Pain Management Archives

A lot of people suffer from headaches and the majority of these headaches resolve by themselves within a short period of time. It could be due to several factors, and painkillers can be taken to stop the headache. Most headaches disappear spontaneously, or respond very well to painkillers. However, a small minority of cases could be caused by serious conditions, such as infection or cancer. If the pain is extremely severe (like being the worst pain you’ve ever had), or if the pain doesn’t go away after a week or so, then you will have to go to the GP or to the hospital.

The most common cause of headaches, it is caused by stress or fatigue and is often described as a tight band around the head, spreading over the top of the head in some cases. These are normally self-limiting, but over-the-counter painkillers such as paracetamol and ibuprofen are usually very effective in treating this type of headache.

It is the most common cause of severe headache, characterised by one-sided, moderate to severe, pulsating or throbbing pain that builds up over time. This headache usually occurs on only one side of the head in contrast to tension headaches, in which the pain is on both sides. Nausea and vomiting sometimes accompany the headache. Migraine can be triggered by physical activity, and may occur with or without aura. An aura is a sensory disturbance, symptoms of which can be of several types such as flashing lights, blurred vision or speech disturbances. This aura precedes the headache, which may last from 4 hours to 72 hours. Over-the-counter painkills can help relieve the pain of migraine headaches. For a more severe headache, you may have to see your doctor for stronger medications.