Is It Concerning To Have Headaches Every Day?

Most people get headaches occasionally, and milder, easily treated (that is, headaches that go away with over the counter medicine) are not a cause for concern. But headaches as a regular, everyday occurrence, especially more severe ones, is not considered normal. Frequent and painful headaches can point to more serious underlying medical issues like hypertension.

There are three broad types of recognised headaches:

- Tension: The most common type of headache. Tension headaches usually occur as a mild pain in the head, sometimes accompanied by sensitivity to light and nausea. Most people don’t seek treatment for tension headaches, and they usually go away through the use of over the counter medicines like ibuprofen.

-  Migraine: The most severe type of headache, migraines are accompanied by extreme, often debilitating pain. Frequently set off by triggers (like change in weather, lack of sleep, and diet), migraines are frequently misdiagnosed. If you have any doubt as to whether or not you’re having a migraine, you’re probably not; you KNOW when a migraine hits, as it’s exceedingly painful.

-  Cluster: A type of headache that occurs in “clusters,” that is, 1-8 times a day over the period of weeks or even months. Cluster headaches can be severe, though they are usually less so than migraines, and always occur on the same part of the head.

Preventing Headaches
The prevention of headaches usually requires the avoidance of certain triggers. In addition to those listed above, caffeine withdrawal, changes in diet, poor posture, and old-fashioned stress can act as triggers to headaches. It is important to identify your most common triggers and to do your best to avoid them. Regular exercise (that is, the same intensity at the same time each day) also helps prevent headaches.

Treating Headaches
Most headaches will respond to over the counter medicines, like aspirin or ibuprofen. Nasal sprays, often in the triptan class of medicines (sumatriptan, zolmitriptan, and rizatriptan) are often very effective, particularly with migraines if caught early. Nasal sprays are usually available by prescription only. Exercise can treat headaches, though it’s understandable if you don’t feel like going for a jog when you’re suffering from more severe headaches. Meditation has been explored as a treatment for headaches, though its effects are less certain, and it’s also difficult to relax when suffering from a headache.