Recently a lecture took place at the ZIL cultural center Kirill Skorobogatykh, neurologist, Candidate of Medical Sciences, Head of the University Headache Clinic. The doctor spoke about new research into an old problem of humanity - headaches.

“Your head can’t hurt – it’s a bone”

A headache occurs like any other: something irritates a receptor, a signal enters the brain, and we feel pain. The large and branched trigeminal nerve is “responsible” for pain in the head, the nerve endings of which are in the sinuses (sinuses), in the eyes, ears, teeth, and in the meningeal membrane (gray matter on the surface of the brain). It is from the receptors in these areas that a pain signal can come - and then we get a “headache”.

In fact, there are no pain receptors in the brain - which is why sometimes operations on the deep layers of the brain are performed without anesthesia. For example, if it is important during surgery not to affect the speech center, the patient who has undergone craniotomy is woken up and begins to talk to him. At the same time, a person with an open skull does not feel pain from manipulation of the brain.

Find the reason

Kirill Skorobogatikh, neurologist

All headaches are divided into primary and secondary.

Primary– when headache is an independent disease that needs to be treated.

Secondary- consequences of other diseases - head and neck injuries, flu, otitis media, sinusitis, taking various substances and medications, climbing to high altitudes. (At the same time, a fluctuation in pressure within 40 mm Hg due to a change in weather in itself does not cause a headache in a healthy person).

In total, more than two hundred different headaches are known, most of them are secondary, but, fortunately, they are rare. Of these, only 10% are secondary.

The most dangerous “secondary headaches”
Thunderous headache– when pain begins and reaches maximum intensity in less than a minute. Thunderous headache is a sign hemorrhages into the brain.
Headache due to constantly elevated temperature, cancer, HIV, weight loss may mean an exacerbation of the underlying disease or the appearance of some chronic disease, and then it is necessary to deal with it.
If the headache does not stop for many days, progresses without clearing, or suddenly begins after fifty years in a person who has not suffered from it before - such a headache is also secondary. In this case, it is necessary not to “relieve the pain”, but to look for its cause.

Myths about headaches

There are as many myths created about nothing as there are about headaches. Doctor Skorobogatykh tried to debunk them:

“Vessels are clogged” is not an explanation of the causes of regular headaches. In fact, a violation of the blood supply to the brain is a stroke, but headaches rarely occur with it.

“Vessels stretched”. The “vascular” cause of a headache can indeed be a vascular aneurysm - a weakening and stretching of the vessel wall or a hemorrhage in the brain. All these are emergency situations; they cannot be the cause of a long-lasting headache.

"Increased intracranial pressure"- also not a cause of headaches. Increased intracranial pressure can occur with a tumor or hemorrhage. But with a tumor there will be neurological symptoms - numbness, cramps, pain, the head hurts more when lying down than when standing.

As a very rare option, increased intracranial pressure occurs from excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). It happens with a lot of weight, but then the head hurts constantly, in a lying position more than in a standing position.

Osteochondrosis- degenerative changes in intervertebral discs. Does not cause headaches.

Very rarely, less than 1% of cases, it happens cervicogenic headache(when the head hurts due to disease of the neck joints) - pain occurs when palpating in the area of ​​these neck joints, or when turning the head. With migraines, neck tension is a consequence, not a cause.

Vegetovascular dystonia (VSD), neurocirculatory dystonia (NCD) and discirculatory encephalopathy (DEP) does not exist in the international classification of diseases. These are composite diagnoses made up of symptoms of various diseases that need to be dealt with specifically and separately.

Modern understanding of migraine

According to surveys, 20% of the working-age population suffers from migraine in Russia. According to WHO estimates, migraine is the sixth leading cause of disability. Migraine is an “expensive disease” because it stays with a person all his life.

Today, the causes of migraine are seen in excessive activation of brain receptors, leading to overexcitation of the trigeminal nerve center.

Thus, migraine is a disease of the brain itself, which occurs due to its physiological characteristics. Migraine can be inherited - it is transmitted through the female line in 60% of cases.

Migraines are not associated with increased or decreased blood pressure. Increased blood pressure can be a consequence of a migraine attack, as it is stressful for the body.

Today it is believed that the specific transmitter of pain in migraine is the CGRP protein; its concentration in the trigeminal nerve system increases during migraine attacks.

Modern developments of specific drugs for the prevention of migraine (and until now migraine is treated only symptomatically - by relieving symptoms) are associated precisely with binding or blocking CGRP.

