Headache

A headache is when your head hurts. It is not when you hit your head with something and made it hurt that way, but when your head hurts from inside. Headache is the symptom of pain in the face, head, or neck.

A headache can be caused by one of several things, which are listed here:

• Fever
• Watching television or looking at a computer screen for a long time.
• Being tired or sleepy.
• As an effect of stress.
• By other neurological conditions ('neurological' means touching the nerves and the brain), like with epilepsy

The second edition of the International Headache Classification (ICHD-2) defines more than 220 different types of headaches in three categories:^[1]

• Primary headaches, for example migraine, tension headache and cluster headache.
• Secondary headaches
• Cranial neuralgias, central and primary facial pain and other headaches

Many headaches can be relieved with analgesics like aspirin.

Cephalalgia

• Brain tumor
• Lyme disease
• Influenza
• Brain metastasis
• Foodborne Intoxication
• Sinusitis
• Meningitis^[2]
• Encephalitis^[3]

In many cases headaches can be relieved naturally. Many methods such as massaging the temples near the eye, exercising your eyes (blinking, palming) and walking can all help relieve the tension of headaches. Maintaining a healthy diet, with rich proteins and iron, can keep your brain awake and healthy. One of the main factors is drinking plenty of water. These natural techniques tend to give you long-term relief whilst medication can often give you short term relief.

There are many medicines which can treat mild headaches, such as Paracetamol, Co-codamol, and Ibuprofen; but you should always consult your doctor or pharmacist before taking any.

1. ↑ Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society. The International Classification of Headache Disorders. Second Edition. Cephalalgia. 2004; (Suppl 1):1-160. Online version.
2. ↑ "Meningitis - Symptoms and causes". Mayo Clinic.
3. ↑ "Encephalitis - Symptoms and causes". Mayo Clinic.

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