Causes
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 odors, 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.