skin. The head will hurt for a long time with simultaneous spasm of the walls of blood vessels and a lack of oxygen to the tissues (ischemic hypoxia).

With prolonged hypotension of the veins (excessive relaxation of their walls), external signs are noticed: the mucous membranes of the nose and pharynx swell in the oral cavity, swell and become pasty soft tissues face, upper and lower eyelids. Such signs and headaches are often disturbing in the morning and may last for several days in a row or for quite a long time.

With an increase in intracranial pressure, headache is accompanied by nausea and repeated vomiting.

The head hurts with an increase in blood viscosity: loss of elasticity by erythrocytes, the appearance of a tendency for platelets to aggregate, an increase in blood coagulant activity, that is, with a change in blood composition. With increased intracranial blood filling, there is a violation of oxygen delivery by the bloodstream, which is fraught with tissue hypoxia. This cephalgia will have a dull character and different intensity. The head hurts, accompanied by heaviness, noise and ringing in the head, general lethargy and drowsiness.

Headache due to changes in blood composition occurs with hypertension, atherosclerosis, diseases internal organs and blood diseases.

With stretching of the veins inside the skull and their excessive filling with blood, deterioration of outflow venous blood headache can disturb in the back of the head, especially in horizontal position.
Low head, increased intrathoracic pressure during straining (with physical work, constipation in the intestines), shirts with tight collars, tight ties, coughing spells, loud laughter increase venous cephalgia and impair venous outflow of blood from the skull, provoking a sharp headache.

Headaches are often chronic or recurrent. Often of vascular origin or with muscle spasms (overstrain) or spread throughout the head.

If you have a headache all day, you need to pay attention to the symptoms that accompany it and consult a neurologist. Headache can occur against the background of various diseases.

Some diseases accompanied by headache

Migraine.
Migraine can begin not only in adults, but also in young children and adolescents. It lasts 1-5 hours or several days.

With a cluster headache that develops impulsively at night, the area of \u200b\u200bthe orbit or above it hurts. At the same time, 3-4 hours after falling asleep, a person wakes up from very severe pain, accompanied by unilateral swelling of the mucous membrane in the nasal cavity and lacrimation. After an hour, the pain stops. Such attacks are repeated several times a day for a significant period of time. Seizures may recur after weeks, months, or years.

Tension-type cephalgia
At muscle tension the head hurts with localization in the area of the temples, the lower part of the occiput, manifests itself in the form of squeezing or a “tight band” on the head for 3-4-5 hours. This headache is not accompanied by nausea or vomiting (rarely). More often occurs with stress closer to the night. Sometimes the pain syndrome lasts two days or more. Treatment is with Paracetamol, Aspirin or Ibuprofen.

Arteritis
In arteritis, a pain syndrome in the head against the background of a brain infection, a fever occurs with restriction of movement in the neck. One- or two-sided pain may be combined with loss of vision. The temporal arteries swell and hurt for 3-4 hours, in the blood tests there are changes characteristic of inflammatory processes. It is important to make a quick diagnosis and prescribe treatment to preserve vision. Treatment can last 3-4 or more years.

If the patient is performed Lombal puncture, pain in the face appears due to a decrease in intracranial pressure. Without treatment, it subsides after 5-7 days. In the presence of treatment passes through 1-3 days.

At benign intracranial hypertension (more often in young obese women under 40 years of age) an increased pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid is determined during spinal puncture. neurological symptoms(local) is not observed. Laboratory studies do not reveal pathological changes.

trigeminal neuralgia
At given state the pain will be pulsating or shooting and one-sided with a duration of 10-30-45 seconds, capturing the lower or upper (less often) jaws and extending into the ear. Attacks are periodically repeated during the day, on the second and third day (with relapses). Carbamazepine is used for treatment. With a relapse and a small effect of drug treatment, neurotomy is used.

