Headache

A headache (medically known as cephalalgia) is a condition of mild to severe pain in the head; sometimes upper back or neck pain may also be interpreted as a headache. Headache is the second-most common form of local pain. (The most common is molar pain, i.e. toothache in one or more of the flat-crowned teeth used for grinding food.)

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Headaches have a wide variety of causes, ranging from eyestrain to inflammation of the sinus cavities to life-threatening conditions such as encephalitis, brain cancer, meningitis, and cerebral aneurysms. When the headache occurs in conjunction with a head injury the cause is usually quite evident; however, many causes of headaches are more elusive. The most common type of headache is a tension headache. Some people experience headaches when they are hungry or dehydrated (severe dehydration is the cause of the headache during a hangover, since alcohol is a diuretic).

Related Topics:
Sinus - Encephalitis - Brain cancer - Meningitis - Cerebral aneurysm - Head injury - Tension headache - Dehydrated - Hangover - Alcohol - Diuretic

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It is common to take over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve headaches. However, when taken too frequently, painkiller medications may actually cause headaches.

Related Topics:
Over-the-counter - Painkiller - Aspirin - Paracetamol - Ibuprofen

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