Causes of Headaches
By understanding what causes headaches, we can better care for your symptoms and pain. Most headaches are not the result of a serious illness, but some may result from a life-threatening condition requiring emergency care. Classified into Primary or Secondary headaches, let’s take a closer look at the causes:
Primary Headaches
Caused by over-activity or problems with pain-sensitive structures in your head, primary headaches are not symptoms of an underlying disease. Chemical activity in your brain, the nerves or blood vessels surrounding your skull, or the muscles of your head and neck, can play a role in primary headaches. In certain instances, some people might even carry genes that make them more likely to develop these types of headaches.
Secondary Headaches
A symptom of a disease, a secondary headache can activate the pain-sensitive nerves of the head. A number of conditions can cause secondary headaches, including the following:
- Acute sinusitis
- Arterial tears
- Blood clot
- Brain aneurysm
- Dental problems
- Concussion
- Ear infection
- Stroke
- Hypertension
- Cardiovascular disease
- OSA
Whether you are suffering from a primary or a secondary headache, it is important to seek a proper diagnosis to create a successful treatment plan for pain relief. Contact Dr. Larson and his team at the San Francisco Center for TMJ and Sleep Apnea to learn more about headaches and their causes.