Neuralgia developed after herpetic infection, accompanied by the appearance of a rash on areas of the skin corresponding to the projection of the branches of the trigeminal nerve: the ophthalmic, maxillary and mandibular (less often) nerve. The sensitivity of the skin is lost. With intensive treatment, the pain disappears after 4-5 or more weeks.
With occipital neuralgia, in case of damage to the nerve of the occiput, one-sided shooting pain occurs at the outlet of the skull. local point in this place, with pressure, something can provoke this pain.

Abscesses
Symptoms of any purulent-inflammatory processes different localization(temperature increase up to 41˚С, general malaise, weakness, loss of appetite) are typical in this case. The main symptoms are intense aching or shooting headache, inflammation and pain at the site of fistula formation. It lasts for several days in a row or a month, since the fistula does not heal for a long time, and passes as the pathological process heals.

Most of all, the head hurts with a single or multiple abscess of the brain, they affect mainly the temporal lobes or the cerebellar hemispheres. Metastatic abscesses occur more often in the frontal lobes, so the head hurts all day and for quite a long time.
To this are added epileptic seizures, impaired hearing, taste and smell, coordination of movements, is affected oculomotor nerve, decreases muscle tone. In this case, the person's head will be in a forced position.

adenovirus infection

With adenovirus infection, the conjunctiva, mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, lymphoid tissue. Infection occurs by airborne and fecal-oral route, not only in the first 1-2 weeks, with incubation period- from 2 to 12 days, but also in the next 3-4 weeks.
Adenovirus infection has several common acute symptoms ( fever, loss of appetite, weakness, nausea, vomiting, nasal congestion and discharge). The main symptoms are aching, “ringing” headache against the background of high temperature (up to 39-40 ° C) and fever, which lasts 2-4 weeks, the release of a mucopurulent secret.

Adenoiditis
Pathological inflammation of the pharyngeal (nasopharyngeal) tonsil is called adenoiditis. The tonsil develops from birth or childhood - 3-5 years and may decrease by 12 years. It is possible to develop adenoids during puberty, but much more often this occurs in children against the background of infectious diseases.

In acute adenoiditis in children, the head stubbornly hurts, as the outflow of blood and lymph from the brain area is difficult. The reason is congestion in the nasal cavity, which leads to the flow of mucous secretions through the nasal passages into the nasopharynx, chronic swelling and inflammation of its mucous membrane. Therefore, breathing is difficult, as a result of which the child's mouth is constantly ajar.

pituitary adenoma
Rare forms of adenomas (tumors) are gonadotropinomas and thyrotropinroms. With the characteristic development of tumors and pressure on the diaphragm of the Turkish saddle (the structure of the sphenoid bone of the skull), patients have a very headache in the frontal, temporal and area behind the orbits. Dull pain does not go away for several (2-5) days, resumes after taking analgesic drugs, is not accompanied by vomiting.

In pregnant women, the head hurts (two or three days or more) with a gradual increase and in parallel with ophthalmic-neurological symptoms due to hemorrhage in the adenoma zone and tumor growth. After childbirth, it does not increase, but often involutes.

Aneurysms of the vessels of the brain and spinal cord
Aneurysms of the CNS vessels can be arterial (in the brain) and arteriovenous (in the brain and spinal cord). With arterial aneurysms, hemorrhages develop under the lining of the brain without the presence of previous symptoms, sometimes it hurts in the forehead and eyes, and rarely there is incomplete paralysis of the nerves of the skull.
When an aneurysm ruptures, the victim suddenly develops severe pain that spreads, “spills” in the head. There are nausea, repeated bouts of vomiting, loss of consciousness.

anemia
With anemia (anemia), the number of red blood cells and (or) hemoglobin per unit volume of blood is constantly decreasing. With iron deficiency anemia, a person has a headache for several (2-5) days or more, accompanied by dizziness, shortness of breath at the slightest physical exertion, appetite decreases, the skin becomes pale, sometimes they have greenish tint(with chlorosis).
Hair becomes brittle and falls out, painful non-healing cracks appear in the corners of the mouth (angular stomatitis), dashes appear on the nails, swallowing hard and dry food is difficult, and constipation bothers. The patient's taste changes, he tends to eat chalk, eraser, clay, earth, raw meat.

