Chronic headaches can also be linked to other disorders, including depression, anxiety, sinus infections , allergies and temporomandibular joint dysfunction, also known as TMJ. In order to figure out your headache pattern and identify your triggers, you may want to keep a headache diary to share with your doctor. The National Headache Foundation provides a handy template. But for some people, they occur almost every day. Tension headaches affect both sides of your head with a pressing, moderate pain.
Instead, you may want to try meditation, relaxation techniques or heat therapy. Migraines , although less common, are more severe. They also affect women more often than men. When the acute infection resolves, the pain disappears. Sinusitis is not a common cause of chronic or recurrent headaches.
Ice cream headaches. Some people develop sharp, sudden headache pain when they eat anything cold. The pain is over in less than a minute, even if you keep eating. If you are bothered by ice cream headaches, try eating slowly and warming the cold food at the front of your mouth before you swallow it. Headache from high blood pressure. Except in cases of very high blood pressure, hypertension does not cause headaches. In fact, most people with high blood pressure don't have any symptoms at all, and a study of 51, people reported that hypertension was associated with a reduced incidence of headaches.
But that's no reason to neglect your blood pressure. Hypertension leads to strokes, heart attacks , heart failure , and kidney disease, so all men should have their pressure checked, and then take steps to correct abnormalities. Headache from exercise and sex. Sudden, strenuous exercise can bring on a headache. Gradual warm-ups or treatment with an anti-inflammatory medication before exercise can help. Sexual intercourse may also trigger headaches; some men note only dull pain, but others suffer from severe attacks called orgasmic headaches.
Modern medicine depends on tests to diagnose many problems. For most headaches, though, a good old-fashioned history and physical will do the job. Still, these tests can be vital in patients with warning signs or other worrisome headaches. For most of us, an occasional headache is nothing more than a temporary speed bump in the course of a busy day. Even so, most men can ease the problem with simple lifestyle measures and nonprescription medications. Relaxation techniques, biofeedback, yoga, and acupuncture may also help.
But for some of us, headaches are a big problem. Learn to recognize warning signs that call for prompt medical care. Work with your doctor to develop a program to prevent and treat migraines and other serious headaches. And don't fall into the trap of overusing medications; for some gents, rebound headaches are the biggest pain of all. As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.
Please note the date of last review or update on all articles. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician.
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I want to get healthier. Anemia is a condition where you lack enough red blood cells to properly transport oxygen to tissues throughout your body, the Mayo Clinic explains. It can bring on symptoms including fatigue, feeling weak, shortness of breath, and others. From there, your doctor will ask about your family medical history, your personal medical history, and they may decide to test your red blood cell levels to determine whether you are anemic or they may choose to do other tests or examinations to rule out other possible underlying health conditions.
Luckily, if you suffer from iron- or vitamin-deficiency anemia , it's reversible by upping iron or vitamin intake. Your doctor will guide this course of treatment. Headache is a common side effect of many chronic health conditions like fibromyalgia , lupus, and diabetes.
However, constant headaches would typically accompany other symptoms. For instance, lupus features headaches alongside symptoms like fatigue, joint pain, and skin lesions that get worse when exposed to the sun, according to Mayo Clinic.
Fix it: If you have chronic headaches, it's always worth talking to your doctor if anything feels off with your body to figure out if an underlying condition could be causing your issues.
Be your own health advocate. Thanks to the drop in estrogen right before menstruation, many people experience PMS-related headaches. In fact, menstruation is one of the biggest migraine triggers for people who have periods. But it's not the only time a change in estrogen levels can cause a headache—both perimenopause and postpartum periods are marked by a significant drop in estrogen, and as a result, often come with headaches. Pregnancy, too, affects estrogen levels, so you may notice that your headaches worsen or disappear in some cases during this time, the Mayo Clinic says.
As the Mayo Clinic explains , hormonal birth control can have an effect on your headache patterns; and for some people, hormonal contraception may make headaches less frequent and intense because they reduce the drop in estrogen that happens during your menstrual cycle.
For short-term headache relief around your period, typical headache remedies can help, like using ice or a cold compress, practicing relaxation techniques, or taking an over-the-counter pain relief medication.
Sinus headaches are not that common, Dr. Hutchinson notes. So if you have recurrent headaches in your sinus or facial area, chances are it's a migraine or a tension headache. In fact, studies have shown that approximately 90 percent of people who see a doctor for sinus headaches are found to actually have migraines, according to the Mayo Clinic.
But if your headache is paired with fever, phlegm , or any other indication you might be sick, an underlying sinus infection may be to blame. Fix it: If you do have a sinus infection, the headache should go away after taking antibiotics to knock out the infection—so pay a visit to your physician.
Ever wake up for a super early flight and notice a nagging pain in your head? Disrupting your body's schedule can trigger headaches, Dr. Getting up earlier or later than usual can throw off your circadian rhythm. The stress of traveling, change in barometric pressure, change in time zones, and just being at an airport can all trigger a headache. Also, stress relief practices are especially important in hectic travel settings —like loud, crowded airports—to keep nagging head pain under control.
Caffeine causes vasoconstriction in your blood vessels, meaning they get a little narrower. If you drink coffee or other caffeinated drinks every day, your body gets used to it, Dr. So when you skip it one day, your blood vessels don't become constricted and can make your head hurt. It becomes a vicious cycle, slugging back a mug to find relief, and just further deepening your need for caffeine. Fix it: "It's unrealistic to tell all headache patients to avoid caffeine," Dr.
Instead, she recommends moderation—a maximum of two caffeinated drinks in one day—to avoid that withdrawal headache when you go without.
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