A headache is a very common symptom of a variety of conditions. So how can you tell what sort of headache you have got and what you should do to relieve it?

Everyone experiences headaches at some time or other and all home medicines chests contain mild painkillers. Simple factors such as excessive noise in a discotheque for instance, a chronic cough and lack of sleep or tension can cause a headache in an otherwise healthy person. Certain foods and beverages can trigger migraines as well.

However a headache is also an extremely common symptom of more serious conditions such as nose, throat and ear infections, high blood pressure and damage blood vessels or brain tumour. If you have a headache that persists, recurs or is particularly severe, or a headache accompanied by other symptoms, you should go to your doctor, as it may need treatment.

The exact site and nature of the pain helps to trace the cause and it is important to tell the doctor as much as possible about when and how the headache started. The brain itself cannot feel pain but the tiny nerve endings within the arteries and veins that supply the brain are very sensitive to change of pressure.

All sorts of conditions such as tension and fatigue can affect the pressure and result in a headache, but why exactly it happens is not known. The sensation of pain is also transmitted to the brain by substances called prostaglandins from nerve endings in the skin, the eyes, ears and nose. The most common headaches are ones that develop with a mild virus infection like a cold or with tension from intense concentration or worry.

Migraine is an intense type of headache usually caused by the blood vessels on the one side of the brain first contracting and then dilating. Some people seem to be more susceptible than others and all sorts of things can trigger an attack. The headache is usually preceded by a feeling of sickness and there may be blurring of vision or the sensation of flashing lights in front of the eyes.

Sinuses and teeth inflammation will cause headaches as well as producing tenderness at the site of the trouble. Faulty eyesight a common cause of headaches, will occur in the region of the brow especially after close-up work such as sewing. They may be accompanied by a feeling of grittiness in the eye.

Poisons will cause a headache with a high temperature due to the toxic products made by viruses. Alcohol and tobacco if taken in excess may result in a headache as can foul air from lack of ventilation, lead poisoning, carbon monoxide poisoning and petrol fumes. Stomach upsets can lead to a mild head pain High blood pressure in arteries supplying the brain – frequently caused by stress – stretches the tissues and may result in a recurrent throbbing headache. Neuralgia, a pain actually caused in nerves supplying the head or face, can cause an acute headache set off by the touch of a brush or comb.

More serious causes include brain tumours usually accompanied by other symptoms such as vomiting. Meningitis, an inflammation of the meninges, the tissue layers covering the brain and spinal cord and separating them from the bony casing. The patient develops a severe headache, a stiff neck and dislike of light. Treatment is usually by means of drugs for bacterial infections and rest.

As the symptoms of headache have so many causes the information given by a patient is very important and may give the diagnosis before examination and tests confirm. Remember when the headache started and if there were warnings also note the frequency of the attacks and how long they last.

Headaches are very common and most of the times they resolve with simple analgesics and anti-inflammatories but if the headache persists it is advisable to be evaluated by a medical professional.