Dealing With Secondary Headaches
Doctors define secondary headaches as those that result from a particular illness. Sometimes these illnesses are very serious and life threatening. Others may be benign but still cause pain and discomfort.
An easily identifiable secondary headache is the one accompanying a sinus infection. Your sinuses are behind the bridge of your nose, in each cheekbone and in your forehead bone. Allergies, infections and tumors cause sinuses to become inflamed. Infections can prevent sinus secretions from draining into the nose, as they need to do. The result is often a headache. Sinus headaches are usually accompanied by a fever.
Another type of secondary headache is the rebound headache. This results either from over-use or improper use of medications. For example, if you use a decongestant because you think you have a sinus infection but you really don’t, then you might develop a headache from the decongestant.
If your headaches are so severe or so frequent that you take more of the medication than prescribed by the doctor or instructed on the label or take it more often, you can also get a rebound headache.
It is possible to acquire a dependency upon OTC or prescription medications. If this seems to be happening, you need to consult a physician. If you are resorting to acute treatments more than two times a week, you may be over-medicating.
Headaches often result as side effects from use of drugs to treat high blood pressure and depression. Some dental problems also cause headaches.
More serious conditions which result in secondary headaches are: meningitis, cerebrovascular disease, infection, brain tumors, head trauma, diabetes, thyroid disease, temporomandibular joint pain, and glaucoma.
These are rare but there are certain symptoms, called ‘red flags’ which health care providers look for.
They include:
Headaches that get worse with movement and exercise.
Headaches in a person who already has certain medical problems such as high blood pressure, AIDS or cancer.
A sudden onset of severe headaches.
Headaches accompanied by other symptoms such as blurred vision, difficulty walking or talking, dizziness, loss of consciousness, high fever, stiff neck, nausea, disorientation, vomiting, pain in the eye, or a rash.
Headaches which begin following a head injury.
Headaches that always occur on the same side of the head. The location of a headache is an important indicator. Headaches that always occur on the same side of the head are most often secondary headaches.
Headaches reported by a patient with a family history of brain aneurysms.
Headaches that worsen over time
Headaches that are so severe as to interfere with one’s work or daily life.
Headaches that occur on a daily basis.
When these red flags are present, one should consult and be evaluated by a health care provider.
They can pinpoint the underlying medical condition by taking a patient history and ordering various tests such as special blood tests, CT scans, MRI and spinal taps.
The life threatening conditions, of which headaches are symptomatic, are rare. However, it is always wiser to play it safe and seek medical help whenever the ‘red flags’ are present.
About the Author
Addiction and Recovery
|
|
Headache Relief (And the Role of Exercise in the Treatment of Tension-type Headches) (VHS) $3.33 We explore the 3 major types of headaches, cluster, migraine, and tension-type, looking at causes, symptoms, and methods of prevention and treatment…. |
|
|
Yoga for Health: Basics/Headaches $5.89 Presents yoga workouts designed to reduce headaches and promote health…. |
|
|
Medical Massage Volume #6 Chair Massage Techniques on Silk, Massage in Sitting Position, Upper Extremities on Silk, Lower Extremities on Silk, Acupressure for Tension Headaches, Neck Exercises, Full-Body posterior Massage Techniques on Silk $49.95 This DVD is utterly packed with information and techniques that are not only profitable but also extremely effective. As you know, today on-site office massage therapy services are in high demand. There is no doubt that by managing the levels of workplace stress in employees helps the employer companies to save huge amounts of money. An increasing number of corporations big and small are contracti… |
|
|
Moist Heat Therapy Warming Back and Shoulder Wrap $41.98 Moist Heat Aroma Therapy Warming Back and Shoulder Wrap provides moist heat, for comfort purposes, but also provides aroma therapy, which has relaxing properties of its own. Our Warming Therapy Products possess a level of quality not found in your local neighborhood drugstores. They are made from the highest quality polar fleece to ensure pleasure and comfort for every part of the body. The heatin… |
|
|
Moist Heat Therapy Warming Lower Back Wrap $34.98 Moist Heat Aroma Therapy Warming Lower Back Wrap provides moist heat, for comfort purposes, but also provides aroma therapy, which has relaxing properties of itÕs own. Our Warming Therapy Products possess a level of quality not found in your local neighborhood drugstores. They are made from the highest quality polar fleece to ensure pleasure and comfort for every part of the body…. |
|
|
Moist Heat Therapy Warming Eye Pillow $21.98 Spa Necessities® Aroma Therapy Moist Heat Warming Eye Pillow provides moist heat, for comfort purposes, but also provides aroma therapy, which has relaxing properties of its own. Our Warming Therapy Products possess a level of quality not found in your local neighborhood drugstores. They are made from the highest quality polar fleece to ensure pleasure and comfort for every part of the body. Micr… |
|
|
Fixing You: Neck Pain & Headaches $10.79 Fixing You: Neck Pain & Headaches highlights an unlikely culprit in neck pain–the shoulder. When the shoulder blades do not rest or move correctly, muscles attaching from the shoulder blade directly to the cervical spine and base of the skull cause neck pain and headaches. If you’ve never had your shoulders assessed in relation to your neck pain then this book is for you. It will teach you ex… |
|
|
The TMJ Healing Plan: Ten Steps to Relieving Headaches, Neck Pain and Jaw Disorders (Positive Options for Health) $16.95 This book will help you identify and eliminate common causes and contributors to headaches, neck pain and jaw disorders commonly known as TMJ, which can be a debilitating condition that adversely affects daily life. The many sufferers of TMJ disorders is shockingly common, affecting 1 in 25 people. Physical therapist, Cynthia Peterson, wants to help you avoid costly and irreversible treatments a… |
|
|
Comprehensive Review of Headache Medicine (Headache Cooperative of New England) $35.95 Headache Medicine has recently become an official medical subspecialty. Practitioners who specialize in the field come from many different backgrounds including neurology, internal medicine, anesthesiology, rehabilitation medicine, family medicine, psychiatry, dentistry and others. A great deal of research is being done in HM, and, as a result, the field is one which is growing rapidly in every … |
|
|
DaVinci Tool Firm and DaVinci Tool Soft (Set of 2) $28.99 The Davinci Tool Firm Trigger Point Occipital Neck Massager is a versatile self massage tool that will help you relieve headache pain and soothe tired, sore muscles. Simple and easy to use and the perfect travel companion. Take it with you anywhere; to work, on vacation or you can even use it in your car. It will relieve stress, muscle spasms, trigger points and improve posture. The Davinci Tool … |