Perhaps the data brief information will allow you to take a closer look and get a better idea of the headache that bothers you and the symptoms that accompany it, which is important when talking with your doctor.

Headache is one of the most common reasons for visiting a doctor. However, only 1/3 of those who suffer from this disease turn to a specialist. This is due to the fact that this disease is such a widespread violation of the functionality of the body that most people accept it as a natural part of life. Each of us has met with the disease at least once in a lifetime. This is a universal human experience that often passes by itself and leaves no consequences. But, the problem arises when the pain is accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms, has a recurrent nature, or (moreover, quite strongly!) For several days, or even weeks, in a row.

According to some sources, there are up to 360 types of headaches. It is not the brain itself that hurts, as it often seems, but more or less irritated nerves that accompany the blood vessels inside the skull. The cause of the pain can be located both inside the head and in other parts of the body, from where the nerves transmit a pain signal to the brain.

In countries Western Europe about 80% of women and 65% of men suffer from various kinds headaches that always occur with a certain frequency. Some representatives of the population indicate that the head can often hurt even for several days. Only up to 5% of the population declares the absence of unpleasant "encounters" with this disease. Before the age of 15, about 75% of children have a headache. In the group of children aged 5-7 years, about 30% suffer from migraine. Among 15-year-olds in the population, headache occurs in about 45% of cases.

Headache is most common among the female half of the population. 7 out of 10 people who suffer from migraines are women. In addition, 6 out of 10 of them are under 45 years old. , which occurs in children, as a rule, persists in the older, and in adulthood. There are numerous cases, especially with regard to migraine, when the disease disappeared after reaching adulthood. It is important for parents not to neglect this problem, because. A child's health condition can affect their success in school.

There are 2 main categories of headaches:

Primary

Migraine, tension and cluster headache are primary. This is a group of headaches without signs of damage to brain structures, with normal results CT. They are not dangerous - despite the annoying symptoms, most of them disappear under the influence of treatment.

Many people who suffer from migraines try to endure the pain (despite the fact that the head sometimes hurts even for several days in a row) or prescribe self-treatment, which is often ineffective. Migraine cannot be completely cured, but in most cases it is possible to relieve attacks using simple natural remedies or medications prescribed by a specialist.

Secondary

In cases of secondary headache, it is concomitant symptom another illness, such as a cold or sinusitis. It refers to a group of signs that are characteristic of a particular disease. Choice therapeutic method always directly dependent on the disease itself, causing pain. They can also be caused by a much more serious disorder - meningitis, brain tumors, traumatic brain injury.

The danger arises if the headache worsens sharply, vomiting is added to it, disturbances of consciousness occur. If the attack intensifies after physical activity, your head hurts for several days, and you feel that this kind of pain has “not yet been experienced”, consult a doctor!

Headache appears as usual, but its course is atypical.
The attack is accompanied by other symptoms, such as dizziness, blurred vision, numbness or weakness in the limbs.
There is heat and stiff neck.
Pain occurs as a result of changes in posture or physical activity.
Headache after traumatic brain injury.
You are taking pain relievers more than a few days a week (more than 2 times).
The head hurts continuously for several days.
Headache for more than 24 hours.

The first step to successful treatment is early and correct diagnosis. Do not immediately demand a CT scan, at the first visit to the doctor, a detailed conversation, a description of your problem, is more important. Only based on this information, the doctor will be able to recommend the next steps.

Write down information about the attacks: the date and time of the onset of symptoms. List what you ate, drank, and did during the 6-8 hours before the onset of pain. Try to find out what is the cause of the disease.

The doctor will want to know the answers to the following questions:

Since when have you had a headache?

- Since childhood, puberty, seizures began at an older age ...

What does your pain look like?

- Is it paroxysmal, stable, pulsating.

Where is pain localized?

- In the region of the temples, on the forehead, in the region of the back of the head and neck, all over the head ...

How long does an attack last? Does it disappear after sleep?

How bad is the pain? Pain is graded on an imaginary scale from 1 to 10.

Are there accompanying symptoms?

