Continuous headache , or headache , is one of the most widespread and common symptoms , to the point that anyone in the course of life has had the opportunity to experience the feeling of discomfort and discomfort that it causes up to even preventing the carrying out of normal daily activities.
In the most fragile and impressionable subjects it is not uncommon for this symptom to be associated with pathological manifestations of serious entity, linking the continuous headache to the presence of a tumor or a cerebral hemorrhage .
This is an unfounded fear and disproved by statistics. Indeed, the tumorto the structures of the brain constitutes about 1% of all tumors that affect the body, therefore it is a rather rare and often asymptomatic occurrence. The same goes for cerebral hemorrhages.
However, the continuous headache that has persisted for days remains a phenomenon to be investigated both because it causes severe discomfort and can compromise the quality of life of those who are subject to it and because it can be a secondary symptom of a pathology of clinical interest.
Headache can occur in relation to a multitude of causeswhich allow to classify headaches in primary, when there is no underlying or systemic pathology to cause them (they are the most common and least severe) and in secondary ones resulting from an alteration or pathology and therefore of more serious entity.
If the symptoms have persisted for days , if the pain is acute and continuous , if other manifestations such as nausea, vomiting and balance problems are also associated with this, it is advisable to consult a doctor to understand if it is necessary to carry out more in-depth tests .
We invite you to never underestimate your condition and we strongly advise against doing self-diagnosis simply based on reading articles on the web even if they come from authoritative sources. The only way to better understand the problem you are suffering from is to go to the doctor for a thorough examination, without delaying.
Let’s turn the page to fully understand what are the causes that can trigger the appearance of continuous headaches . For clarity we will divide the headaches into primary and secondary, in order to provide you with a more complete and exhaustive picture of the individual problems.
What are the causes of continuous headaches
Let’s get right to the heart of the problem by illustrating which are the most known forms of persistent and continuous headache.
Primary Headaches
Migraine
It is the best known form and the main cause of continuous and persistent headache . It concerns about 10-12% of the population and has a prevalence for women compared to men. There are triggers including changes in cyclical hormone levels during childbearing age (which is why it is more common in women).
In correspondence of ovulation and the menstrual cycle, headacheit tends to increase, while in the course of menopause there is a substantial change of course. In half of the affected women, migraines tend to improve while in the other half they tend to get worse. Migraine
has very specific symptoms, called pathognomic.
- Photophobia : it is very frequent, sensitivity to light is felt and it is common for subjects to find relief in dim light conditions, if not in the dark;
- phonophobia / osmophobia : similarly to what happens with light, discomfort is felt in the presence of sound and odorous stimuli;
- migraine aura : it is a very characteristic sign of migraine that involves visual difficulties, such as narrowing of the visual field and the vision of bright spots.
The migraine crisis can last between 4 and 72 hours. If it lasts beyond this period of time it is defined as protracted migraine, if it extends over a period of a few days it becomes a continuous migraine and must be treated pharmacologically.
Tension Headache It
can be unilateral or bilateral, and again localized or extended in the frontal area and on the temples. The perceived symptoms are a burning sensation in the head which is associated with a sensation of vertigo and a throbbing pain in the temples which increases with physical exercise.
These are also associated with other symptoms, such as nausea, sweating and skin paleness. It is found mostly in anxious people, subject to stress and who adopt positions of prolonged muscle contraction.
Cluster headache
This type of headache causes very acute pain, to the point of being also called “suicide disease” due to the excruciating pain that lasts for 20-30 minutes and affects the ocular, orbital and retrobulbar levels.
During the attacks, the subject is unable to perform any activity, the affected eye tears, is red and typically there is rhinorrhea (mucus running from the nose) from the nostril of the half of the affected face. In fact the cluster headacheit affects one of the two halves of the face, which corresponds to the innervation territory of the inflamed trigeminal nerve.
The number of attacks undergoes cyclical variations, alternating periods of relative quiet with periods in which the episodes increase. This is also related to stress, alcohol consumption and the activation of the immune system.
Cervical Headache
It occurs as a consequence of spinal disorders. The pain is caused by the prolonged state of tension in the neck and shoulder muscles.
Hypnic (or nocturnal) headache
It occurs during the hours of sleep , this probably due to the greater flow of blood in the brain given by the lying position.
