Headaches can feel like a never-ending throb or other pain somewhere in the head – and this prevents you from focusing and carrying out your usual activities. So, what can you do when this pain is persistent? What can you do when a headache won’t go away?
Headache disorders are one of the most common conditions that a person can experience. The Global Burden of Disease recently launched a study on headaches and concluded that it is the most prevalent condition worldwide. An estimated 52% of headaches were found in the vast majority of high-income countries alone.
Headaches can be experienced with pain in your face or head. Its symptoms include a constant painful throbbing or other type of pain that often leaves people unable to concentrate on their activities. But this symptom doesn’t apply to every headache because there are about 150 types of headaches with varying degrees of pain, associated symptoms, and length.
Common Causes Of A Headache.
There isn’t one right answer on what causes a headache. However, what is known is that there is a mechanism that activates these pain signals in the trigeminal system due to various triggers, such as photosensitivity, food, dietary triggers, and other underlying diseases. Headaches could also be connected to the changing of seasons. It has long been suspected that changing influences on the hypothalamus can cause headaches. So, when sleep patterns or light exposure changes, this affects biological rhythms and can influence the hypothalamus in cluster headache and possibly other headache disorders such as migraine too.
What Can You Do If A Headache Persist?
See a Doctor
If you are having a persistent headache, then this should be your first step. The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke explains that while not all headaches require a physician or a nurse practitioner’s help, there are headaches that might signal serious disorders that would need medical care. Therefore, any form of headache should be evaluated by your doctor. Persistent, severe, chronic, and/or sudden headaches that are accompanied by other symptoms like shortness of breath, neck pains, chest pain, fever, vomiting, or other neurological symptoms (visual changes, dizziness, numbness, weakness, changes in speech, or confusion) warrant immediate calls to a doctor and/or calling 911 for an ambulance to transport to the local emergency department for evaluation.
Severe headaches might signal an underlying disease. Some headaches could mean that blood flow in the brain has stopped and there is a risk of a stroke. Headaches could also signal bleeding in the brain or around the brain. It might also mean that there is an infection or swelling in the brain. These are emergent situations and require emergent evaluations.
Take Prescription Medicine
Cleveland Clinic explains that headache medicines can give people relief from the pain that headaches can cause. There are over-the-counter pain medicines you can take, but it is best to get medicine that is prescribed to you by your doctor. In taking medicine, you should be cautious and consult your healthcare provider on what is best to take for your condition. In general, for headache disorders you should have an abortive (as needed) treatment option for when attacks happen, and a preventive treatment option if the headaches occur frequently or are severe and disruptive to normal functioning. Abortive options includea gepant, ditan, triptan, DHE, or neuromodulation device. Preventive treatments include a daily pill, a monthly/quarterly CGRP monoclonal antibody (Aimovig, Ajovy, Emgality, Vyepti) treatment, a gepant, Botox, neuromodulation device, herbal and natural supplements and vitamins, yoga and meditation, and acupuncture and acupressure.
There is no need to spend another day suffering from that nasty headache. Book an appointment today. We welcome the opportunity to help you control your headaches and help you feel like your old self again.