— Hypersensitivity to noise, light, nausea...

What medications or procedures help relieve an attack?

Women also important information about menstruation (regularity of the cycle, connection of an attack and a certain stage of the cycle, hormonal contraceptives).

This pain is the most common type. Associated with rigidity neck muscles.

There are two types of tension pain, which differ from each other mainly in the frequency of attacks:

Chronic - Pain continues for more than 15 days per month.
Episodic - lasting less than 15 days per month. If the pain occurs less than 10 times a year, we are talking about a rare phenomenon.

This type of pain differs from migraine in a different character and intensity of manifestation; it does not limit the activities of a person in his Everyday life, but worries about the duration of the attack and the frequency of occurrence.

The pain is described as bilateral pressure, not affecting only one half of the head. Often localized on the crown, with spread to the eyes. The duration of an attack varies from 30 minutes to 7 days, on average, it takes about 12 hours. Accompanied by a feeling of squeezing and tingling, but not throbbing, does not increase with physical stress On the contrary, sometimes it even subsides.

This type of pain is much less common than tension or migraine; often a consequence of sinusitis (sinusitis) or mental disorder. This headache belongs to the category of primary, the attacks of which occur repeatedly in the same place, and disappear after a few weeks. Cluster pain affects more men than women. The attack usually begins at one time of the day, usually at night, disturbing sleep. Patients describe the pain as very intense, almost unbearable.

Often an attack is accompanied by the following symptoms, which the patient feels in the same part of the head as the pain itself:

Hyperemia (redness), tearing, weakening or swelling of the eyelid.
Edema of the nasal mucosa.
Sweat on forehead and face.

Seizures come on suddenly and last for weeks or months. Their reasons are not yet known. The following factors can provoke them:

Cold.
Excessive physical stress.
Stress, depression, anxiety.
Tension due to stiffness of the back and neck muscles.

There are two types:

Episodic - painless phase, which occurs after pain, can last from 2 weeks to 3 months, at least 1 month. Then the pain phase reappears.
Chronic - the pain phase lasts for a year or longer. This long period is usually not interrupted by a painless phase. When the painless stage occurs, it lasts less than a month.

The causes of this problem are well known to everyone - they include stress, depression, disruption of interpersonal relationships at home and at work, sedentary work and bad posture. All this can lead to disturbances in the change in tension and blood circulation of the face and neck muscles. This depresses and irritates the nerves and blood vessels leading to the brain, resulting in a dull, persistent and, which is concentrated in the temples and on the back of the head and may be accompanied by numbness and stiffness of the muscles in the neck and shoulders.

Migraine is a chronic disease based on the functioning of blood vessels, which manifests itself as a result of their narrowing and then expansion. This is a very common disease, manifested by attacks that occur at various intervals of time (they can last up to 3 days).

Several symptoms often indicate the approach of a migraine attack. They may appear within days or even hours before the onset of an attack; include mainly sensitivity to environmental stimuli, restlessness, irritability, poor sleep, stiff neck. Some people develop a taste for certain foods.

Sometimes the attack is preceded by an aura. We are talking about a few minute visual sensations in some parts of the visual field, which change depending on the movement of the eyes and may even increase. The area may flicker, shimmer. Simultaneously or within a few minutes after the disappearance of the aura, pain appears. The physical symptoms of the aura usually last 5-60 minutes. Usually disappears shortly before the attack, but sometimes persist even after the onset of pain.

