Head Hurts?: Headaches, How to Avoid Them, and When to be Wary

According to the World Health Organization, headaches are one of the most disabling conditions people experience. With this in mind, it may come as a surprise that nearly 75% of children have experienced significant headaches by the age of fifteen. There are almost 200 types of headaches, separated into primary headaches which are less dangerous and secondary headaches which can indicate an underlying problem.

Several primary headaches include migraines, tension headaches, and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias. As teenagers, we commonly experience tension headaches, characterized by a pressure like pain, which are caused by stress, tension, depression, or eye, neck, and back strains. Though there is still no clear idea of what stimulus acts as the trigger for tension headaches, some potential causes include sustained muscle contraction, blood flow abnormalities, or signals initiated by inflammatory chemical messengers like serotonin.

Some other headaches include acute headaches, which usually accompany a cold, fever, or infection, cluster headaches, which happen quickly as pain spreads usually from one eye to the head and neck, and migraines, which cause throbbing or pulsating in the head. Migraines may cause other effects such as blurred vision or an upset stomach.

What Should I Do to Avoid Them?

To avoid headaches, it’s important to follow these tips: eat a balanced diet at the right times, get enough sleep, exercise your body, watch your posture, and exercise your eyes in order to avoid eye strains.

When Should I Worry?

If the “headache” you are experiencing is accompanied by these symptoms:

1. a sudden loss of balance

2. paralysis

3. speech difficulties

4. seizures

5. night sweats

6. a fever higher than 102°F

7. vomiting

8. a very sudden and intense pain in the head

9. difficulty hearing

10. difficulty understanding speech

and more, there may be an underlying problem. It’s important to directly consult a doctor as these symptoms may indicate conditions such as brain infections, meningitis, hydrocephalus, or head trauma.

Sources: https://www.healthline.com/health/headache/when-to-worry-about-a-headache#causes

https://familydoctor.org/teenagers-and-headaches/#:~:text=Tension%20headaches%20are%20the%20most,%E2%80%9Cband%E2%80%9D%20across%20the%20forehead.