Perhaps more frequent patient complaints than complaints of headaches do not happen. They have a different nature and form. The most common is tension headache( GBN) - one-third of the total population suffers from this ailment. In the prevailing number of patients, it occurs at a young age. The onset of the disease after 50 years is the exception. Women are more often affected. According to the international classification of diseases, ICD-10 has code G44.2.
Forms of tension headaches
There are two main forms:
- Episodic, which almost always owes its appearance to stressful situations of low intensity. It can last just a few minutes or torment you for a few days. The pain is moderate and is removed by popular drugs. These pains do not exert a strong influence on the quality of life.
- The chronic form is a permanent pain that appears daily, usually bilateral, which is localized in the occipitus and frontal part and is associated with spasms of neck and head muscles( lasting more than 2 weeks per month and more than 6 months in a year).It is monotonous and quite intense pain.
The clinical picture of these two forms is almost the same, but they differ only in their duration.
Signs of GBN
Patients "reward" these pains with a variety of epithets: compressive and compressive, constricting and monotonous, blunt and light, moderate and strong. Often you can hear such comparisons: "pulled together like a hoop", "head in a vice", "as in a helmet".
Simultaneously with them weakness and fatigue, irritability and nervousness, fast fatigue are present. But this pain does not happen pulsating and with it you do not feel sick and there is no vomiting. Many patients react sharply to bright light and noise, complain of insomnia, lack of appetite and distraction of attention.
Some patients get additional discomfort headache or combing hair. The pain excruciates even at night, but physical exercises do not increase it. If you feel the muscles of the neck and head, you can feel the seals.
All age categories are at risk of this ailment. Children also are diagnosed with tension headaches, which are most often associated with mental overloads.
Headaches can provoke narrowing of the vessels of the brain. This is a very dangerous pathology, which can lead to death if you do not go to the doctor in time.
In addition, headaches can be one of the symptoms of brain hematoma. It is very important to diagnose it correctly. Read more. ..
Types of HDN
Headache of muscular tension
This type of pain is most common among the working-age population. They call it a psychogenic or idiopathic headache. Of all types of this type of pain occurs most often.
Occurs because of prolonged contraction of the muscles of the neck, face and skull. Accordingly, the volume of blood flow in the vessels decreases, from which the muscle tissues experience oxygen starvation. From this accumulate toxins and cause pain. Tense muscles are irritated, the signal is transmitted to the brain - this is the mechanism of the onset of headache.
The main symptoms of tension headaches are:
- strong tension of cervical, facial and shoulder muscles.
- stupid, going from the nape to the forehead, pain. Her character is not pulsating.
- in the temples and forehead, there is a strong tension.
Headaches with nervous tension
Very often headaches are pronounced with nervous tension. In fact, a person can not relax. Nervous overload and conflict situations "start" the pain.
They are characterized by cessation or weakening by distraction from those factors that have traumatized the human soul. For example, this happens with a pleasant stay with friends or a trip to nature, viewing a light, resting movie.
When examining lesions of the nervous system is not detected, and the patient's life is absolutely safe. However, the quality of life from such pains is greatly reduced and the patient needs medical help.
Note that happy people are much less likely to have such pathologies. Therefore, in cases of muscle and nerve strain, you need to be able to relax.
This can be done in various ways:
- to do yoga and auto-training;
- undergo psychotherapy sessions;
- stand under the hot water shower or take a bath with medicinal herbs;
- to do a relaxing neck massage;
- physiotherapy;
- medical gymnastics.
HDN with physical overloads
Often, such pains appear with physical stress. Almost always it is connected with the fulfillment of professional duties of a person: long driving or working at a computer, visual tension at the seamstresses, watchmakers and jewelers, collectors of small parts of electronics, etc.
Such workers should often take breaks, change their pose, do self-massage of problem areasand physical exercises.
Headaches of tension in children
The young generation suffers from such a disease at least as often as adults. Symptoms are the same: squeezing bilateral pain, children become irritable, quickly tired. Often they are accompanied by pain in the neck and back, in the joints and the heart, lifting or vice versa, falling blood pressure, palpitations and even fainting.
