Headache is an every common problem that all of us must have encountered in our life.
Most headaches are not dangerous, but it can be life or sight threatening.
It is always better to take note of any other associated symptoms, so that it aids in the correct diagnosis of the cause of headache.
Warning symptoms of a serious disorder
- Scalp tenderness, weight loss, pain with chewing, muscle pains, and age above 55 years.
- Altered behavior
- Stiff neck
- Decreased vision
- Double vision, facial muscle / limb weakness, decreased sensation
- Headache in same location
- Severe headache than usual
- Nausea, vomiting
Causes
There are numerous disorders causing headache. Some of the common causes are
- Sinus/ear problem
- Eye problem
- Hypertension
- Cervical spine disease
- Dental disease
- Migraine
- Tension headache
- Cluster headache
- Depression / psychogenic
- Some drugs taken for other systemic diseases
- Giant cell arteritis
- Neurological diseases e.g. Tumors, vascular anomalies, hemorrhage
- Infections of brain and /or its covering tissue.
In eyes
Refractive errors, convergence insufficiency, accommodative spasm, inflammation of ocular tissue etc. can cause headache.
Headache management involves a thorough checkup by eye specialist, neurologist, ear nose and throat specialist, internist and by family doctor, according to the individual case.
A simple routine eye examination by an ophthalmologist, usually can pinpoint to the cause of headache, as the eye in addition to eye diseases is the window through which the signs of hypertension and many neurological diseases manifest.
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