Posts Tagged ‘headaches’

Are there Sexual Headaches?

February 8th, 2010

Although orgasm is usually a pleasurable and positive activity for most people, it can become painful for those who find that it starts coital headaches. For these people, sexual activity can actually cause these coital headache attacks.

Technically, a headache, or cephalalgia, is a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and sometimes the neck too. They can be classified into two main categories: primary or idiopathic, and symptomatic, although there are other ways of classifying them too; for example by severity.

Basically, primary headaches have a known or unknown cause, whereas symptomatic headaches are frequently caused by a previous trauma. Primary headaches include amongst others: migraine, tension headaches, cluster headaches and coital headaches.

Coital headaches, also named coital cephalalgia or sexual headaches, is a rare, but painful form of headache that begins in the nape of the neck during sexual intercourse, but before climax. It can happen in all conditions where climax is the expected result. The pain can move to behind the eyes and can then be even worse. Typically the pain will last from a few minutes to an hour or so, but some cases have been known to last for days in extreme cases.

Men are three times more prone to coital headaches than women and the age groups most at risk are those between 20 and 25 and 30 and 44. Nobody really understands why this should be. Coital headaches afflict about one percent of the population, although this number could be a lot higher because of people being embarrassed to talk about it.

Coital headaches are benign, meaning that they have no long-term ill effects, as far as doctors know. It seems that people taking sexual stimulants, like Viagara, are about 10% more at risk to a bout of coital headache. In fact, besides the obvious, temporary pain, the worst effects of coital headaches are differing levels of dizziness, confusion and stiffness of neck.

However, it is still worth going to a doctor though, especially in the beginning, just to rule out the more serious causes of headaches, such as brain tumours and blood clots. However, the doctor can do rather little to help by way of cure. He may suggest a complete abstention from any form of sexual practice for a period ranging from days to weeks or he may suggest trying taking medication some time before sexual foreplay begins.

Some of the headache medications that can be used are indomethacin, imitrex, zomig and propranolol, although if the headaches persist, your doctor may suggest daily preventive medication. People suffering from frequent coital headaches may obtain a positive response to migraine preventive medications, such as beta blockers or verapamil. Non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as ibuprofen may similarly be helpful. Coital headaches and migraines are also more likely to occur if a person is in poor physical health.

Nevertheless, the treatment for coital headaches for many people can be as simple as adjusting your weight up or down to the normal weight for your size. Coital headaches can also be cured in some sufferers by an increased level of exercise, although this could trigger exertion headaches in some people.

Now the good news is that most headaches related to sexual activities are not at all serious in nature. In fact, research actually states that orgasm can relieve headaches and even migraine in some instances. This means that for some adults, refusing sex may actually be the cause of their headache in the first place.

If you have a problem with migraine or headaches, you ought to definitely go to our website at Stopping Headaches. This and other unique content ” articles are available with free reprint rights.

The Different Types Of Headaches

January 4th, 2010

There are a fair number of well-known sort of headache. These include, but are not limited to: cluster headaches, migraine headaches, tension headaches, chronic daily headaches, blood pressure headaches, chronic cluster headaches and sinus headaches.

A migraine headache is a very severe, debilitating headache. This type of headache has a deep impact upon the daily lives of its sufferers. The pain can be a pulsating sensation or sometimes a throbbing kind of head pain. This throbbing pain can vary from moderate to severe. The symptoms of migraine headaches include nausea with high audio-visual sensitivity. The migraine type of headache often comes with a precursory warning sensation called an aura.

This aura can come in the form of changes in visual perception. You may see bright flashes, zig-zags and sometimes you may even lose part of your vision. You may even experience numbness or tingling in your arms. These warning symptoms will fade a while before the migraine attack begins. A migraine headache can last for about 3 days without any medication, before it subsides.

The sorts of tension headache cause a dull, constant pain in the forehead, the sides or back of the head. Some people compare a tension headache to a tight band wrapped around the head and it is thought to be one of the most common sorts of headache. A tension headache does not create symptoms such as light sensitivity, loss of sight, nausea and vomiting.

Tension headaches occur in episodic or chronic sorts. Generally, most sufferers of this sort of tension headache, experience chronic headaches. It is thought that about 40% of the population suffers from tension headaches. Chronic daily headaches are another of these kinds of headache.

Most chronic daily headaches are tension headaches or headaches that are caused by too much pain medication. With these sorts of headache, the pain is of a constant, dull nature – there can also be a feeling of tightness like a rubber band around the head. A chronic daily headache is diagnosed by its duration: the pain must last for at least 15 days per month during a three month period of time.

Another type of headache is the Cluster headaches. This is a rare but very painful type of headache. The name of the headache arises from the fact that the headache pain happens in clusters. Frequently, periods of Cluster headaches may last weeks or months. This time period is followed by long periods of no headaches.