Migraine pain is intense, throbbing, asymmetrical (half the head hurts on the right or left), often with nausea, worsened by light or sound, and with severe attacks.

9 Historical Facts About Migraine Treatment
10,000 years ago, migraines were treated with trepanation to “get the evil spirits out of the head.”
The ancient Egyptians tied a clay crocodile to their head, and placed oat grains in its mouth.
The ancient Greeks treated migraines with bloodletting.
Galen in 200 AD proposed the term “hemicrania” (half head) for headaches similar to the description of migraine, which doctors still use today.
Avicenna suggested placing the patient in a quiet and dark place.
Thomas Willis suggested in the 17th century that migraines were caused by “dilatation of the vessels of the head.”
In 1918, migraines were treated with ergotamine, a substance found in ergot. Ergotamine preparations are still used today - in the form of tablets and sprays, and not as a herbal decoction, the exact amount of the active substance in which is impossible to determine at home.
In the 1950s, Harold Wolf proposed that migraines begin when blood flow “stretches the vessels in the lining of the brain.”

Migraine has several phases:

— prodrome- when a few hours or days in advance a person feels an unusual condition and symptoms by which he can predict an impending attack (he suddenly craves something sweet, or he yawns after getting enough sleep),

- "aura"- occurs about an hour before the attack: flashes in the eyes, auditory hallucinations, obsessive odors. Numbness of the hands, face, “Alice in Wonderland syndrome” (feeling of changes in body size), polynopsia (when you move your gaze, outlines of objects remain in the eyes). If the “aura” lasts more than an hour, this is a reason to exclude other neurological diagnoses.

The migraine aura is different in that this stage is dynamic - dots “creep” across the field of vision, numbness can “move” along the arms - this reflects the movement of the electrical signal in the cerebral cortex. (During an attack of epilepsy or stroke, similar phenomena occur, but they are static - since the damage is local);

- the attack itself. The frequency of migraine attacks may vary between patients. There are people who regularly suffer from multi-day attacks. There are patients with very rare and mild migraine attacks - even once every six months.

• postdrome- when, after the headache stops, a person feels overwhelmed, experiencing weakness and drowsiness for up to two days.

Migraine provocateurs
- stress,
- hunger (missed meals),
- lack or excess of sleep (changes in sleep patterns on weekends),
- the beginning of the cycle in women (plus or minus two days. In the second or third trimester of pregnancy, due to high estrogen and progesterone, attacks often weaken or disappear),
- dehydration
- some products - aged cheeses, canned food, spicy, red wine - within the framework of an individual reaction. Chocolate was previously considered a migraine provocateur; now it is considered a sign of the onset of an attack - the patient may crave sweets before the onset of an attack.
The effectiveness of alcohol for migraines has not been studied. It is believed to reduce symptoms, but does not act on the headache itself, but as an anti-anxiety agent, since anxiety-depressive disorders are common in patients with migraine.

Can't be cured, can be controlled

Unfortunately, most domestic doctors do not know how to treat migraine. As soon as you complain to the doctor about a migraine headache, they will endlessly send you for tests, recommend procedures and massages.

In fact, according to modern protocols for providing care for migraines, MRI, ultrasound of the vessels of the head and neck, encephalogram and tests for diagnosing migraines are NOT NECESSARY.

The diagnosis is made by interviewing a neurologist, who excludes secondary headaches and identifies migraine by a characteristic set of symptoms.

Migraine is today considered an incurable disease. Treatment is symptomatic. But migraines can go away spontaneously on their own.

The migraine is well controlled. An attack can be prevented by stopping it in time - at the first alarming signs, take the full dose of pain medication recommended by your doctor. If taken late, it will not be possible to completely prevent an attack.

- antiemetics - drugs that relieve nausea, which a neurologist will prescribe if your migraine attacks are accompanied by such a symptom;

- ergotamines (ergot extract) or triptans (serotann receptor stimulants), both groups of drugs are selected and prescribed by a doctor; triptans come in the form of a nasal spray, have a mild vasoconstrictor effect, and are used with caution after a heart attack or stroke).

New migraine drug on the way

Unfortunately, when treating migraines, the situation is often aggravated by headaches from medications. Taking ibuprofen or any other simple pain reliever more than 15 days a month for three months or more causes headaches. Triptans should not be taken for more than 10 days a month.

