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There is another type of headache called migraine headache. This type of headache usually starts from the teenage years , and the causes can be traced to the use of alcohol, caffeine or other drugs, neurotransmitters which is changes in the chemical level of the body, coughing, sneezing, dehydration, dental problems like pains, in the grinding of the teeth or from the canal root, eating and drinking cold food and drinks, emotional stress, exposure to smokes or fumes, eyestrain, fever, high altitude, lower oxygen levels, high blood pressure which leads to hypertension,.

Medicines can cause headaches as well, and many medicines are in this category.

Though not common, headache may be a sign of a serious illness. When this is the case, the person may notice symptoms like vomiting, dizziness or changes in the vision. Headaches can equally be caused by injuries or illnesses like:

*A head injury.

* Injury to the brain,

* Injury of the skull,

* Bleeding in or around the brain,

* Brain tumor, this leads to swelling within the brain.

* Encephalitis which is an infection of the brain or the membranes surrounding the and the Spinal cord.

* Stroke, which is a problem that occurs when the arteries that supplies blood to the brain blocks or bursts or is blocked by a blood clot.

* A rupture of the blood vessels with bleeding in or around the brain.

HEADACHES AND OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS:

There are other negative health conditions that can contribute to headache, and some of them are listed below.

* FIBROMYALGIA: This is a condition that is responsible for widespread muscle and soft tissue pains and tenderness.

* GLAUCOMA: This is an eye disease that damages the nerves and back of the eye.

* HYPERTENSION: This is an offshoot high blood pressure.

* HYPAGLYCEMIA: This is also known as high blood sugar and its twin brother is called HYPOGLYCEMIA which is low blood sugar.

* ARTHRITIS: This is the appearance of lupus, giant cell arthritis and other inflammatory problems.

* Waste build up in the blood as a result of kidney problems.

* Hypocalcemia ie low calcium level in the blood or over activity of the gland that helps control the release of calcium into the blood (hyperparathyroidism)

* LYME DISEASE: This is an infection caused by bacteria which spreads by some kinds of ticks.

* Anxiety, depression and other mental health problems.

* Preeclampsia, severe high blood pressure that occurs during pregnancy.

* Hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism.

Review the emergencies and check your symptoms sections to determine if and when you need to consult your doctor. Indeed, headache can be a serious problem if it is left unattended to.

Headache is a general problem of people around the world. The attack can occur in every age, every opportunity and both sex. To diagnose and treatment of headache, the physicians have to know the cause and characteristic of each type headache.

Migraine and cluster headache are the severe head pain. The basic physiology of migraine and cluster headache involve with the dysfunction of trigemino vascular system cause vasodilation (enlargement of blood vessel) and neurologic inflammation. But migraine is afflicted more than cluster headache. However many patients can suffer from mixed both type.

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In 1979, the highly respected Lancet Journal published an article identifying caffeine as a suspected migraine trigger. Various theories about caffeine and other substances in products that contain caffeine have since been explored.

As is frequently the case with food intolerances, one person will not react to a specific food, whilst another can suffer a severe reaction to the same food. Consider the shellfish – a killer for some, a healthful food for someone else.

Reports of the effect of caffeine on migraines are contradictory; some people believe it to be a trigger, but it remains a major ingredient in many headache medications. Many studies have been carried out, focusing on the efficacy of caffeine when used to relieve migraines; as a natural vaso-constrictor, it would seem that caffeine might help rather than intensify migraine pain. Several studies have shown that when caffeine is included as an ingredient in migraine medications, relief is faster and more complete(1).

However, there is some evidence to suggest the link between caffeine and migraines hinges on a borderline addiction. Weekend headache or Sunday migraine often occurs when the usual daily routine is disrupted – or in other words, when a person sleeps in and misses their 6am, 7am and 8am cups of coffee. The body goes into withdrawal mode, resulting in a migraine. The headache clears after the caffeine ingestion.

In a study on the subject at the Princess Margaret Migraine Clinic, London in 1992, a set of migraine sufferers was chosen that showed a marked tendency towards high caffeine use during the week. Among the 151 patients, 33 were identified as having weekend migraine. Of these, everyone reported sleeping in late on weekends; with a subsequent average consumption of 734 mg. per day of caffeine.

In contrast, of the remaining 118 patients only 43% slept late on weekends, and of these the average caffeine was only 362 mg/day(2). This lends credence to the idea that it is the withdrawal from dependency that is the trigger rather than the coffee or tea being the cause.

Soda seems a slightly different story – a study done on adolescents who drank a liter of cola a day and suffered from daily migraines showed a marked improvement across the board when cola was cut from the diet. This led to the recommendation that children with daily recurring headache be researched as to caffeine intake(3).

The scientific studies are fascinating and useful, but however much we enjoy it, caffeine is a substance we can live without. The simple way to discover if it’s a problem for you is just cut it out for a few weeks. If you suffer enough with your migraines, you might find the exclusion brings relief. However, be aware that there will be a tendency to suffer an initial increase in headaches, due to the possible “withdrawal syndrome” as discussed above. Consult your GP or health professional if you are concerned.

For coffee, tea and cola drinkers, instead of complete elimination, a gradual lessening of daily caffeine consumption may be the best way to remove the possibility of the excess or lack of it triggering a migraine. Speaking personally, I was a heavy consumer of coffee and suffered badly with migraines. I rarely get a migraine now and enjoy one cup of coffee per day, having found this an acceptable level which doesn’t cause any me problems.

(1) Stephen J. Peroutka; James A. Lyon; James Swarbrick; Richard B. Lipton; Ken Kolodner; Jerome Goldstein Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, Volume 44, Number 2, February 2004 , pp. 136-141(6)

(2) EGM Couturier, R Hering, and TJ Steiner, Weekend Attacks in Migraine Patients: Caused by Caffeine Withdrawal? Cephalalgia 12(2):99-100 (Apr 1992)

(3) Hering-Hanit R, Gadoth N. Caffeine-induced headache in children and adolescents. Cephalalgia 2003;23:332-335.