What causes cronic headaches?

Answer 1

Headaches are a universal malady. From the sudden stab of a migraine to the dull throb of stuffed sinuses, they’re a part of nearly everyone’s life. But for some people headaches can become a frequent, even daily, occurrence.

Here are some tips on the causes and treatment of frequent headache pain as well as information on headache symptoms that may indicate life-threatening conditions.




Michael Mitchell, M.D., Neurologist with Columbia St. Mary's


"As varied as neurology is, most of my patients are younger people with chronic headaches. If I can get them focused on the problem and feeling better, it's a rewarding thing."

Signs of rebound headaches
According to Dr. Michael Mitchell, a neurologist with Columbia St. Mary’s, frequent or chronic daily headaches are usually caused by migraines or tension headaches. Often, a headache sufferer who is suddenly reaching for pain relief medications on a daily basis also suffered from migraines in the past.

The term “rebound headaches” refers to headaches brought on by the pain relieving drugs themselves, both over-the-counter and prescription products. “Often these products contain caffeine, a narcotic or butalbital plus caffeine. For sporadic headaches, these work well but when the drug starts wearing off, there is a rebound,” Dr. Mitchell said.

What that occurs, the sufferer usually reaches for another dose of the medication, resulting in another few hours of respite, then a need for another round of medication. “In patients such as these, who have been taking medications for months, or even years, frequent medication can cause these rebounds.

“Even drugs that have revolutionized migraine care, such as Imitrex, can be overused and transform an occasional migraine into daily headaches,” the doctor said.

Usually chronic headache problems develop over time, though the problem can also occur suddenly. The frequent headaches may be accompanied by other symptoms.

“Patients may experience fatigue, restlessness, anxiety or depression, sleep disturbances, problems with memory or concentration. These are all consequences of the medication that is being overused,” the doctor said.

Overcoming this drug tolerance may require some careful balancing. “You need to withdraw the offending drug causing the headaches by placing people on medication to make the headaches less frequent or intense. There are several options,” Dr. Mitchell said. Among these are tricyclic medications (such as amitriptyline), anti-seizure medications, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, or a mixture of magnesium/riboflavin.

Headache danger signals
Most headaches are benign but not all of them. In some cases the smartest move a headache sufferer can make is to reach for the telephone rather than the aspirin bottle and call a doctor.

“We want a patient to come in for an examination if headaches are of recent onset, or have changed in character. ‘The first or the worst,’ are warning signs.

“Another sign is if headaches begin to be associated with neurological problems such weakness or tingling, if they cause personality change or vision change. Morning or nocturnal headaches are also a warning sign, especially if they are accompanied by vomiting. These symptoms are seen with migraines, but also with brain tumors,” Dr. Mitchell said.

But the most dangerous sign is what Dr. Mitchell termed a “sudden thunderclap headache, one that reaches maximum intensity within a minute.” This is the classic symptom of an aneurysm, and anyone who experiences this type of sudden intense pain should seek medical care immediately.

The headache exam
Physicians will usually take a patient history, then may order a number of tests. The two tests most commonly used to rule out serious conditions are:


An MRI or CT scan to check for brain tumors, blood clots, aneurysms or fluid buildup in the brain.
A lumbar puncture to check for infection around the brain or spinal cord. This is used if a patient also has a fever or stiff neck to rule out infections such as West Nile or meningitis.
Physicians may also order blood tests, EEGs if a patient is also suffering from seizures, or other tests.

Dr. Mitchell stressed that even those undergoing tests rarely have anything seriously wrong. “Most of my patients are just normal healthy people with bad headaches, usually amplified by a pattern of overuse of pain relief medications. Even those who come in with changes in headache patterns usually have nothing seriously wrong. We don’t know why headache patterns change over time. They just do and they should be checked out,” he concluded.

Answer 2

It could be a number of things, depending on the severity of pain and location. Migraines are an option if the pain is severe and light and/or sound bother you. Glasses could be needed if you get a headache after reading, using the computer, or driving at night. If you already have glasses, you might need prism added to the perscription to help with focusing. Tension headaches tend to be at the back of the head and neck, and they're stress related. There's also always the possibility of a serious brain issue, but most headaches are muscle related, not brain. Either way, if you have chronic headaches, you should see a doctor right away.

Answer 3

There can be lots of factors. Are you getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night? Have lots of stress? Are they sinus headaches (pain in the cheekbones and temple area)? You may have some allergies also. You might need glasses. It could also be a brain tumor. I had a neighbor die from that & the first symptom was bad headaches, then she had double vision. It was too late to operate.
Go to your public library and get a couple of books on headaches. Usually they will give you some guidelines to pinpoint the type of headache and some lifestyle changes that might prevent them.

Answer 4

I HAD A HEADACHE ONCE FOR 6 WEEKS.FINALLY ONE DAY IT WAS SO BAD I KNEW I WAS GOING DOWN AND SUDDENLY IT FELT LIKE I HAD WATER IN MY EARS,IT WAS ACTUALLY BLOOD! THEY NEVER FOUND OUT THE CAUSE BUT PUT ME ON SOME PILLS THAT HELP.NOW THEY JUST COME AND GO FOR A DAY OR SO.ANYTHING IS BETTER THAN 6 WEEKS.YOU NEED TO GET TO A DOCTOR AS SOON AS YOU CAN.IT COULD BE SINUSES OR A CRACKED NOSE.TRY SNORE STRIPS. THEY ACTUALLY HELP A LITTLE FOR ME.

Answer 5

Lots of things. For me my hormone fluctuations give me migraines. The pill helps alot but doesnt fix it all. Also, chronic dehydration would result in chronic headaches. Try drinking more water if your not getting your 64ozs.

Answer 6

Sometimes it's caused by high blood pressure, straining your eyes, stress, there are a number of things. You should see your doctor if you suffer with them.

Answer 7

Shakira!

Answer 8

stress plays a big factor for me. also not enough sleep, or it can be what you are and are not eating. dehydration. hope this helped.feel better.

Answer 9

for me it's tension and tight muscles in the neck and shoulders

Answer 10

Well, by golly, when you find out...fill me in. I get them all the time and I have no one particular trigger for them.