A magnetic electrical stimulator is currently being tested, the purpose of which, according to the researchers, is to reduce pain during migraine attacks.

During 2018, a blocker of the CGRP protein should appear in the West and, perhaps, the first specific preventive medicine for migraine will be obtained, blocking the very mechanism of transmission of migraine pain.

After official release in the USA and Europe, the drug must be approved by the Ministry of Health for use in Russia. The timing of the inclusion of the drug in the list of approved drugs for official use in our country is still unknown.

Meanwhile, the majority of migraine drugs currently prescribed in Russia (Mexidol) have placebo-level effectiveness.

Migraine prevention

Prescribed when migraine occurs more than five days a month or the attacks are very severe. Take medications daily for six to twelve months, as individually selected by your doctor. A patient’s individual kit for migraine prevention may include antidepressants, blood pressure lowering drugs, two of the currently available antiepileptic drugs, and Botox. This set is strictly individual and is selected for the patient by a neurologist. You can try to treat migraines without pills - eliminate provocateurs, excess weight, smoking, snoring, and accustom yourself to physical activity.

Kirill Skorobogatykh- neurologist, headache specialist.
More than 12 years of experience working with patients suffering from headaches and back pain. Completed an internship at the Jefferson Headache Center in Philadelphia, USA. Member of the International Headache Society (IHS), the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), the Russian Headache Society. Participates as an expert in international and Russian clinical studies on the problem of headache.

Infographics: Oleg Sdvizhkov

One of the most common complaints among patients when visiting a doctor is a severe headache. There is not a single person who has not encountered this symptomatology at least once in his life. There are practically no diseases that are not accompanied by unpleasant spasms, pulsating or aching in nature.

Many people are accustomed to not paying attention to migraine attacks, which can lead to unpleasant consequences, even death. Therefore, if you have a severe headache, you need to take appropriate medications; if your health does not improve, call an ambulance team.

Classification of pathological condition

Severe pain and spasms in the head can be both primary and secondary. In the first situation, symptoms occupy the main place in the disease, in the second case they are signs of another pathology.

Primary headache:

1. Cluster spasms.
2. Migraine attacks.
3. Pain, so-called tension.
4. Spasms unrelated to pathologies of brain structures.

A very strong and sharp headache is formed as a result of the impact on pain receptors. A similar process can be observed in the left and right hemispheres of the brain, depending on the provoking factors.

Secondary severe pain and throbbing in the head:

• vascular diseases;
• injuries received;
• intracranial pathologies, not of vascular origin;
• use of chemicals or refusal of them;
• inflammatory process in the body;
• improper metabolism;
• pathologies of cranial, facial structures: cervical spine, eyes, teeth, skull.

If a patient is interested in how to relieve a severe headache, they should consult a doctor who will prescribe an examination and, based on the results obtained, determine the causes of migraine attacks and recommend appropriate therapy.

Origin of the pathological condition

Before you start taking medications to eliminate a severe throbbing headache, you need to establish the causes of such an attack. This is the only way to choose an effective drug that can help get rid of unpleasant, irritating discomfort.

Primary causes of severe headaches:

1. Colds of an infectious nature: tonsillitis, flu, sinusitis, inflammation of the maxillary sinuses. Most often, attacks occur in the morning. Treatment of the underlying pathology will help get rid of spasms.
2. Migraine. The pathological condition occurs suddenly, regardless of age. Most often, pain occurs in the left or right side of the head and is accompanied by additional symptoms: nausea, vomiting, photophobia, and an incomprehensible reaction to sharp sounds.
3. Dental pathologies. Localization of spasms is the upper part of the head (frontal).
4. Organic diseases of the “gray matter”, malignant and benign neoplasms.
5. Vascular diseases: atherosclerosis, vegetative-vascular dystonia, hypertension. As well as pathologies of the spinal column: osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
6. Eye diseases: glaucoma, intraocular pressure. The patient may suddenly lose consciousness. Incorrectly chosen glasses for glasses can provoke this condition.
7. Damage to the head, spinal column. Even after intensive therapy, severe pain often occurs, the location of which varies. A person may experience migraines for a short time or throughout their life. Therefore, even with a minor injury, it is necessary to undergo an examination.
8. Stressful situations, mental, physical or mental stress. This is the most common reason why very strong spasms occur, since a person is not able to distribute the load more rationally.
9. Inadequate diet: lack of vitamin B, Fe, as well as oversaturation of the body with alcohol, histamines, caffeine. Lack of sleep, insufficient activity, oxygen starvation.
10. Temperature fluctuations, changes in climatic conditions.
11. Poisoning of the body with harmful substances, a hangover.

