Tension headaches are due to contraction (tightness) of the muscles in your shoulders, neck, scalp, and jaw. They are often related to stress, depression, or anxiety. Overworking, not getting enough sleep, missing meals, and using alcohol or street drugs can make you more susceptible to headaches. Foods that can trigger a headache include chocolate, cheese, and monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer. People who drink caffeine can have headaches when they don't get their usual daily amount.

Other common reasons lead to a tension headache include performing an activity that causes you to hold your head in one position for a long time (like using a computer, microscope, or typewriter), sleeping in a cold room or an abnormal position, overexerting yourself, clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth.

Tension headaches tend to be on both sides of your head. They often start at the back of your head and spread forward. The pain may feel dull or squeezing, even like a tight band or vice around your head. The muscle tension often begins in your shoulders, neck, or jaw before spreading to your head. Therefore, these areas may feel tight and sore as well.

Migraine headaches are severe, recurrent headaches that are generally accompanied by other symptoms like visual disturbances or nausea. They tend to begin on one side of your head, although the pain may spread to both sides. You may have an "aura" (warning symptoms that start before your headache) and usually feel a throbbing, pounding, or pulsating pain.

Cluster headaches are sharp, extremely painful headaches that tend to occur several times per day for months and then go away for a similar period of time. They are far less common than migraine or tension headaches. Sinus headaches cause pain in the front of your head and face. They are due to inflammation in the sinus passages that lie behind the cheeks, nose, and eyes. The pain tends to be worse when you bend forward and when you first wake up in the morning. Postnasal drip, sore throat, and nasal discharge usually occur with these headaches.

If you are over age 50 and are experiencing headaches for the first time, a condition called temporal arteritis may prove to be the cause. Symptoms of this condition include impaired vision and pain aggravated by chewing. There is a risk of becoming blind with this condition. Therefore, it must be treated by your doctor right away.

Rare causes of headache include brain aneurysm (a weakening of the wall of a blood vessel that can rupture and bleed into the brain),brain tumor, stroke or TIA, and brain infection like meningitis or encephalitis.

Answered by Mohd Saqib , an ibibo Master, at 12:27 AM on September 29, 2008

Headaches have a wide variety of causes, ranging from eyestrain to inflammation of the sinus cavities to life-threatening conditions such as encephalitis, brain cancer, and cerebral aneurysms. When the headache occurs in conjunction with a head injury the cause is usually quite evident; however, many causes of headaches are more elusive. The most common
type of headache is a tension headache. Some people experience headaches when they are hungry or dehydrated.
Traditional theories about headaches link tension-type headaches to muscle contraction, and migraine and cluster headaches to blood vessel dilation (swelling). Pain-sensitive structures in the head include blood vessel walls, membranous coverings of the brain, and scalp and neck muscles. Brain tissue itself has no sensitivity to pain. Therefore, headaches may result from contraction of the muscles of the scalp, face or neck; dilation of the blood vessels in the head; or brain swelling that stretches the brain's coverings. Involvement of specific nerves of the face and head may also cause characteristic headaches. Sinus inflammation is a common cause of headache. Keeping a headache diary may help link headaches to stressful occurrences, menstrual phases, food triggers, or medication.

Tension headaches are due to contraction (tightness) of the muscles in your shoulders, neck, scalp, and jaw. They are often related to stress, depression, or anxiety. Overworking, not getting enough sleep, missing meals, and using alcohol or street drugs can make you more susceptible to headaches. Foods that can trigger a headache include chocolate, cheese, and monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer. People who drink caffeine can have headaches when they don't get their usual daily amount.

Other common reasons lead to a tension headache include performing an activity that causes you to hold your head in one position for a long time (like using a computer, microscope, or typewriter), sleeping in a cold room or an abnormal position, overexerting yourself, clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth.

Tension headaches tend to be on both sides of your head. They often start at the back of your head and spread forward. The pain may feel dull or squeezing, even like a tight band or vice around your head. The muscle tension often begins in your shoulders, neck, or jaw before spreading to your head. Therefore, these areas may feel tight and sore as well.

Migraine headaches are severe, recurrent headaches that are generally accompanied by other symptoms like visual disturbances or nausea.
SOURCE SITE :http://neurology.health-cares .net/headache-causes.php

Answered by Sanya Tahir , an ibibo Master, at 3:22 PM on September 15, 2008

Causes of Headache :

Headaches can be triggered by a variety of factors. The most common cause of headaches is prolonged tension or stress. These are called tension headaches or muscle-contraction headaches. Virtually everyone suffers from this at some time. Muscles in your scalp, neck, and face tighten and contract, causing spasms and pain. Psychological factors such as anxiety, fatigue (e.g., eyestrain), and stress (e.g., long periods of concentration) and mechanical neck strain (e.g., working at computer terminal for prolonged periods) are often the culprits behind a typical tension headache.