5 days stomach ache

Asked by: Elena

Gender Female

Age: 29

Chronic diseases: not specified

Hello,! My name is Elena, I am 29 years old. On Wednesday, 09/02/15, my stomach began to hurt, slightly, there was a little nagging pain. On Friday the pain intensified, there were frequent spasms, as if someone were squeezing the stomach and holding it for a short time. On Saturday and Sunday it got even worse. I feel like my stomach has doubled in size. Today, spasms have become less frequent, but there is always a dull pain, sort of like after a blow and heaviness, as if it were not a stomach, but a stone.
Help, please, get rid of unpleasant pains in the stomach, I really hope for your help.
1. What the patient looks like: Slightly pale, looks tired, bruises under the eyes. Sweating: feet and palms sweat often, sweat cold, odorless.
2. Temperature 36.5, not chilly and not hot, but sometimes you want to cover yourself with a light blanket.
3. Thirst is reduced, I rarely drink water in 1-2 small sips. During stomach cramps, everything in the mouth dries up, but I don’t feel like drinking a lot, I also drink 1-2 sips.
4. The tongue is covered with white coating, the lips are dry, pale pink, slightly cracked. Increased salivation, especially when lying down. When I do not drink for a long time, there is a feeling in the mouth that it is covered with a thin film (in the region of the upper palate).
5. There is no diarrhea, vomiting, too, there is a slight nausea, it intensifies during spasms.
6. Hands and feet are cold, slightly damp.
7. Lethargic, drowsy, activity is reduced, I want to lie down all the time, more calm compared to the usual state. Movement causes discomfort in the stomach.
8. Appetite is reduced, sometimes there is a desire to eat, but the thought that eating will be worse is frightening.
9. Indifference to everything that happens, emptiness, the state of "squeezed lemon". There was a fear for myself that this pain would never go away and I would have to go to the hospital. Less than usual I want communication, I want sympathy.
10. What is surprising is that most day I lay on the couch, slept a little and still want to sleep, I feel tired, weak.

Nausea, Dizziness, low temperature 35.1; stomach pain, vomiting My niece has stomach problems. On Monday (10/5/15) in the morning at school, she became ill, at first she began to feel sick, then she felt dizzy, during the break after the lesson, going down the stairs, she suddenly became worse, her legs went limp, great weakness and everything shook. She went to the doctors, where they measured her temperature, which showed (35.1), they tried to measure the pressure several times, it did not work, she had severe stomach pains and vomiting spasms. Tuesday and Wednesday she felt better, Today (10/8/15) she felt ill again. She again went to the doctors, they told her it would be worse to call an ambulance and hospitalization, they prescribed eroferon. What kind of Diagnosis, they did not even supposedly say. Please tell me what can happen to her stomach and whether it is possible to cure her at home, and if she goes to the hospital, which department will she be admitted to.

1 answer

Don't forget to rate the doctors' answers, help us improve them by asking additional questions on the topic of this question.
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Hello.
Consult a doctor, do FGS and ultrasound of the abdominal organs. Then there will be clarity with the diagnosis and treatment.
Good luck.

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Stay with us and be healthy!

This is due to the fact that this disease is such a widespread violation of the functionality of the body that most people accept it as a natural part of life. Each of us has met with the disease at least once in a lifetime. This is a universal human experience that often passes by itself and leaves no consequences. But, the problem arises when the pain is accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms, is recurrent, or headache is one of the most common reasons for visiting a doctor. However, only 1/3 of those who suffer from this disease turn to a specialist. This is due to the fact that this disease is such a widespread violation of the functionality of the body that most people accept it as a natural part of life. Each of us has met with the disease at least once in a lifetime. This is a universal human experience that often passes by itself and leaves no consequences. But, the problem arises when the pain is accompanied by other unpleasant symptoms, has a recurrent nature, or the head hurts (and quite badly!) For several days, or even weeks, in a row.

In Western European countries, about 80% of women and 65% of men suffer from various types of headaches, which always occur with a certain frequency. Some representatives of the population indicate that the head can often hurt even for several days. Only up to 5% of the population declares the absence of unpleasant "encounters" with this disease. Before the age of 15, about 75% of children have a headache. In the group of children aged 5-7 years, about 30% suffer from migraine. Among 15-year-olds in the population, headache occurs in about 45% of cases.

Headache is most common among the female half of the population. 7 out of 10 people who suffer from migraines are women. In addition, 6 out of 10 of them are under 45 years old. Headache that occurs in children tends to persist into older children and into adulthood. There are numerous cases, especially with regard to migraine, when the disease disappeared after reaching adulthood. It is important for parents not to neglect this problem, because. A child's health condition can affect their success in school.