These are the most common reasons why a person may have throbbing pain, regardless of his age. It is not recommended to take all medications in a row; this will not only aggravate the patient’s condition, but also distort the clinical picture.

One of the causes of the pathological condition

Diagnostic method of pathology

If the patient is constantly bothered by severe headaches over a long period of time, then he should consult a doctor and determine the cause of this condition.

To determine the origin of migraine attacks, the following is prescribed:

• magnetic resonance and computed tomography;
• magnetic resonance angiography;
• pressure control;
• lab tests.

In case of headaches, it is recommended to undergo additional examination by an ophthalmologist, since with the help of equipment it is possible to detect the presence of disorders in the fundus. This will help determine the cause of migraine attacks. In some situations, consultation with other doctors of narrow specialties will be required.

When medical help is needed

A severe migraine attack should not be ignored, but it is better to call an ambulance team. The patient needs to seek medical help if the following symptoms are present:

1. The headache is very severe, despite the fact that the person has not previously complained of such a condition.
2. If, in addition to severe spasms, there is neck stiffness and fever.
3. When all family members complain of unpleasant discomfort, especially in winter, there is a danger of carbon monoxide (gas) poisoning.
4. With strong, incomprehensible spasms.
5. If the patient has already been diagnosed with migraine and treatment at home has not yielded any results.

Every acute pain in the head should not be ignored by doctors. Early diagnosis of the disease, including neoplasms localized on one side of the brain, can be completely cured, which cannot be done when the disease has already acquired an advanced form.

It is necessary to urgently call an ambulance team in the following situations:

• if the attack occurred suddenly and began to gradually intensify;
• painful pulsation appeared after a head injury;
• sharp pain with impaired visual function, weakness and numbness of the limbs;
• spasms are accompanied by fever (without cold symptoms);
• any headache of unknown origin.

With a sudden increase in pressure, the risk of developing hemorrhagic and ischemic stroke increases. Therefore, in case of poor health or unbearable spasms, it is necessary to call an ambulance and take the antihypertensive drug previously prescribed to the patient by the doctor (“Captopril” under the tongue).

Migraine pain syndrome

This pathological condition is the primary form of the disease, which proceeds independently regardless of concomitant ailments. The symptoms of migraine are typical, so diagnosing the pathology is quite simple - by the nature of the pulsating spasms.

The development of an attack can be triggered by the following factors:

1. Consumption of products with tyramine.
2. Physical overexertion.
3. Dishormonal pathologies.
4. Alcohol.
5. Oral hormonal drugs.

Migraines are always intense, with headaches assessed by patients as severe or moderate. Most often, one side of the head pulsates, sensitivity to sounds, bright light, smells increases, and nausea appears. The duration of the attack is from 4 hours to 3 days.

What to do if the patient has a migraine attack, the attending physician must tell, since simple medications for headaches in this case will not have any effect, as a result of which the patient’s condition may worsen.

Provoking factor

Brain sudden bleeding

When a blood vessel ruptures or is injured, a person does not immediately realize that the unpleasant discomfort puts him in serious danger.

Doctors include the following symptoms as complex signs of hemorrhage:

• unbearable pain in the head, gradually increasing;
• impairment of visual functions before their loss;
• change in speech;
• disorientation in space, impaired motor functions;
• sudden vomiting, nausea.

Thinking for a long time about how to get rid of unbearable discomfort is dangerous for the patient. Only urgent surgical assistance can save the health and life of a patient in such a situation.

Pressure pain syndrome

A very severe headache that appears suddenly at night or after waking up may indicate a hypertensive crisis. This condition is caused by an increase in the amount of spinal substance and is provoked by a supine position and poor venous circulation.

The main symptoms are:

1. Reduced intensity of cramps during the day.
2. Their location is on the left or right side of the head.
3. Increasing cephalalgia.
4. The pain is bursting or pressing in nature.
5. Vomiting and nausea may occur.

High blood pressure is one of the signs of brain bleeding, tumors and other diseases that require immediate examination. More informative diagnostic methods are MRI. Based only on symptoms and electroencephalography, it is difficult to establish an accurate diagnosis.

