Headache (cephalgia) is a common symptom that significantly worsens the quality of life, reduces performance, prevents proper sleep and rest. Headache is characteristic of many diseases – from the common cold to serious inflammatory and infectious pathologies, so it is important not just to remove the discomfort, but to find the cause of its occurrence. Only this approach will help to choose an effective treatment and prevent unwanted consequences.
Symptoms and Signs
Depending on the phenotype, headaches are divided into several types:
1. Tension pains. It is the most frequently observed and has a banding and pressing character. Caused by trauma to the head and neck muscles, severe stress. Can last from a few hours to a week.
2. Migraine. Severe, pulsating, mostly one-sided. Significantly reduces performance or forces a complete lifestyle change. It occurs more often in women.
3. Tension headache. The intensity varies from mild to moderate. At first, it occurs in the occiput, forehead, then it can spread to the entire head. As a rule, it is not accompanied by a worsening of the general condition.
4. Cluster pains. Intense, unilateral, localized in the temple and eye socket. They are diagnosed in 1% of patients, and this type of headache is more common in men. A characteristic feature is that they occur at the same time at the same intervals (for example, in the evening once a week or once a month).
Headaches can also be accompanied by other symptoms:
• impairment of speech, coordination of movements;
• nausea, vomiting;
• insomnia;
• depression;
• personality changes;
• seizures;
• rapid weight loss;
• photophobia, increased sensitivity to sounds.
