Pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck is termed a ‘headache’. Many of us are familiar with some form of this throbbing, uncomfortable, and distracting pain. The WHO points out that nearly everyone experiences a headache once in a while. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck and can be the result of a range of causes, both benign and more serious. The most common among the various types headaches are tension headaches. Most tension headaches show symptoms of forehead pain. Forehead pain can be uncomfortable, painful, and distracting.

CAUSES

Headache is a non-specific symptom. So, it has many possible causes, including fatigue, sleep deprivation, stress, the effects of medications and recreational drugs, viral infections and common colds, head injury, rapid ingestion of a very cold food or beverage, dental or sinus issues, and many more. The 10 common types of types of headaches are – tension, cluster, migraine, allergy or sinus, hormone, caffeine, exertion, hypertension, rebound and post-traumatic. Some of the common causes for headaches are:

• Tension – A tension-type headache (TTH) is usually described as pressure or squeezing.
• Exercise – When you’re active, the muscles in your head, neck, and scalp need more blood and your blood vessels swell to supply them. The result is a pulsing pain on both sides of your head.
• Illness – This can include infections, colds and fevers. Headaches also accompany sinusitis, throat infections, or ear infections. In some cases, headaches can result from a blow or injury to the head
• Stress – Emotional stress and depression are common triggers for tension type headaches.
• Lifestylehabits – Excessive use of alcohol, skipping meals, changes in sleep patterns and too much medication are common causes of headache.
• Poor posture – Incorrect posture causes tension in the upper back, neck and shoulders which can lead to a headache.

Eye strain: When your eyes work too hard, or are focussed on a task for too long, the eye muscles contract too much. These contractions trigger eye strain headaches.

SYMPTOMS

• Throbbing pain: A deep, throbbing forehead pain this is ‘pulsating’and putting pressure onto your forehead. It may last for hours if you don’t treat it. This type of forehead pain may be caused by migraine, a hangover or tension.
• Piercing pain: Sharp, stabs of piercing pain can occur that are short in duration but intense in severity. Brain freeze, that painful sensation that occurs when you eat or drink something cold, is a common cause, as is a cluster headache.
• Shooting pain: Similar to throbbing pain, but shooting pain feels continuous. It feels like trails of pain are shooting away from your forehead. This type of pain is common with conditions like hypertension and infection.

PREVENTION

Treatment of headaches relies on understanding what causes the pain in the first place.Common prevention techniques may include:

• Practicing relaxation: Tension and stress headaches may occur less frequently with relaxation options like deep breathing, yoga, and massage.
• Eating regularly: Low blood sugar and hunger headaches won’t be a problem if you maintain a regular eating pattern.
• Avoiding certain activities: If headaches worsen when you’re playing video games, riding in the back seat, or reading in dim light, try and avoid them.
• Watching your blood pressure: Hypertension headaches can be quite painful. Keeping your blood pressure low will help your head – and your heart.