It is important to distinguish the type of pain

Primary

Migraine, tension and cluster headache are primary. This is a group of headaches without signs of damage to brain structures, with normal CT results. They are not dangerous - despite the annoying symptoms, most of them disappear under the influence of treatment.

Secondary

In cases of secondary headache, it is a concomitant symptom of another disease, such as a cold or sinusitis. It refers to a group of signs that are characteristic of a particular disease. The choice of a therapeutic method is always directly dependent on the disease itself that causes pain. They can also be caused by a much more serious disorder - meningitis, brain tumors, traumatic brain injury.

How to recognize danger and why is it important?

The danger arises if the headache worsens sharply, vomiting is added to it, disturbances of consciousness occur. If the attack intensifies after exercise, your head hurts for several days, and you feel that this kind of pain has “not yet been experienced”, consult a doctor!

Other danger signs

Headache appears as usual, but its course is atypical.
The attack is accompanied by other symptoms, such as dizziness, blurred vision, numbness or weakness in the limbs.
There is heat and stiff neck.
Pain occurs as a result of changes in posture or physical activity.
Headache after traumatic brain injury.
You are taking pain relievers more than a few days a week (more than 2 times).
The head hurts continuously for several days.
Headache for more than 24 hours.

Can you describe your problem?

The doctor will want to know the answers to the following questions:

Since when have you had a headache?

From childhood, puberty, seizures began at an older age ...

What does your pain look like?

Whether it is paroxysmal, stable, pulsating.

Where is pain localized?

In the region of the temples, on the forehead, in the region of the back of the head and neck, all over the head ...

How long does an attack last? Does it disappear after sleep?

How bad is the pain? Pain is graded on an imaginary scale from 1 to 10.

Are there accompanying symptoms?

Hypersensitivity to noise, light, nausea...

What medications or procedures help relieve an attack?

Women also have important information about menstruation (cycle regularity, connection of an attack and a certain stage of the cycle, hormonal contraceptives).

Tension headache (tension headache)

This pain is the most common type. Associated with stiff neck muscles.

There are two types of tension pain, which differ from each other mainly in the frequency of attacks:

Chronic - Pain continues for more than 15 days per month.
Episodic - lasting less than 15 days per month. If the pain occurs less than 10 times a year, we are talking about a rare phenomenon.

This type of pain differs from migraine in a different character and intensity of manifestation; it does not limit the activity of a person in his daily life, but worries about the duration of the attack and the frequency of occurrence.

The pain is described as bilateral pressure, not affecting only one half of the head. Often localized on the crown, with spread to the eyes. The duration of an attack varies from 30 minutes to 7 days, on average, it takes about 12 hours. It is accompanied by a feeling of squeezing and tingling, but not pulsing, does not increase with physical exertion, on the contrary, sometimes it even subsides.

cluster headaches

This type of pain is much less common than tension or migraine; often a consequence of sinusitis (sinusitis) or a mental disorder. This headache belongs to the category of primary, the attacks of which occur repeatedly in the same place, and disappear after a few weeks. Cluster pain affects more men than women. The attack usually begins at one time of the day, usually at night, disturbing sleep. Patients describe the pain as very intense, almost unbearable.

Often an attack is accompanied by the following symptoms, which the patient feels in the same part of the head as the pain itself:

Hyperemia (redness), tearing, weakening or swelling of the eyelid.
Edema of the nasal mucosa.
Sweat on forehead and face.

Seizures come on suddenly and last for weeks or months. Their reasons are not yet known. The following factors can provoke them:

Cold.
Excessive physical stress.
Stress, depression, anxiety.
Tension due to stiffness of the back and neck muscles.

Episodic - painless phase, which occurs after pain, can last from 2 weeks to 3 months, at least 1 month. Then the pain phase reappears.
Chronic - the pain phase lasts for a year or longer. This long period is usually not interrupted by a painless phase. When the painless stage occurs, it lasts less than a month.