Migraines are generally more severe and can be debilitating. The cause of migraine is not known but many trigger factors are recognized. These include: hormonal changes (during a woman's menstrual cycle), certain foods (e.g., chocolate, aged cheeses), beverages (e.g., red wine), strong odours, lack of sleep and even stress. It is not uncommon to suffer from mixed tension-migraine headaches.

Sinus headaches are less common than people think. They can occur after upper respiratory infections such as a cold. Along with the headache, people often have a runny or stuffy nose. Sinus headaches are caused when bacteria invade and infect the nasal sinuses.

Cluster headaches are a relatively uncommon type of headache. They tend to occur in clusters over a few days, weeks or months with long headache-free periods lasting from months to years. In some cases, they are triggered by alcohol. The cause is not known.

So-called "ice pick" headaches are severe headaches that occur suddenly, causing a few seconds of intense pain at a small, localized spot. The exact cause of these headaches is unknown, but they are usually not due to a serious problem.

Answered by Yogeshwar , an ibibo Specialist, at 3:11 PM on September 15, 2008

well, As a technique for unearthing the underlying cause of headache - EFT gets our most enthusiastic "two thumbs up" for its extraordinary effectiveness and for its website which provides a treasure trove of case studies and completely free downloads.

This simple do-it-yourself procedure uncovers the cause of headache, uses no meds whatsoever and is proving to be “Nature’s Pain Reliever” in thousands of clinical cases.

Developed by Stanford scientist Gary Craig, this innovative form of acupressure often brings headache relief in moments.

Further, the freely downloadable EFT Manual gives you all the basics so you can experience it for yourself. It is one of the most popular downloads on the internet as over 10,000 people download it per month.

Here are a few benefits that have impressed us about EFT as a headache remedy:

· Relief is usually immediate.
· It is a do-it-yourself procedure for uncovering the cause of headache - that anyone can learn.
· All the basics are free on the very generous Headache Relief EFT website
· You can start using it right away.
· It is headache relief at its best--no meds whatsoever.
· Often works to relieve headache causes where everything else fails.
· Free newsletter provides ongoing education.
· It is a Universal Healing Aid that is useful for headaches, pain and almost every other emotional or physical issue you can name.

Picking up on that last benefit, here are comments from EFT users (courtesy of the EFT website).

Answered by Satya ~ , an ibibo Master, at 1:55 PM on September 15, 2008

The causes of headache can be many. It could be migraine, it could be mere stress,it could be cold, it could be due to tooth ache or eye troubles, brain tumour or stroke. Inflammation of sinus cavities is n\one most common kind.Sometimes headaches are caused because of medicine allergy.Medication taken to relieve headaches cause side effects ad lead to rebound headache.

Answered by Vida Writer , an ibibo Master, at 4:03 PM on September 14, 2008

headache is a very sommon symptomseen in many conditions.actually the original cause scientifically is the vasodilation of the crainial vessels is the cause for the headache.any inflammaatory conditioncan cause headache.another one incause of allergic conditions also the head ache appears.this headache is due the vasodilators released during the allergic reactions. so headache can arise in many pathologic and physiologic conditions.

Answered by surendra , an ibibo Advisor, at 3:57 PM on September 14, 2008

Generally those suffer from migraine,flue,hayfever,sinus problems,even teeth and ear problem suffer from head ache.What is the real problem,one has to see a doctor,specially,if it is accompanied by fever,stomach pain,chest pain etc.

Answered by SUKUMARAN , an ibibo Master, at 1:30 PM on September 14, 2008

There are lots of causes of headaches but most common causes are High blood pressure, migrane, eye sight problem, alergy from sun-light, improper sleep & lots of work pressure & stress, regular problem of cough n cold also is the cause of headache. For proper investigation or proper medication, it is better to consult the physician.

Answered by akramnirala , an ibibo Advisor, at 12:38 PM on September 14, 2008

well,Headaches have a wide variety of causes, ranging from eyestrain to inflammation of the sinus cavities to life-threatening conditions such as encephalitis, brain cancer, and cerebral aneurysms. When the headache occurs in conjunction with a head injury the cause is usually quite evident; however, many causes of headaches are more elusive. The most common
type of headache is a tension headache. Some people experience headaches when they are hungry or dehydrated.