Cluster headaches are usually to be found on one side of the head only. Usually the sharp, penetrating pain begins behind one eye. Cluster headaches cause red, teary eyes, a stuffy nose and sometimes symptoms like nausea and sensitivity to light may be present too.

These are just a few of the various kinds of headaches that can be experienced. The pain from the headache can be mild or it can be excruciating in its severity. To find relief from these headaches you should talk with your doctor about treatment or you can buy some over the counter headache pain tablets.

If you suffer from migraine or headaches, you should definitely go to our website on Stopping Headaches. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

About Chronic Tension Headaches

December 31st, 2009

There is a fairly reasonable chance that someone you know has experienced some sort of headache recently, only because there are so many different sorts of headaches around. These kinds of headache may be the result of dehydration, missed meals, migraines or other kinds of headache like a tension headache or even a chronic tension headache.

A tension headache can feel like a tight rubber band around your head, however, the pain from tension headaches goes away after a short time. But just think about having to suffer from a tension headache every day – for weeks. This type of tension headache is classified as a chronic tension headache because the pain may be experienced at least 15 days a month for a period of several months.

With the case of chronic tension headaches, the symptoms of the headache are roughly the same as those of tension headaches, except that the pain never really seems to go away. People who have had chronic tension headaches, say that the pain is as if they were wearing a tight band around their heads. Other people have described severe chronic tension headache pain as a hooded cape that hangs down onto their shoulders.

Nevertheless, in the case of both tension headaches and chronic tension headaches, the pain can be located either in the forehead region, at the sides of the head and sometimes even at the back of the head. At its usual strength chronic tension headaches deliver a dull, aching pain, although sometimes the pain is like a restricting tightness. In general, the pain is mild to moderately severe.

The severity of the pain varies with the general physical condition of the individual concerned and it also varies with the various types headaches. Many people begin to experience chronic tension headaches as soon as they wake up in the morning, although others have reported that their chronic tension headaches start in the early hours of the day.

Normal tension headaches are more common than chronic tension headaches, however twice as many women as men suffer from chronic tension headaches. The duration and the severity of the pain is about the same as the normal variety in this sort of headache, however the pain from the chronic tension headache is almost a daily occurrence and is also continuous.

Those who suffer from chronic tension headaches are thought to be more prone to anxiety and depression than non-sufferers of chronic tension headaches. It is also well-documented that chronic tension headaches are more common during or after heightened periods of stress and anxiety. Furthermore, anyone who has mood disorders like depression or anxiety ought to have these conditions treated before getting their chronic tension headache seen to.

People who suffer from chronic tension headaches can lead normal and fulfilling lives with the proper medication and treatment. In time, they may understand what the triggers of their headaches are and how avoiding these triggers can prevent the start of a bout of chronic tension headaches.

If you have a problem with migraines or headaches, you ought to definitely visit our website on Stopping Headaches. Get a totally unique version of this article from our article submission service

Headache Treatment

December 29th, 2009

While we are suffering from a headache it is natural to think of ways to stop the pain. However, as there are different types of headaches, sometimes the treatments may work for only a few headache types. There are two different ways of curing the pain caused by headaches. These types of headache treatment are called prophylactical and abortive headache treatment.

The prophylactic type of treatment needs to be taken continuously in order to reduce the frequency of and to control the severity of the headache. Abortive headache treatment is commenced only when the headache starts.

You must understand that your doctor will not prescribe any prophylactic headache treatment unless you are suffering from several, frequent headache attacks a month. When you take the prophylactic medication you will be monitored for side effects like weight gain, water retention, lethargy, memory impairment and hallucinations.

The treatment of headaches with prophylactic medication begins with a low dosage. The dosage is then increased regularly. You will also be checked every month or so to find out if the treatment is effective. Your doctor will also check that you are not on any other types of medicine or vitamin supplements during this early phase of your headache treatment.

It is vital to inform the doctor whether the sufferer is or becomes pregnant. If you do become pregnant, then your doctor must be told, so that tests can be carried out to uncover any possible side effects on the unborn foetus.

The primary prescription drugs given for the treatment of headaches are beta blockers like Tenormin and Lopressor. Calcium channel blockers like Cardizem, Dilacor, and Procardia are also prescribed. Doctors can also prescribe anti-depressants such as Elavil and Zoloft. You can also be prescribed Serotonin Antagonists like Sansert.

Usually, anti-convulsants such as Tegretol, Depakote, and Dilantin are also given for headache treatment. Cafergot and Sansert (ergot derivatives) may also be prescribed by your doctor. The ‘abortive’ headache treatment types available for your headache pain are usually the ‘over the counter’ (OTC) type. These include Paracetamol, Aspirin, Tylenol, Panadol, Motrin, and Advil to mention only a few. Tylenol and Panadol are known as Acetaminophen drugs. Motrin and Advil are in the family of drugs known as Ibuprofen.

