Headaches Are Warning Signs When you have a headache the pain can lead to discomfort in the neck, scalp and head. People who deal with headache pain can feel better by learning new ways to relax, making changes to their daily lifestyle and occasionally by taking medication to alleviate the pain. Keeping a diary indicating the source or trigger of the symptoms related to your headache can be quite helpful. When you are experiencing a headache make sure to write down the time and the date of when the headache started the amount of time you slept the night before, what you ate within the past 24 hours, how long the pain lasted, what you were doing/thinking moments before the headache began and what steps did you take to make it stop. Keep a log can help you begin to see a pattern on what may be causing your headaches to occur. Contact a local chiropractor, your headache may be the result of a back problem or pinched nerve. One of the most common types of headaches is stemmed from tension. Tension headaches may take place at any age, but are generally more common in adolescents and adults. If you experience pain that happens twice or more a week for several months or more then the condition can be classified as a chronic. Tension headaches take place do to the neck and scalp muscles contracting. A cause of muscle contraction may typically be due to depression, stress and/or anxiety. As well as, any activity that may cause your head to be placed in specific position for a length of time without moving. Some examples are typically from typing on a computer, sleeping in a cold room or with neck in an abnormal position and/or the use of a microscope can lead to headache pain. Symptoms: Headache Dull, pressure-like Worsened or triggered by fatigue, stress, glare, noise Generalized, worse in the scalp, temples or back of the neck Not one-sided Feels like a tight band around the head Occurs as an isolated incident, or occurs constantly or daily Headaches that is mild to moderate and do not have any other symptoms, usually do not need any examination or tests. Normally, the use of home treatment may help alleviate this type of the pain. Headaches that prevent you from sleeping typically occur whenever the person is active or that are chronic or recurrent. This may require treatment and/or an examination by a health provider and chiropractor before the chronic pain gets worse. Diagnostic Tests that may be performed include the following: Head CT scan Head MRI Lumbar Puncture Sinuses X-rays Temporal Artery Biopsy Health care provider should be consulted to rule out other disorders that can cause head pain if the headache is severe, persistent or if other symptoms accompany the headache. Headaches that disturb sleep, occur whenever the person is active, or that are recurrent or chronic may also require examination and treatment by a chiropractor and health care provider. Other Types of Headaches: Cluster headaches are a less common for of headache. When they do occur it can be very painful and tend to occur numerous times per day through the course of a few months; and can fade away for a similar amount of time. Sinus headaches occur due to inflammation within the sinus passages. The sinus passages are located behind the nose, cheeks and eyes. The pain to the front of your head and face tend to get worse as you begin to bend frontward and during the morning hours of waking up. Usually a sore throat, nasal discharge or having postnasal drip can occur while having this type of headache. Contact a local chiropractor, your headache may be the result of a back problem or pinched nerve. Updated: MH