More than half of all Germans experience this at least occasionally: the head hums, threatens to burst, affects our well-being to the point of unbearable. Often, the complaints come out of nowhere. Those who only occasionally have to deal with headaches can usually help themselves: with a cup of coffee with lemon, a relaxing bath or over-the-counter painkillers from the pharmacy. People who constantly deal with headaches need medical help. The success of treatment depends on knowing what type of headache it is.
The most common types of headache
Experts know of more than 160 different types of headaches. The most common forms include tension headache and migraine. About 33 million Germans suffer from tension headaches, migraines or a combination of both.
- Characteristic of tension headaches are dull, pressing pains. Usually the entire head is affected. With movement, the symptoms improve.
- In contrast, the complaints of migraine are predominantly hemifacial and throbbing, pulsating character. Every movement becomes a torment. Often affected withdraw into a darkened room, seeking rest and relaxation.
Since it is important for successful treatment to know the headache form and its triggers as accurately as possible, patients who constantly suffer from headaches should keep a diary. In it, the duration, intensity, type of headache and possible triggers are noted. It should also be recorded what medications have been used and whether they have helped.
The causes are manifold
Sitting for hours in an incorrect posture, psychosocial stress at work or in the family, working in poor light or air, lack of sleep and smoking – these are just some of the possible causes of constant tension headaches. Body malpositions, for example, can cause the back muscles to tense up. The muscles constantly send small pain impulses to the brain. A pain filter in the brain rejects these small impulses as insignificant. But the constant use of this filter depletes messenger substances such as serotonin. The pain impulses reach the brain unhindered. The person feels a headache. Tension headaches run in families. In addition, headaches can be the result of another disease. Thus, the complaints often occur after skull injuries, in the case of an infection, in the case of vascular disorders, in the case of head and facial neuralgia, due to the effects of substances (for example, alcohol, sodium glutamate), and in the case of head and facial pain in diseases.
This is what the doctor needs to know from you
People who deal with headaches all the time should not delay seeing a doctor for too long. Pain can become chronic and then have poorer chances of treatment. To get an indication of the cause of the headache as quickly as possible, a well-kept headache diary is very helpful for the doctor. Patients who do not keep a diary should be able to give information about all existing illnesses and about the medicines they take regularly. It is important for the physician to know whether other family members also suffer from headaches, how long the complaints have existed, how often they occur, whether and how the pain is announced, when the headaches begin and whether trigger factors are known. In women, it is also important to know whether there is a connection with menstruation. It is also important to know the exact location of the pain and to be able to describe its severity. The physician has a scale available for assessing the intensity of the pain, which makes it easier for those affected to describe the intensity. Other questions the doctor may ask relate to side effects of the headache, such as nausea, vomiting, speech problems, sensitivity to smell or dizziness. If patients already know what helps them best, so should the doctor.
What helps with headaches
For occasional, mild to moderate tension headaches, the German Migraine and Headache Society (DMKG) recommends a combination of the active ingredients acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), acetaminophen, and caffeine as the first-line treatment. The combination of these active ingredients in one tablet leads to a mutual reinforcement of the beneficial effects.Paracetamol, for example, improves the anti-inflammatory and antipyretic effect of ASA. Caffeine improves the analgesic effect of ASA and paracetamol. Combination preparations also act more quickly and act at different sites. In addition, they are better tolerated because the individual active ingredients can be dosed lower in combination preparations. According to the recommendations of the DMKG, acetylsalicylic acid and paracetamol as individual substances or in a fixed combination with caffeine and ibuprofen are suitable for treating a mild migraine attack. For very severe attacks, the group of prescription triptans is used. Triptans act directly on the blood vessels of the brain, where the pain originates. Severe and chronic headaches belong in the hands of pain management specialists. 10 Tips for headaches
Use pain medications correctly
Since the too frequent, uncontrolled use of painkillers can itself trigger headaches, the DMKG warns: headache and migraine medications should be taken no more than ten days per month and no more than three days in a row. Those who constantly suffer from headaches should try to reduce painkiller consumption through prevention.
How to prevent headaches
The intensity and frequency of headaches can be positively influenced by regular endurance sports. Jogging, swimming or cycling are particularly suitable. Headaches can also be relieved by targeted relaxation exercises. Progressive muscle relaxation according to Jacobsen, autogenic training and yoga have proven effective.
This can also help …
If you know the trigger of the discomfort, you can try to achieve pain relief by avoiding the triggering factors. Many people benefit from stimulus shielding in a darkened, quiet room. Distraction or imagining a pleasant situation can also help. Some patients swear by acupuncture, while others prefer massages with essential oils, acupressure, moist cold compresses or alternating foot baths. For these methods, the rule is: try it out!