Further to these headache treatments there are also non-steroidal anti inflammatory drugs or NSAIDs. The side effects of NSAIDs like Naprosyn and Meclomen include nausea, gastrointestinal pain, dizziness, diarrhea, light-headedness and constipation. These headache treatments can also cause some people to get side-effects in the form of a different type of headache.

Since taking these drugs can result in side effects, you should consult your doctor in order to find out if they are all right for you or not. People who would rather take an ‘alternative’ headache treatment should ask their doctor whether he thinks the alternative medicine, such as aromatherapy or supplements, will work.

If you suffer from migraine or headaches, you should definitely go to our website at Stopping Headaches. You can get a unique content version of this article from the Uber Article Directory.

Frequent Headaches

December 28th, 2009

Lots of us have to live with headaches, which we get for no apparent reason. Some of these headache types may occur once and then we may live for many years before we have them again. Other sorts of headaches occur far more often. These sorts of headaches are known as ‘frequent headaches’.

Usually, frequent headaches seem to be tension headaches. However, frequent headaches can also be the result of over-dosing on over-the-counter (OTC) medicine. This kind of frequent headache is called a ‘rebound headache’, because, while it is safe to take the recommended dosage to treat headaches, rebound headaches happen because the dosage has been exceeded.

So, one of the methods to alleviate the pain that frequent headaches bring is to methodically reduce the amount of medication that you are taking. For people who may find this step difficult, talking with their GP can help find the optimum method to achieve this without making their headaches or other complaint worse.

Besides overdosing on headache medication, there are other things that can start a bout of frequent headaches. These may be too much smoking and too much alcohol. Therefore, reducing your alcohol intake to a more appropriate level can assist with reducing the severity of your frequent headaches.

As smoking any kind of tobacco will increase your chances of getting frequent headaches, it is best to stop smoking altogether. While it might sound easy to control these frequent headache triggers, you may actually need professional to help you to reduce your frequent headaches.

So, when you consult with your doctor you should find out about headache clinics and if they have the facilities to assist you with your rebound and/or frequent headaches. People who prefer to cope with controlling their headache medication themselves can start by reducing the dosage a little.

When your body is able to deal with that reduction, you can lower the amount some more. Should you feel that the headaches are becoming overwhelming, you have the option of taking cortisone to help tolerate the pain of the headaches while your body slowly adjusts to the new regime.

As frequent headaches are probably caused more by the misuse of headache medication, it would be a good idea for you to take the medication only if you absolutely need to. That way you can manage your dosage of the medication that causes you to suffer from other headaches in addition to what you originally started the pain medication for.

If you have a problem with frequent headaches, you ought to definitely visit our website at Stopping Headaches. This and other unique content ” articles are available with free reprint rights.

A Headache Clinic Could Be The Answer

October 14th, 2009

Headaches are very widespread amongst people of all ages in both men and women. Sometimes these headaches may be severe and might even take place regularly for long periods of time. The headache might be a ache all over the head or a throbbing pain at on

So, where do you go to get relief from your headaches? Over- the-counter prescription drugs may not always be effective and you may not even be able to identify the source of your headache. Where then, do you go, find out what the problem is?

The answer is a headache clinic.

Headache clinics can be located all over the country, sometimes as independent clinics and often at various major hospitals. Headache clinics are well-equipped with all that is required to deal with headaches. These clinics are run by specialists and neurologists, who are well-trained, so as to be able to identify the cause of the headache and start the required therapy for it.

There are several forms of headaches ranging in seriousness from cluster and migraine headaches to mild headaches. It is therefore imperative to see a specialist as sometimes general doctors may not be able to identify exactly what type of headache you are suffering from. Independent headache clinics would tell you if you need special treatment or if you have to be hospitalized, usually referring you to a specific hospital.

Headache clinics take in patients after a short evaluation of the history of your headaches, asking questions such as: how long you have been getting them, the rate of recurrence of the headaches and what treatment, if any, you have acquired, and maybe other questions that may be relevant to understanding your headache more thoroughly. These clinics also offer behavior therapy if needed. Most headache clinics offer both inpatient and outpatient treatment.

Moreover, sometimes headaches can be the symptom of a more serious problem such as a brain tumor, and it is best if such situations are diagnosed at an early stage. Your primary care physician can refer you to a well-known headache clinic if you want to receive special treatment for your headaches.

To attend a headache clinic, your headaches do not have to be frequent. Even the occasional, but excruciating headache may necessitate a call. You may require specialist treatment for your headache, so its best for you to see a consultant at one of these headache clinics as soon as convenient.

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