Secondary headaches
Secondary headaches, or those that result from another
medical condition, include sinus headaches, hormone headaches, chronic
progressive headaches or headaches that occur as a result of a head injury,
trauma, or more serious condition such as a tumor.
- Sinus headaches: headaches associated with a deep and constant pain
in the cheekbones, forehead, or bridge of the nose. The pain usually
intensifies with sudden head movement or straining and usually occurs with
other sinus symptoms, such as nasal discharge, feeling of fullness in the
ears, fever, and facial swelling.
- Hormone headaches: headaches in women are often associated with
changing hormone levels that occur during menstruation, pregnancy, and
menopause. Chemically induced hormone changes, such as with birth control
pills, also trigger headaches in some women.
- Chronic progressive headaches: headaches that get worse and happen
more often over time. Chronic progressive headaches are also called traction
or inflammatory headaches. These are the least common type of headache,
accounting for less than 5% of all headaches. Chronic progressive headaches
may be the result of an illness or disorder of the brain or skull.
Are headaches hereditary?
Yes, headaches, especially migraines, have a tendency
to run in families. Children who have migraines usually have at least one parent
who also suffers from the condition. Headaches also can be triggered by specific
environmental factors that are shared in a family’s household, such as exposure
to second-hand tobacco smoke, strong odors from household chemicals or perfumes,
exposure to certain allergens, or eating certain foods. Stress, pollution,
noise, lighting, and weather changes are other environmental factors that can
trigger headaches for some people.
People with migraines may inherit abnormalities in
certain areas of the brain, as well as the tendency to be affected by certain
migraine triggers, such as fatigue, bright lights, weather changes, and others.
What causes headaches?
Headache pain results from signals interacting among
the brain, blood vessels and surrounding nerves. During a headache, specific
nerves of the blood vessels and head muscles are activated and send pain signals
to the brain. It’s not clear, however, why these signals are activated in the
first place.
There is a migraine "pain center" or generator in the
mid-brain area. A migraine begins when hyperactive nerve cells send out impulses
to the blood vessels, causing constriction, followed by the dilation of these
vessels and the release of prostaglandins, serotonin and other inflammatory
substances that cause the pulsation to be painful. Serotonin is a naturally
occurring chemical essential for certain body processes.