Regular headaches and migraines can disrupt your life, making it difficult to focus on school, work, and family. Finding the root cause is the most important step toward getting a lasting solution.
The first step in getting relief for your headaches or migraines is identifying the cause. If you suffer from regular headaches, it's possible something in your day-to-day routine is causing them.
Here are some common causes of headaches or migraines:
If your neck or shoulders are tense or sore, the sensation of pressure in your head may be related.
This type of headache, known as a tension headache, occurs when the muscles in your neck or shoulders are tense, especially for long periods of time.
This tension may develop as a result of anxiety, depression, poor posture, head injury, or stress.
If you spend time looking at your phone screen, working on your computer, or relaxing with your family in front of a movie, you are inundated with an abundance of blue light.
If you experience migraine headaches, exposure to blue light can be associated with a common and possibly debilitating symptom known as photophobia. When you have photophobia, you are sensitive to light, especially blue light.
You may also experience photophobia as a result of conditions including dry eyes, meningitis or pituitary tumors.
If you are experiencing photophobia, your health care provider may recommend blue-blocking tinted lenses to decrease headaches and improve your sensitivity to light.
You do not need a prescription for these tinted lenses or glasses, which have a reddish FL-41 tint.
Headaches may also happen in response to other factors, including:
Imagine one half of your head pulsating incessantly. Nausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to light and sound all follow the pain you are experiencing. If you've ever suffered from these symptoms, you undoubtedly were having a migraine. Many people perceive an aura before their migraine. An aura can be experienced in the form of a transient visual, sensory, language, or motor disturbance.
Depression and anxiety can also be components of this condition.
There are multiple types of migraines, but the two major ones include:
Other types of migraines include:
Migraines are complex neurological conditions, not just severe headaches. While your family doctor can provide initial support, a CHRISTUS Health neurologist has the specialized training to offer an accurate diagnosis and create a personalized, long-term treatment plan.
Because headaches are fairly common, it is tempting to shrug them off and suffer through the pain.
However, headaches are more than just a source of pain; they can significantly impact your daily life, leading to fatigue, stress, and challenges with daily activities. In some cases, they may even be a sign of an underlying medical condition.
That's why a precise diagnosis from a CHRISTUS Health expert is so important. They can help you find a path to effective management and a lasting solution.
See a primary care provider if you have:
See a neurologist if you are experiencing frequent migraines.
Emergency attention is necessary if your headache is accompanied by:
