Dealing with headaches is not fun. Even the lightest medications can interrupt your day until some over-the-counter medications help relieve pain.
These headaches are usually caused by neuroinflammation, stress, sun exposure, or drug overdose.
But what if the headache is continuous or occurs almost every day?
Persistent headaches can be debilitating and interfere with your daily activities.
According to the World Health Organization, more than half of the world’s population is affected by headaches each year. The prevalence of headache in India appears to be very high, in line with the world average. More than half of people complain of headaches every day.
Headaches can range from mild to severe and can sometimes become unbearable. Therefore, the first step in preventing frequent headaches is determining your headache type.
Various types of headaches
The cause, duration, and intensity of headaches may vary depending on the type of headache. Therefore, it is important to understand the type of headache you are suffering from.
Primary tingling headaches
These headaches may last a few seconds or may occur multiple times during the day.
Cluster headache
These headaches can also cause severe pain on one side of the head. These headaches can cause symptoms such as watery eyes, nasal congestion, or runny nose.
Medication Overuse Headaches
These headaches are caused by overuse of painkillers for at least three months.
Tension-type headaches
These headaches can cause mild, moderate, or severe pain behind the eyes and head. In addition, some people say that tension headaches feel like a tight band around the forehead.
Sinus headache
Sometimes headache is the result of an allergic reaction. As many as 90% of self-diagnosed sinus headaches are actually migraines. People with seasonal allergies or sinusitis are more likely to have this type of headache.
When headaches become frequent and worse over the time, it’s only natural to consider it as something serious, like a brain tumor. it’s true that a recurring headache are often a sign towards a brain tumor; however, it’s important to understand that tumour-related headaches have distinct characteristics. in addition, one must also know brain tumors became increasingly common and will be of a priority when the severity of headaches changes with time and that they become too frequent.
Facts About brain tumour
Brain tumor commonly affects those that fall in the age group of 40 to 60 years Brain tumor only causes a headache when the tumor is large enough to press the vessels and nerves that cause pain. Tumors (primary brain tumors) that start in the brain are less common in comparison to people who visit the brain from distant sites (metastatic brain tumors) Increased intracranial pressure (ICP) is another factor related to headache in people affected by brain tumour . It occurs thanks to excess fluid, brain swelling, or abnormal growth in the brain.
What Does brain tumour Pain Feel Like?
With time, the headache becomes frequent and severe. Furthermore, the severity increases with changes in position. for example, a brain tumour headache may increase when sleeping. additionally , the pain intensifies when sneezing or coughing. As brain tumour may be a complex disease, it’s important to understand that the intensity of a headache could also be different in everyone . This difference is primarily due to the location, size of the tumor and the rate at which it’s growing.
When do you have to Be Concerned?
Though headaches are likely to be due to other less-serious conditions like allergies, migraines or tension, they become a reason to stress about when accompanied by other symptoms, such as:
Vomiting and nausea
Problems in vision
Feeling of numbness in the legs and arms
Speech difficulties
Any headache followed by these symptoms should be a matter of worry, which is once we at Batish Neurosurgery recommended you get examined by a neurologist in Chandigarh. The doctor will conduct imaging tests including a CT scan or an MRI and would recommend the brain tumor treatment if the tests are positive.
Things to do Before Meeting a Doctor
The doctor may ask several questions related to a headache and the symptoms followed by it. We advise you to notice down all the symptoms as they can be easily forgotten over a period of time. Also, make a note of things that trigger a headache and make it worse. When explaining the doctor about your condition, be as accurate as possible.
Questions the Doctor May Ask
Here are a few questions that the doctor may ask to diagnose the condition well and to take it further with the proper treatment.
Are these headaches recent or does one usually get them?
If you are doing not get headaches normally and this is often a rather new condition, the doctor may suspect something serious. On the other hand, if you previously also had headaches, but the severity and site have changed and are followed by other symptoms also , it’s going to even be of a priority .
Overall, any change in pattern or sudden new development of a severe headache are often due to a brain tumor .
What medications does one take?
Be honest when the doctor asks about the medicines that help settle down the pain. Whether you’re taking OTC medication or those prescribed by your general physician, be open to the doctor. Basis the medicines you’re taking, the doctor are going to be ready to judge better about how your headaches react to the medications. Characteristically, any headache that’s due to brain tumour will show no signs of relief by medications. When both prescribed and OTC medicines aren’t relieving the pain, something more serious than a migraine or a tension-type headache is present.
What makes a headache worse or better?
Your notes will help you here. If a headache gets triggered or worsens when you cough, sneeze or bend over, make certain of letting the doctor realize these situations. These movements, when trigger a headache are majorly brain-tumour related and need special imaging tests like MRI or CT. These tests further identify if brain tumour is that the cause of these headaches.