All this is caused by muscle strain for a long time, when the child does not fit the desk or desk, does not match the growth, he is often in an uncomfortable position( "school" headaches).They can also cause physical and mental fatigue, stuffiness in the room, weather disasters, and forced starvation.
Causes of the disease
Many reasons have already been described. To this we can add that the causative factors are:
- affective states - depression and anxiety;
- muscle stress, when a person does not move for a long time( overstrain of cervical, ocular and facial muscles);
- abuse of analgesics or tranquilizers can also cause such pain;
- respiratory disorders cause a state of anxiety and as a consequence - headaches. In an unventilated room, people do not have enough fresh air;
- to induce tension headache may incorrect posture, uncomfortable sleep, drastic weather change;
- excessive craze for coffee and alcohol;
- pathology of the cervical spine.
Do you know what Morton's neuroma is? Why it appears and how to treat it, learn by reading the article.
Tension headaches can be painful during pregnancy, causing even dizziness. About the other causes of dizziness can be found here.
Vegetative crisis can also provoke headaches, as you can find it by clicking on the link http: //gidmed.com/ bolezni-nevrologii / vegetososudistaja-distonija / vegetativnyj-kriz.html.
Treatment of tension headaches
If you are often concerned about such pains, sort out their causes, do not shut yourself up and "let go" stressful situations, i.e.revise the lifestyle. Undoubtedly, the doctor should prescribe the treatment, and it should consist of two components: relaxation and pharmacological preparations.
If you often have such pain, you need to learn how to weaken them. This can be done by massaging the back of the neck and whiskey, using the services of acupressure and acupuncture.
You can lie in a dark room with a wet napkin in front of your eyes or take a relaxing shower. Good help is in hypnosis and aerobics, walking and swimming in the pool.
Drug Therapy
For very intense and acute attacks, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed( Naproxen, Ibuprofen, Ketoprofen, preparations with caffeine and phenobarbital, sometimes tranquilizers).
But we must not forget that using excessive painkillers for too long can get the opposite effect - an abusus headache( ie, these drugs cause it), so with the use of drugs in the treatment of tension headaches one must be very cautious.
Treating GBN with traditional medicine
- You can massage on pain points with lemon oil( for a couple of minutes each) or apply a cold on the nape. Very often, a massage helps to cope with headaches that have arisen against a background of tension.
- Remarkably affects the operation of the vessels of the brain and strengthens the nerves infusion of herbs of thyme( for half a liter of boiling water add 5 g of grass, insist half an hour).Take a week three times a day, then two weeks break.
- Excellent in the treatment of GBN such an exercise( by the way, pulls up and sagging belly): breathing belly - on inhalation it is inflated, exhaled in the exhalation. Exhalation lasts twice as long as an inspiration. Continue the procedure for 15 minutes.
- Leaf the golden mustache in the refrigerator, then stretch and apply to the temples for a few minutes. You can alternate with beet pulp.
Good feedback on the treatment of tension headaches, has the following method: hands should be pressed on the neck from behind to feel the tension of the shoulders, then relax and repeat so several times. Thus, the muscles and the nearby nerve endings relax.
Preventive maintenance of aches and pains
To warn them it is possible by such methods:
- to choose an optimum mode of work and rest;
- is constantly engaged in physical therapy;
- psychotherapy and physiotherapy;
- water procedures and manual therapy;
- sanitation at the resorts;
- is a must for the prescription of a doctor.
Of the drugs used muscle relaxants and antidepressants, which can only pick up your doctor.
In conclusion, I would like to wish you more positive emotions: when they prevail over negative, the headaches become much less. There are protective brain mechanisms.
This is a full-fledged dream, good mood, lack of resentment and anger in the soul, a state of love and a belief in good. Take life easy and at ease, and then there will be far less emotional disruptions and headaches.
The video discusses the problem of tension headaches: