Headaches are pretty common; most everyone has had a headache of one kind or another in their lifetime. Occasional headaches are harmless. Headaches can be a symptom of quite a few conditions ranging from the common cold, hangover or allergies to something more serious like meningitis, a stroke, or a brain tumor. There is a huge range of possible reasons for a headache as well as several different ways that a headache can manifest itself from a throbbing, to an ache to a sharp pain. A sudden headache can means that there is a severe condition and a slowly forming headache can mean that you are getting a tension headache. A rapidly arriving headache that is excruciating in intensity can signal a brain aneurysm or other brain condition. There is also a sexual headache that is harmless but irritating. Another sudden and severe headache results from the dangerous conditions, meningitis and stroke.
If you ever have a headache that won't respond to pain medication or you are awakened by a severe headache seek medical help immediately.
Chronic headaches affect millions of people and can be various types such as migraines, cluster headaches, or the tension headache. You can also get chronic headaches as a result of underlying conditions such as medications that you take, or exposure to toxins.
Many headaches although painful are harmless and will go away with over-the-counter pain relievers or relaxation techniques or other home remedies. The type that are harmless are those that are caused by being overly tired, or by drinking too much, being in the sun too long, from having a cold, or from eating cold ice-cream too fast. Even tension and migraine headaches although really annoying and painful are basically harmless because they cannot threaten your life.
The headaches that you do need to be concerned about are those that do not respond to normal treatment, come on rapidly and with severe intensity, or those that accompany high fever. These headaches may signal something that is seriously wrong with your body and you must seek medical attention promptly. Anyone of any age or race can have a serious headache. If in doubt always seek medical attention. If anything about your headache worries you, seems out of the ordinary, or the pain is intense to the point of “being the worse headache ever”, then you had better be on the safe side of the situation and get emergency medical help, fast.
