Almost everyone from all walks of life has an experience of having a throbbing pain on their head which can last for hours and for some, it can last for days. What is a headache? A headache is pain anywhere in the region of the head and neck. It can be a symptom of an underlying disease. They are very common that all or almost everyone became a victim of it at least once in their lifetime.
It is also called cephalagia that is known to be a pain anywhere in the head and neck. It is a common neurological condition people experience that they consult a health care professional for management. In fact, the brain itself has no pain receptors so it cannot feel the pain rather, the pain can be caused by a disturbance in the pain-sensitive makeup around the brain area.
There are many types of headaches from tension headache, sinus headache, migraines headache and the most painful type, cluster headaches. Tension headache are called the chronic daily headaches that are very common among adults. It is a dull and diffuse pain that is described as if a rubber band is tightening around the head. Sinus headache is caused by inflammation of the sinuses that the head has a throbbing pain especially in the forehead area. Migraines have no exact etiology that is usually felt after a trigger or an aura. It is one sided and accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. The most painful type, cluster headaches happens in clusters and patterns. Its pain is excruciating.
Headaches are experienced by millions of people worldwide and are one of the most common complaints received by health care professionals. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey said that in 2012, 22.7% of adults and adolescents from the United States alone suffer from headaches while in another survey by National Health Interview Survey, 16.6% has experienced headache in the past three months.
Based on data from the World Health Organization, there is an estimated 47% of adults who had headaches at least once within last year in general. Consequently, the National Health Interview Survey in 2009 said that females are most likely to experience headaches or migraine than men. Moreover, there is an estimated 45 million Americans complaining of headaches every year. Hence, it is known that one in every six people or 16.54% of the population experience headaches. Lastly, more than eight million Americans visit their doctor for treatment of headaches each year.
Headaches are complaints that needs ample attention for it can be a sign of an underlying disease.