Increased blood pressure may be a sign of brain bleeding

Tumors and pain syndrome

In some patients, unbearable headache occurs due to the development of malignant neoplasms. In the early stages, as a rule, the disease practically does not make itself felt; only mild dizziness may appear, followed by disorientation and loss of coordination.

Doctors include developing symptoms of cancerous tumors:

• sudden headache after waking up, accompanied by vomiting and nausea;
• gradual increase in pathological symptoms;
• sudden loss of body weight;
• psychosomatic disorders;
• convulsions turning into epileptic seizures.

The tumor, gradually increasing in size, increases symptoms, which worsens the patient’s general well-being. It is necessary to treat such pain syndrome taking into account the form and stage of the disease.

Comprehensive complete therapy

Every person who has experienced a similar pathological condition at least once in their life knows how to relieve acute spasms. The treatment method itself can be either medicinal or conventional, based on the use of physiotherapy.

Traditional medicines

We most often relieve pulsating spasms with conventional medications designed to quickly eliminate pain.

Basic medications prescribed by your doctor:

1. Non-steroidal drugs against inflammation - Ketorolac, Ibuprofen, Russian Aspirin.
2. Antispasmodic medications eliminate tension and relieve spasms - “No-shpa”, “Papaverine”.
3. For pain accompanied by high blood pressure - Analgin.
4. For quick relief, a one-time dose of Pentalgin or Novigan is indicated.

For unbearable headaches, medications are prescribed against vasoconstriction and swelling of the “gray matter.” In order to promptly cope with the underlying disease that provokes the development of the pathological condition, you need to tell your doctor about your feelings and symptoms.

Necessary medications

Alternative therapy technique

You can get rid of a painful condition not only with the help of medications, but also with other treatment methods.

An alternative technique includes:

• local and general massage. During the procedure, certain points are affected, which helps improve blood circulation and relax muscle mass;
• balneological treatment - therapy using water at the desired temperature. This includes water gymnastics;
• acupuncture - insertion of needles intended for this procedure into vital points.

In case of sudden migraine attacks, to quickly eliminate them, medications are taken to relieve painful spasms. Alternative treatment is used for long-term therapy and prevention of subsequent pathological conditions.

A severe headache occurs suddenly and can be long-lasting or short-term. Depending on its intensity, certain medications are taken to alleviate the pathological condition. In case of systematically recurring attacks, you should undergo a comprehensive examination.

Cephalgia is a chronic headache syndrome that is common, especially among residents of megacities. Constant noise, conflict situations in the workplace, family difficulties and many other factors cause severe headaches. This problem prevents a person from living a full life.

Sleep patterns are disrupted, and there is no desire or strength to engage in your favorite hobby or sport. In addition, pain in the head can negatively affect a person’s visual apparatus and memory. Over time, when becoming chronic, headaches provoke health difficulties, malaise and weakness appear in a certain part of the body.

In order to prevent the further development of the disease and promptly stop the consequences of migraines, it is necessary to establish why the headache constantly hurts, and also undergo appropriate treatment and prevention.

Possible reasons

There are many reasons why you may have a constant headache. Not all are associated with specific deviations in a person’s well-being. Migraines can be caused by internal and external factors. Internal factors relate to problems with human health, the presence of congenital pathologies, etc. External factors are the causes leading to migraines. These could be conflict situations, stress, depression, etc.

Let's look at the reasons why you constantly have a headache:

• Blood pressure surges. Head pain increases with hypertension.
• In weather-sensitive people, migraines may occur during weather changes.
• Stretching of blood arteries.
• Osteochondrosis in a developed form.
• Psycho-emotional factors (depression, stress, disorder).
• Giant cell arteritis.
• Pathological abnormalities in metabolism.
• Congenital pathologies of the facial structure.
• Kidney diseases.

Head pain can appear even with a common cold, as a side effect. If migraines occur sporadically, in an uncontrolled manner and no more than once every two weeks, there is no reason to worry. If you constantly have a headache, and the pain becomes a pattern, and also appears more than once a week, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Why don't pills help anymore?

Every person has encountered a situation where painkillers do not help with a headache. Why is this happening?

Standard painkillers relax the blood vessels in the head, which leads to the elimination of pain. Medicines that stabilize blood pressure act in a similar way. But, with prolonged use of the same drug, the human body develops immunity, and it is necessary to buy stronger drugs.

If stress is the cause of the pain, then the problem is not in the arteries or blood vessels, but in the central nervous system. Painkillers cannot affect the central nervous system, so the discomfort remains the same.

