Medicine and Health related Information

TENSION HEADACHE-

The headache caused because of the contraction of the muscles of the neck is called tension headache. More than 70% of headaches are of these kind. One can identify the painful areas on the muscles of our neck by running our fingers on any one side of the neck.

Prolonged psychological tension, sitting in poor posture or in the same posture for a longer period of time often produce a spasm of muscles in the back of the neck and this muscle spasm produced draws the tissues over the surface of the cranium very tight, so that the pain is felt not even on the back of the neck but also but also over the top and front of the head. This pain is a steady and aching kind of pain usually with no nausea, vomiting or flashing lights. To avoid such kind of tension headaches one should try to avoid emotional stress and disturbance, and do neck stretching and rolling exercises whenever you happen to stand or sit in same posture for a longer time. Further contraction of the eye muscles, scalp muscles and facial muscles for a longer time can also produce tension headache.

ALCOHOLIC HEADACHE-

Large quantities of alcohol intake causes hangover leading to severe headache. Alcohol is toxic and the toxicity of alcohol directly irritates the meninges or coverings of the brain, thus causing pain the head. Alcohol intake also leads to dilation of the arteries of the brain and this inturn produces a pain like migraine. Naturally the best treatment of this type of headache is to avoid excessive use of alcohol. Further the patient is advised to take bed rest till the crisis is over.