Given the numerous different types of headaches and sufferers it should not be surprising that the causes are just as diverse. There are countless possible causes for headaches including medical problems like the thankfully rare instances of brain tumors or cerebral aneurysms. But the most common headaches also have generally common causes.
In many instances simple eyestrain such as that seen when working too long at the computer can lead to a headache. In other cases, a sinus infection resulting from a head cold or allergy can be the cause. Taking certain medicines can also produce a headache.
Despite the fact that the precise cause is not always known, constriction of the blood vessels is also believed to be the cause in some cases. Pain sensitive nerve fibers in the head line the blood vessel walls and when they contract the nerves are activated and send signals to the brain. As luck would have it, the brain cannot feel pain because it does not contain any pain sensitive nerve cells and tension-type or cluster headaches result.
But your blood vessels can dilate as well as contract and when they do so one theory at least holds that migraines and cluster headaches can be the result. Current research suggests that there are also other much more important factors at play when it comes to migraine headaches.
Tension or more accurately tension-type headaches can result from other causes like tension in the muscles of the shoulder, neck and even the jaw. Those who have suffered from TMJ disorder which is a condition caused by tension of the temporomandibular joint causing the jaw to tighten against the skull will be familiar with this.
In more serious cases headaches will arise out of some underlying disease and these are frequently labeled as 'secondary headaches'. The catalogue of diseases that can cause headaches is lengthy and will include everything from irritable bowel syndrome to scarlet fever.
In many cases environmental factors also play a significant part. Carbon monoxide poisoning such as that resulting from the gas produced by an automobile exhaust or many water heaters can cause severe headaches and indeed headaches are one of the principle symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning. Other causes include allergies, lead poisoning and food poisoning.
Even when food is not actually toxic as will be the case where food is carrying a bacterial infection certain individuals may be sensitive to compounds which will not affect the general population. Such everyday foods as chocolate and cheese will cause a headache in some individuals as will certain preservatives, caffeine and red wine.
But position, posture and several other controllable factors may well be some of the most common causes. As more and more people use computers on a daily basis so we see more eyestrain, neck tension and jaw stress.
Roughly 85% to 90% of headaches are tension headaches that are generally the result of one or more of the factors detailed here. In other words in the overwhelming majority of cases the cure is simple and within your control.