Secondary headaches
We remind you that this type of headache is a consequence of pathologies, sometimes even of serious entity, therefore they require specific medical treatment.
- Headache from head trauma ;
- Headache from vascular pathologies: takes over in case of vascular haemorrhages, intracranial hypertension, aneurysms and dissections;
- Headaches associated with infections : they occur in the case of meningitis or encephalitis, associated with neck rigidity, fever and sometimes even with epileptic attacks;
- Neoplasms headaches: as reiterated, this is a rare occurrence and often remains asymptomatic for a long time. If manifestations of this type occur, these are due to the pressure exerted by the tumor mass on the structures of the brain, therefore, depending on the compressed areas, the patient will show different signs of both motor and cognitive nature.
Speech difficulties, mood changes, nosebleeds, motor difficulties, muscle weakness, hearing and vision disturbances, urinary incontinence , persistent cold or hot sensation, persistent olfactory sensations, hallucinations and memory difficulties may occur; - Headache associated with metabolic diseases linked to metabolic diseases, poisoning, carbon monoxide, toxic substances, liver, kidney, pancreatic dysfunctions;
- Sinus headache: following the obstruction of the paranasal sinuses due to inflammatory (cold) and infectious processes;
- Neuralgia headache: the most clinically important form is trigeminal neuralgia;
- Inflammatory headache: the best known is Horton’s arteritis , an autoimmune inflammatory process affecting the temporal artery. This will be particularly swollen and enlarged, a situation that usually frightens the subject but which allows a quick diagnosis and therefore a prompt intervention.
How to make the diagnosis
We have seen that there are many causes that lead to a continuous headache , some benign, others resulting from rather serious pathological pictures.
In any case, a continuous and persistent headache is a symptom that must be treated medically. It is further confirmed to contact your doctor and to be directed to the most appropriate diagnostic investigations.
What the diagnosis is based on
What signs are useful for understanding the disorder
The diagnosis is very much oriented on the symptom, therefore on its intensity, persistence, when it occurs after what resolves, on the localization of the pain and its frequency.
It is also essential to understand what are the symptoms that are associated with continuous headaches , so if the subject has nausea, vomiting, nosebleeds, tears, rhinorrhea (mucus running from the nose), sensitivity to light and if there are any positions that improve or worsen the pain.
On the basis of the information collected, in-depth analyzes can be performed such as:
- Blood test: it is possible to evaluate if there is a state of inflammation that suggests the presence of an autoimmune disease such as Horton’s Arteritis. Typically the subject has very high ESR and CRP values ​​compared to the norm;
- Lumbar puncture : goes to analyze if in the cerebrospinal fluid there are traces of infections that can cause meningitis;
- Magnetic Resonance : very thorough examination that is able to visualize the structures of the central nervous system, verifying the presence of lesions or tumors.
What does the therapy consist of?
The therapy is related to the triggering cause of the continuous headache, but obviously many other factors must also be taken into account such as the patient’s state of health, his age, concomitant pathologies, drug intake and of its individual characteristics.
Generally, the therapy is pharmacological in nature and involves the use of anti-inflammatories, painkillers (paracetamol, ibuprofen and acetylsalicylic acid in the milder forms), the execution of relaxation exercises (useful for tension headaches) and rest periods.
Where there are specific pathologies (secondary headaches) the therapy will be specific for each individual case.
It is essential to entrust the therapy to a neurology specialist in order to treat the disorder in the most appropriate way.
When a simple migraine has been diagnosed at the root of the continuous headache ,advice is generally given to try to reduce attacks, or in any case to quickly decrease their intensity, always taking into account the factors considered as triggers.
Let’s see some of them below:
- Climate : Humid and cold weather, heat, wind and air conditioning are all triggers. It is therefore advisable to prevent exposure to these factors;
- Alcohol : has a vasodilating action and increases blood pressure . It is therefore advisable to strongly limit its intake;
- Stress;
- Hormonal changes : as we have seen, they have a greater impact on the female sex;
- Fatty foods such as aged cheeses, sausages and chocolate;
- Changes in sleep-wake rhythm : Migraine sufferers are advised to maintain a constant sleep-wake rhythm throughout the week.
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