An estimated ninety percent of adults will experience having a headache at some point in their lives. This is not a cause for alarm and headaches usually go away of its own accord or after taking over the counter medication. But a consistent and chronic headache is another matter altogether. There may be organic origins but often, some tension or stress is involved.
Chronic headache is a consequence of tension in more ways than one. When you are tense, some parts of your body react by becoming stiff and contracted. Your shoulders, back and neck are the ones most affected during a tense situation. They become taut and cramped. Spasms set in, too. When this happens, blood circulation becomes slower; this can cause pain in your head. When the back and shoulder muscles become stiff because of tension, poor posture results. This position, if sustained for a prolonged period of time, can cause painful headaches even without you realizing it. When you are stressed, your breathing is also affected. You breathe in short gasps, your breath becomes shallow and hoarse and the brain is deprived of adequate oxygen.
Stress and tension can also cause chronic headache. When your mind is overworked trying to find solutions to problems or simply sorting out the myriad thoughts in your head, the brain rejects the excess load. All these are added to whatever is causing your stress, be they the simple everyday dilemmas you meet or more complex long term challenges. We may not give it much significance but there is a limit to what our mind can handle and overloading it with thoughts and issues to filter and sort can be a cause of persistent headaches.
Headaches brought about by a health condition or having an organic source is not as frequent as the stress-induced one, such as loud and persistent snoring or a condition known as sleep apnea, wherein a person has sporadic cessation of breathing during sleep. These are states of the body in which there is oxygen deprivation or inadequacy at night and the brain responds by producing pain. Metabolic conditions such as fluctuations in blood glucose can also be one cause of pains in the head. Very rarely, headache which persists can be a symptom of very serious conditions such as a brain tumor or bleeding in the brain. Again, these are rare and there is no need for undue worry.
If you have tried medications or a massage or homemade remedies and even consciously tried to maintain good posture but the pain still remains, then it is time to consult a doctor.
He or she can take your medical history and order diagnostic tests to rule out serious conditions. The doctor will also advise you on how to avoid those things that can cause chronic headache and make recommendations suitable to your particular situation. You will also be informed about the latest medicines available in the market.
Chronic headache is a consequence of tension in more ways than one. When you are tense, some parts of your body react by becoming stiff and contracted. Your shoulders, back and neck are the ones most affected during a tense situation. They become taut and cramped. Spasms set in, too. When this happens, blood circulation becomes slower; this can cause pain in your head. When the back and shoulder muscles become stiff because of tension, poor posture results. This position, if sustained for a prolonged period of time, can cause painful headaches even without you realizing it. When you are stressed, your breathing is also affected. You breathe in short gasps, your breath becomes shallow and hoarse and the brain is deprived of adequate oxygen.
Stress and tension can also cause chronic headache. When your mind is overworked trying to find solutions to problems or simply sorting out the myriad thoughts in your head, the brain rejects the excess load. All these are added to whatever is causing your stress, be they the simple everyday dilemmas you meet or more complex long term challenges. We may not give it much significance but there is a limit to what our mind can handle and overloading it with thoughts and issues to filter and sort can be a cause of persistent headaches.
Headaches brought about by a health condition or having an organic source is not as frequent as the stress-induced one, such as loud and persistent snoring or a condition known as sleep apnea, wherein a person has sporadic cessation of breathing during sleep. These are states of the body in which there is oxygen deprivation or inadequacy at night and the brain responds by producing pain. Metabolic conditions such as fluctuations in blood glucose can also be one cause of pains in the head. Very rarely, headache which persists can be a symptom of very serious conditions such as a brain tumor or bleeding in the brain. Again, these are rare and there is no need for undue worry.
If you have tried medications or a massage or homemade remedies and even consciously tried to maintain good posture but the pain still remains, then it is time to consult a doctor.
He or she can take your medical history and order diagnostic tests to rule out serious conditions. The doctor will also advise you on how to avoid those things that can cause chronic headache and make recommendations suitable to your particular situation. You will also be informed about the latest medicines available in the market.
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