Headaches from stress

The causes of this problem are well known to everyone - they include stress, depression, impaired interpersonal relationships at home and at work, sedentary work and poor posture. All this can lead to disturbances in the change in tension and blood circulation of the face and neck muscles. This depresses and irritates the nerves and blood vessels leading to the brain, resulting in dull, persistent and well-known causes of this problem - they include stress, depression, impaired interpersonal relationships at home and at work, sedentary work and poor posture. All this can lead to disturbances in the change in tension and blood circulation of the face and neck muscles. This depresses and irritates the nerves and blood vessels leading to the brain, resulting in a dull, persistent and severe headache, which is concentrated in the temples and on the back of the head and may be accompanied by numbness and stiffness of the muscles in the neck and shoulders.

Migraine

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.

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 well-being, dizziness and headache are provoked by stress, inhalation of vapors chemical substances, 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, dizziness, cephalgia, fast fatiguability from minor loads. 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. At various diseases certain mechanisms are activated that give a signal about the problem.

Varieties and development of pain symptoms

Rising pulsation within cranium, which is localized on one or both sides, arises due to strong stretching walls of 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, muscle tension abdominals 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 problems with health. Here are some diseases that are accompanied by debilitating bouts of cephalalgia:

Arteritis. Infectious lesion cerebral vessels.
Trigeminal neuralgia. Accompanied by unilateral shooting pain in the ear and jaw. Even with intensive treatment, the pain persists for 5 weeks.
Adenovirus infection and adenoiditis. When the disease occurs, high fever, swelling of the nasal mucosa, lacrimation and ringing headaches.
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 collection from chamomile or mint;
head massage (frontal, temporal and parietal area);
a small warm-up for the neck and back muscles.

Most headache sufferers prefer self-treatment, but if symptoms persist for 2 weeks, a doctor's appointment is essential.

To alleviate the condition, you need to follow a diet. Exclude chocolate, smoked meats, spices, cheese, sausages from the diet. Under no circumstances should you use alcoholic drinks. 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. Permanent reception analgesics may provide temporary relief, but the underlying cause of the pain will remain. Only comprehensive examination will help 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.

Help with ICP or vasoconstriction vasodilators. 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 good result, you need to take them for at least 3 weeks:

A tablespoon of viburnum berries is rubbed with a teaspoon of honey, a glass is added to the mixture. warm milk. Taken once a day high blood pressure and nervous overload.
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.
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 taken.

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 the 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 take care of 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

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Other pathologies of the spinal cord and brain

Other musculoskeletal injuries

Diseases of the muscles and ligaments

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Curvature (deformity) of the spine

Treatment in Israel

Neurological symptoms and syndromes

Tumors of the spine, brain and spinal cord

Answers to questions from visitors

Soft tissue pathologies

Radiography and others instrumental methods diagnostics

Symptoms and syndromes of diseases of the musculoskeletal system

Vascular diseases of the CNS

Spinal and CNS injuries

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What to do if your head hurts for a week

Aching headache, throbbing, monotonous, sometimes it does not go away for weeks and becomes habitual. What about a person who has a headache for several days? It is necessary to understand the causes of discomfort and undergo treatment.

Causes of prolonged headache

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

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 cervical region spine.
Toxic. It is provoked by food, drug, alcohol poisoning.
Infectious. Occurs with meningitis, encephalitis, sometimes accompanies colds, flu, sore throat.

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 this pathological condition as increased 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 character. 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 aggravated chronic pain capturing the whole head.
Regular inhalation of gasoline vapors causes It's a dull pain 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 the blood pressure has risen in a person for the first time and pain has been tormenting the patient for several days, you can take an antispasmodic (No-shpu, Drotaverine).

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).
At 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 light. 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 me, flies fly before my eyes for several days, a feeling severe fatigue? 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.
Don't 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 the pain in radical ways: going to the bathhouse, diving into the ice hole.

Attention! Diseases such as meningitis, encephalitis are treated only in a hospital setting. Put accurate diagnosis maybe a doctor. 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 leaf, 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 of 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.

Headache for several days: the cause of the appearance and methods of elimination

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 until the headache the pain will pass herself. 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.

