On rare occassions, headaches can indicate serious medical conditions.
Although most headaches are not due to a serious disease, recurring or continuing headaches may be a reason for evaluating possible causes. Stressors can be physical, mental or environmental and often very simple to cure. Sometimes, however, headaches present themselves as the symptom of something very serious, such as a brain tumor.
Headaches Defined
According to Norman Harden, a neurologist at the Center for Pain Studies of the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, a headache is defined as pain in the head or neck and sometimes in the upper back. The pain of a headache can be strong and is felt by the nerve-sensitive areas of the skin, skull, ears, eyes, nose and mouth. The most common type of headache is one brought on by tension or muscle contraction and can be easily treated with non prescription medicines. More intense headaches may be caused by vascular or nerve action and may require stronger treatment.
Common Causes
Anxiety is a common cause of headache pain as is glare caused by bright or intense light in the workplace or at home. High levels of noise and some medications can also bring on the pain of a headache. Skipping meals, not sleeping well or long enough and intense physical activity can also lead headaches, as can low estrogen levels in women. Sensitivity to certain foods such as chocolate, alcohol, aspartame sweetener and caffeine may cause the brain to release certain neurotransmitters that lead to a headache as well.
Tumors
Headaches that do not respond to traditional, basic methods of treatment may need to be examined more closely. Being a secondary symptom to many diseases, headaches often come accompanied with things like nausea and dizziness. According to an article called "When a Headache Isn't Really a Headache" by Sr. Casilda, as assistant professor of Neurology at Columbia University, only about 8 percent of patients with tumors experience headaches as a primary symptom. The location of the headache will also generally correspond with where the tumor is located in the brain.
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