Depending on the cause of the pain, headache pills may or may not help. It is necessary to determine what is causing the migraine and only then take the appropriate medicine. Long-term use of painkillers will only harm a person.

How to behave

If headaches become chronic, you need to know the standard algorithm of actions to muffle the discomfort.

You can eliminate this unpleasant condition in the following ways:

• Go to bed is the best solution to this problem. Sleep helps with mild to moderate pain. Unfortunately, if you constantly have a headache and there is throbbing, sleep will not help.
• Mute all devices, turn off the TV or laptop, put down the phone. Tension of the sensory systems often becomes a provoking factor, as a result of which acute pain in the head increases.
• Provoke vomiting. Provided that a person has high blood pressure or food poisoning, gagging can help get rid of the discomfort at least partially.
• Drink sweet hot tea. When glucose enters the body, the central nervous system calms down and the person can fall asleep peacefully. It is recommended to drink chamomile tea as it has strong sedative properties.

It is recommended to keep strong painkillers in your home medicine cabinet, but if you have mild headaches, you should not take them. It is enough to drink 2 tablets of analgin to dull the pain. To eliminate spasms and alleviate the current condition, you can apply cold compresses to the forehead. Wet a cloth with cold water, lie down and place it on your forehead.

Every day I have a headache: diagnosis and first aid

Headaches vary not only in the cause of their occurrence, but also in the nature of impulsivity, as well as accompanying symptoms.

Throbbing pain. Over time, the pressure in the temples increases, pulsation is accompanied by high blood pressure. Due to massive bleeding in the brain, nosebleeds may begin. If you have a headache every day, it may be the throbbing type.

• Muscle tension. Increasing sensations, it feels as if the head is “in a vice.” It occurs in people whose line of work requires them to spend a lot of time near a computer screen.
• Liquorodynamic. This type is a side effect of hypertension or hypotension. Unpleasant sensations arise not only in the head, but also in different parts of the body.
• Neuralgic. Occurs as a result of strong moral overload. In advanced forms, painkillers and sedatives have no effect. The pain is localized throughout the head.

It is possible to establish the type of headache, as well as select the appropriate treatment regimen, only after undergoing diagnostic measures.

Diagnostics

Diagnostic measures carried out in the hospital consist of interviewing the patient and instrumental examination. Laboratory tests will not help determine why you have a headache every day.

When visiting a therapist, an oral survey follows, during which the treating specialist tries to determine the frequency of unpleasant sensations, the type of pain and other important nuances. At the end of the survey, the patient is referred to a specialist, usually a neurologist, neurologist or otolaryngologist.

Instrumental and hardware diagnostics consists of the following mandatory activities:

• EEG. A procedure to determine whether the brain is functioning properly. If any abnormalities are noticed, the patient is left for treatment in the hospital.
• X-ray. Required to determine whether head spasms were caused by injury, hydrocephalus, or other factors.
• MRI. It is performed to determine whether the patient has or does not have a tumor or malignancy.
• Ultrasound. Using ultrasound diagnostics, the doctor determines whether the patient has a problem with the vascular system.

All procedures must be carried out without fail. Additional activities are prescribed by the specialist at his discretion.

First aid

Some attacks come on so suddenly that the person is at a disadvantage and cannot help himself.

To avoid unpleasant consequences, you should know how to provide first aid for a headache:

• The patient should take a lying position. Place a flat pillow under your head.
• Afterwards you should take painkillers, preferably of medium strength. Do not use potent drugs unless absolutely necessary.
• Measure your blood pressure. If the readings are elevated, give the patient a blood pressure lowering agent.
• If the spasms continue to worsen, the victim should induce artificial vomiting.
• Apply cold compresses to your forehead, maybe a little ice.
• Open the windows, balcony and doors. There should be fresh air circulation in the room.

If all of the above methods do not work and the condition continues to worsen, you should call an ambulance. The person must remain conscious. It is necessary to create a comfortable atmosphere and eliminate all extraneous noise.

Constant headaches and possible consequences

Whether treatment is required or not - this issue is decided by the attending physician. As a rule, this issue is guided by a neurologist. Therapy is prescribed if persistent headaches become more frequent and become chronic.

There are several methods of therapy:

1. Drug therapy. The patient is prescribed anti-inflammatory drugs. As a rule, medications combine antispasmodics and painkillers. Medicines are selected individually, depending on the provoking cause and nature of the spasm.
2. Massage treatments. The method is suitable for patients whose problem is osteochondrosis or spinal column disorders. Massage acts as an adjuvant therapy.
3. Exercise therapy. Some exercises from the complex of physical therapy help eliminate spasms in the head, provided that they are caused by injury or overexertion.

All other methods are less common and are used when traditional medicine is powerless.

How does an attack occur and what is best to do?

An attack of headaches begins suddenly, after the provoking cause has outgrown the critical point.

Depending on the nature of the pain, the following actions should be taken:

• If the sensations are pulsating, you should turn off all electronic devices and lie in silence. If possible, go to sleep.
• Take painkillers. No-shpa, Analgin or Ketanov will do.
• Ventilate the room; if the pulsation is weak, go outside.
• Massage your temples. Use two index fingers to make circular movements in the temple area.

You need to try to protect yourself from extraneous noise as much as possible. If this succeeds, the vessels in the head will come to a relaxed state, which will significantly alleviate the person’s condition.

Folk remedies

Traditional medicine has repeatedly helped people out in situations where constant headaches brought a person to a hospital room. There are several proven folk ways to eliminate migraines.

• Mint cha y. It is enough to add a few mint leaves to any tea, for any pain. The product eliminates spasms and has a calming effect on the central nervous system.
• Lemon peel. You need to take two fresh lemons, peel them and put them on your temples. Next, wrap your head with something warm. The product will help you get rid of acute and throbbing pain.
• Drops based on propolis and vodka are suitable for a therapeutic course.. You need two tablespoons of crushed propolis and 300 ml of vodka. Mix and let sit for a day. Take a tablespoon an hour before bedtime or for severe headaches.

Many traditional medicine remedies help eliminate migraines, even when the situation seems hopeless and there is a need to call an ambulance.

Possible consequences

If the headache problem has become chronic, the situation may result in uncontrollable consequences, such as:

• Deterioration of sensory senses.
• Memory problems.
• CNS disorders.
• Psycho-emotional disorders.
• Destruction of the vestibular apparatus.

These are not all the consequences that arise as a result of chronic pain in the head. To prevent their development, you should visit a medical facility in a timely manner.

Prevention

As a preventive measure, all stressful situations, especially those related to work, should be eliminated. If your job is causing you problems, you should take a vacation and get yourself in order.

Take daily walks in the fresh air, stick to a daily routine, maintain an eight-hour sleep schedule, and stabilize your diet. In this case, health problems will not arise.

Anna Mironova

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“Headache” - we hear and pronounce these words so often that we have become accustomed to them, perceiving a headache as something annoying, but temporary and insignificant. “I guess I’ll take some pill” - this became the treatment for headaches. However, a headache is often a symptom of any serious diseases and problems in the body, some of which are life-threatening.

How to distinguish the nature of a headache and notice the disease in time?

The main causes of headaches - what can trigger them?

Headache can have different localization, character and intensity:

1. Headache of vascular origin – the cause is compression, narrowing of the lumen of the blood vessels of the head, as well as their expansion.

Various factors can provoke this:

• Thrombi or emboli closing the lumen of small or large vessels.
• Atherosclerosis of blood vessels of the brain.
• Edema, swelling of the brain and membranes, blood vessels.

1. Headache due to muscle tension - occurs with prolonged uncomfortable position of the head, heavy loads and physical stress, after sleeping in an uncomfortable position, due to an incorrectly selected bed - mattress and pillow.
2. Headache of liquorodynamic mechanism of origin – occurs when certain areas of the brain are compressed.

Causes:

• Pathological increase or decrease in intracranial pressure.
• Compression of the brain by a hematoma, cyst, tumor.

1. Neuralgic headaches – occur when nerve fibers are damaged or when they are exposed to some pathological process.

Causes:

• Various neuralgia (most often - the trigeminal nerve, occipital nerves).
• Damage to the vestibular nerve.

1. Headache of psychogenic origin – usually develops against the background of mental disorders and apathy.

Causes of psychalgia:

• Stress.
• Depression.
• Prolonged emotional experiences.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Parkinson's disease.

There are more than 200 factors that provoke headaches. If cephalalgia occurs against the background of complete health, then This most often occurs after:

• Alcohol intake (vasodilation, intoxication).
• Prolonged exposure to the sun, heat, sauna (overheating, sunstroke or heatstroke, sudden dilation of blood vessels, loss of fluid through sweat).
• Consumption of products containing caffeine.
• High humidity.
• Sleep disturbances, after lack of sleep or a shift in the usual schedule.
• Wearing contact lenses or incorrectly fitted glasses.
• Intense mental activity.
• Stressful situations, fear, strong excitement, worries.
• Injuries, bruises, head concussions.
• Excessive or uneven sports loads.
• Visits to the dentist and dental treatment.
• Massage sessions.
• Smoking.
• ARVI, other infectious, colds or inflammatory diseases.
• Hypothermia, contrast shower.
• Started a diet, fasting.
• Intake of certain foods - chocolate, smoked meats and marinades, nuts, hard cheeses, etc.
• Sex.
• Taking any medications or inhaling toxic fumes.

Headache diagnostic program - how to independently determine why your head hurts?

The headache itself does not require diagnosis. But it is always necessary to find out what causes this pathological condition. The doctor may prescribe an examination program, depending on the patient’s condition, age, nature and location of pain.

Diagnostic program for headaches

1. Laboratory diagnostic procedures , including a general blood test and a general urinalysis. Sometimes a study of cerebrospinal fluid is required, which is collected through a puncture.
2. X-ray the head in the required projections, the spine.
3. Magnetic resonance imaging head and spine.
4. CT scan head and spine (including positron emission CT).
5. Angiography cerebral vessels.
6. Ultrasound.
7. EEG, RheoEG, myography.

It's helpful to have a chart on hand that can help you guess the root cause of your headaches.

But don’t try to diagnose yourself, much less self-medicate. Contact a specialist!

Table of primary diagnosis of headaches

If you often have headaches, keep a diary, in which note the time, nature of the headache and after what it began.

How to relieve a headache with home remedies and when should you see a doctor?

First of all, you should know about the dangerous diseases and conditions that accompany headaches.

Headache, increased blood pressure, irritability, sleep disturbances, and dizziness often indicate cerebrovascular accidents. It is unacceptable to tolerate such symptoms - they can result in a stroke. Moreover, in recent years, stroke has become significantly younger and is increasingly affecting people who every day face excessive workload and a high degree of responsibility: managers, business owners, fathers of large families. When symptoms of cerebrovascular accidents appear, doctors often recommend taking combination medications to improve vascular function, for example, Vasobral. Its active components stimulate metabolic processes in the brain, improve the condition of blood vessels, eliminate the effects of oxygen starvation of brain tissue associated with deterioration of blood supply, and have a stimulating effect, which reduces the risk of stroke.

You should be wary and consult a doctor immediately if:

• The headache appeared for the first time, suddenly.
• The headache is simply unbearable, accompanied by loss of consciousness, breathing problems, rapid heartbeat, facial flushing, nausea and vomiting, and urinary incontinence.
• With headaches, visual disturbances, muscle weakness, speech and consciousness disturbances are observed.
• Due to a severe headache, a person partially or completely loses the ability to move.
• Headache is accompanied by other symptoms - rash, high temperature, fever, delirium.
• Severe headache in a pregnant woman, with epi-status and sharply increased blood pressure.
• I have a headache for a long time.
• The headache intensifies when moving, changing body position, physical work, or going out into bright light.
• Each headache attack is more intense than the previous one.

How to relieve headaches with home remedies?

If you are sure that your headache is caused by overwork or, for example, stress, then you can get rid of it in the following ways:

1. Head massage fingers, a special massager or a wooden comb improves blood circulation, relieves vascular spasm and soothes. Massage your head with light movements from the temples, forehead and neck to the crown.
2. Cold and hot compresses. Soak two cloths, one in hot water and one in ice water. Place a cold compress on your forehead and temples, and press a hot compress to the back of your head.
3. Potato compress. Cut the potato tuber into 0.5 cm thick circles. Place the mugs on your forehead and temples, cover with a towel and tie. Once the potatoes get warm, replace them with new ones.
4. Warm shower– neither hot nor cold! Stand in the shower so that the water hits your head. Can be combined with a head massage with a comb.
5. Chokeberry tea. Particularly useful for hypertensive headaches.
6. Compress on temples. Rub your temples and forehead with a lemon peel or a slice of cucumber. Then apply pieces of lemon peels or cucumber slices to your temples and secure on top with a scarf.

The website warns: the information is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Do not self-medicate under any circumstances! If you have any health problems, consult your doctor!