Varieties of cephalgia

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 as a result of an increase or decrease 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.

Neuralgic cephalgia

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

Most often - in the maxillofacial region.

neuralgia of the occipital nerve;
trigeminal neuralgia.

Pain of tension

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.

Infectious cephalgia

It is one of the symptoms of infectious diseases.

Toxic cephalgia

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

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

Oncological cephalgia

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

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. Average duration attacks - 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 eye sockets, there are also shootings 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.

These headaches are often chronic and are accompanied by constant fatigue, bad dream, loss of appetite. They can last for several hours during the day.

poisoning

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 medicines. 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 regions of the head;
take a contrast shower from time to time.

Preventive measures

priority preventive measure has always been healthy lifestyle life. 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 it is enough to walk along fresh air. 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 consume a lot of coffee, chocolate, smoked meats, alcohol and foods with harmful additives, then later you can not 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.

Headache in women

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:

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. Special attention should be addressed if a pregnant woman has 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 appear, for example, due to malnutrition or lack enough indoor air, 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. Need in urgently contact your doctor.

Diagnosis of the disease

When contacting 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 accompanying 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 else, if not you, knows best individual characteristics 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 surveys:

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

Headache Treatment

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

To non-drug methods treatments include:

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

To medical preparations, prescribed depending on the type of cephalalgia, can be considered:

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

There are many various methods the fight against 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 to reduce and eliminate daily headaches, 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 more violent attack. It is best to take the medicine immediately, because with a headache, the body experiences stress, which negatively affects the quality of life and can provoke the appearance anxiety states 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 question requires 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.

The truth about Valery Ivanovich Shumakov and the secret he revealed to restore destroyed vessels.

This secret cost him a loss of reputation and support, among higher ranks Russian Federation.

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Find out what is hidden from us about the disease hypertension: watch the recording of the program.

There are many types of headaches of varying duration. 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 subdivided into the following categories:

Vascular. Pathology occurs when the narrowing or expansion of blood vessels, with hypotension or increased blood pressure, as well as for other vascular diseases: atherosclerosis, migraine. In this case, there are pulsating sensations in the temples and dizziness.
Muscle tension pain cause stress, prolonged awkward position body, diseases of the spine. A person feels squeezing spasms in the back of the head and around the head.
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.
Liquorodynamic. intracranial pressure, hydrocephalus, inflammatory diseases brain, various cysts of the brain are provoked by a disorder in the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid through the vessels.
Toxic. Manifested with intoxication of the body harmful substances, medicines. Poisoning can be the reason why headache for a long time.
Infectious. Formed under the influence viral infections, SARS, sinusitis, frontal sinusitis, meningitis and encephalitis.
Consequences of injuries brain or soft tissues. 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.
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.

The reasons

Reasons why my head hurts every day , there may be many.

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 area.

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, it worsens general well-being, there is pressure in the head, dizziness, weakness.

adenovirus infection

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

Meningitis, encephalitis

Inflammatory diseases of the meninges are always accompanied by long-term painful sensations, 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. constriction small capillaries leads to oxygen starvation of the brain. As a result, long-term painful symptoms in my head.

Abuse pain

Abuse development 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.

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

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.

Some diseases that provoke a long course of cephalalgia are amenable to therapy only at an early stage.

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

Typically for chronic pain drug treatment directed at 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 the interview with the patient, the doctor makes clinical picture diseases and directs to
additional research:

magnetic resonance imaging;
electroencephalography;
Ultrasound of the vessels of the head and neck;
biochemical and general analysis blood;
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:

To medicines used to treat chronic cephalgia include:

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

Prevention

In some people, after treatment pain symptoms may repeat. However, doctors do not advise getting involved in taking medications: this can provoke even more intense syndromes. Doctors' recommendations prevention prolonged pain in my head come down to simple tips:

Conclusion

"Headache won't go away" very often hears the doctor, taking patients. The success of therapy mainly depends on the person himself. Timely appeal to a specialist will help to avoid negative consequences and the development of many diseases of the head.