Traditional theories about headaches link tension-type headaches to muscle contraction, and migraine and cluster headaches to blood vessel dilation (swelling). Pain-sensitive structures in the head include blood vessel walls, membranous coverings of the brain, and scalp and neck muscles. Brain tissue itself has no sensitivity to pain. Therefore, headaches may result from contraction of the muscles of the scalp, face or neck; dilation of the blood vessels in the head; or brain swelling that stretches the brain's coverings. Involvement of specific nerves of the face and head may also cause characteristic headaches. Sinus inflammation is a common cause of headache. Keeping a headache diary may help link headaches to stressful occurrences, menstrual phases, food triggers, or medication.

Tension headaches are due to contraction (tightness) of the muscles in your shoulders, neck, scalp, and jaw. They are often related to stress, depression, or anxiety. Overworking, not getting enough sleep, missing meals, and using alcohol or street drugs can make you more susceptible to headaches. Foods that can trigger a headache include chocolate, cheese, and monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer. People who drink caffeine can have headaches when they don't get their usual daily amount.

Other common reasons lead to a tension headache include performing an activity that causes you to hold your head in one position for a long time (like using a computer, microscope, or typewriter), sleeping in a cold room or an abnormal position, overexerting yourself, clenching your jaw or grinding your teeth.

Tension headaches tend to be on both sides of your head. They often start at the back of your head and spread forward. The pain may feel dull or squeezing, even like a tight band or vice around your head. The muscle tension often begins in your shoulders, neck, or jaw before spreading to your head. Therefore, these areas may feel tight and sore as well.

Migraine headaches are severe, recurrent headaches that are generally accompanied by other symptoms like visual disturbances or nausea. They tend to begin on one side of your head, although the pain may spread to both sides. You may have an "aura" (warning symptoms that start before your headache) and usually feel a throbbing, pounding, or pulsating pain.

Cluster headaches are sharp, extremely painful headaches that tend to occur several times per day for months and then go away for a similar period of time. They are far less common than migraine or tension headaches. Sinus headaches cause pain in the front of your head and face. They are due to inflammation in the sinus passages that lie behind the cheeks, nose, and eyes. The pain tends to be worse when you bend forward and when you first wake up in the morning. Postnasal drip, sore throat, and nasal discharge usually occur with these headaches.

If you are over age 50 and are experiencing headaches for the first time, a condition called temporal arteritis may prove to be the cause. Symptoms of this condition include impaired vision and pain aggravated by chewing. There is a risk of becoming blind with this condition. Therefore, it must be treated by your doctor right away.

Rare causes of headache include brain aneurysm (a weakening of the wall of a blood vessel that can rupture and bleed into the brain),brain tumor, stroke or TIA, and brain infection like meningitis or encephalitis.
source:neurolog y.

Answered by Debashis , an ibibo Master, at 9:21 AM on September 14, 2008

There are two types of headaches: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Primary headaches are not associated with (caused by) other diseases. Examples of primary headaches are migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by associated disease. The associated disease may be minor or serious and life threatening.

Tension headaches are the most common type of primary headache; as many as 90% of adults have had or will have tension headaches. Tension headaches are more common among women than men.

Migraine headaches are the second most common type of primary headache. An estimated 28 million people in the United States (about 12% of the population) will experience migraine headaches. Migraine headaches affect children as well as adults. Before puberty, boys and girls are affected equally by migraine headaches, but after puberty, more women than men are affected. An estimated 6% of men and up to 18% of women will experience a migraine headache.

In the United States, migraine headaches often go undiagnosed or are misdiagnosed as tension or sinus headaches. As a result, many migraine sufferers do not receive effective treatment.

Cluster headaches are a rare type primary headache, affecting 0.1% of the population. An estimated 85% of cluster headache sufferers are men. The average age of cluster headache sufferers is 28-30 years, although headaches may begin in childhood.

Secondary headaches have diverse causes, ranging from serious and life threatening conditions such as brain tumors, strokes, meningitis, and subarachnoid hemorrhages to less serious but common conditions such as withdrawal from caffeine and discontinuation of analgesics.

Many people suffer from "mixed" headache disorders in which tension headaches or secondary headaches trigger migraine headaches.

And for more information visit the source site:
http://www.medicinenet. com/headache/article.htm#tocc

Answered by Dinesh , an ibibo Master, at 7:09 AM on September 14, 2008