frequent headaches?

Question

hi, is it normal to have frequent headaches? i normally have it on the right side of my head and it feels like someone's pushing at it or sticking a needle in it... but sometimes it changes its position... i told my doctor about it and she told me that it may be probably due from stress (i'm in the honor's section and you can just imagine the pressure).. and lately i've been irritated with someone... do i have brain cancer? i've read that these are some of the symptoms (headaches and irritability)..

Answer 1

You do need to go and have a cat scan butttttttt
don't over react and get even more stressed out over it.

I have had the same thing for years. A headache near my right temple and it feels like someone is sticking an ice pick in my head. And sometimes the pain will move to other locations.
I become really irritable also.

I have been to the doctor, been tested and they cant find anything. My doctor also said it is from being over stressed and probably from me having to deal with pain 24/7

I have a severe back problem and I have chronic pain 24/7 and have to take alot of pain meds and muscle relaxers......and they don't make the pain go away, just alittle easier to deal with. So you can imagine the stress that puts on me especially with a 6 yr old to raise alone.

The doctor also said that if you smoke and have a very high stress or pain level that it can cause headaches.
I don't know.

Answer 2

I work 12hr rotating shifts and get frequent headaches too. My Dr. told me the same thing, but she also suggested looking at my sleep pattern. I use a fan in my room to keep cool air blowing on me and it has definitely helped. I sleep better and more comfortable. I'm not sure if this will work for you but headaches are horrible so its worth a chance. If you think you have something medical wrong with you than please go get it checked out it can't hurt it could only help.

Answer 3

It does not sound like a migraine which starts from one side of the head and can move, sometimes with aura and even vertigo. Lack of oxygen in the brain. This sounds like your mother needs to see a doctor asap. Frequent headaches are not a good sign especially if painkillers are only temporarily effective.

Answer 4

It's ok. Just narrow down the options before you get carried away. You may be tired, I always get headaches in my right temple when I haven't had enough sleep. Are you eating properly? I find if I don't have a snack at 10.30am I get a headache.

Lastly, I strongly advise you to see an Optometrist to get your vision checked. You may be straining your eyes to see, causing a head ache.

Answer 5

Hi, it is not normal to have headaches. Perhaps, it is due to stress. It could be migraine.
How about trying muscle relaxation? Try searching for websites that addresses issues on relaxation of the eye, forehead, temple, nose and facial muscles.
how about listening to soothing music?
How about seeing another doctor? If you really want to be assured, you can go for some scans of the brain as recommended by a specialist doctor. But it will be costly.

Do you have enough rest? Try not to be so hard on yourself.

Answer 6

Its probably either a stress headache or a migrane. If its a stress headache its gonna feel like your heads in a clamp and if its a migrane your gonna feel a splitting pain on one side of your head. The chances for brain cancer are very low and dont stress so much.

Answer 7

It's not normal. It may be stress or something elce. Definatly get it checked out. Ask for a catscan, I had one and I just suffer from frequent migrains. They may put you on preventitive meds. You'll feel better once you find out.

Answer 8

There is no shortage of headache relief medicines on the market. And painkillers have their place. Take acetaminophen, aspirin or ibuprofen according to package directions at the first sign of a headache. You can often nip it in the bud.

But then again, if headache relief were that simple, you wouldn't be asking this question. Or perhaps you're interested in a nondrug approach. If you have a headache right now, the tips that follow will help you feel better fast. Some will work for tension headaches, others may help your migraines and some just might help you prevent your next headache, whichever kind it is. :) Women doctors agree that it's a good idea to experiment: Headache remedies work differently for different headaches, for different women, at different times.

Thumbs up, pain down. Place your thumbs right in the center of each temple. Massage firmly using a circular motion for a minute or two, or until you feel relief. If I catch it early enough, I find that I can sometimes stop a headache.

Take a hot bath or shower. This may further help your muscles relax.

Visualize away your headache. Imagine that your headache pain is caused by a rope that's knotted and wrapped tightly around your head. Then concentrate hard on seeing it unknot, inch by inch. Watch as it slowly loosens and falls away from your head.

Try necking with a heating pad. When you have a stiff neck, you can get a headache, because the stiff muscles hurt and cause pain that can be felt in your head. Remedy? Apply a heating pad to the back of your neck to soothe the stiffness.

Ice a migraine. For easing migraines, ice usually works better than heat, most likely because of its action as a vasoconstrictor--it shrinks blood vessels pressing on nerve endings. A resealable plastic bag full of ice, wrapped in a kitchen towel, works.

Feverfew for you? For occasional headaches take the herb feverfew. Research on feverfew suggests that it can be effective as a headache remedy; I've used it with success. I recommend taking two feverfew capsules (available at health food stores) three times a day until your headache is gone. Studies indicate that feverfew has anti-inflammatory properties, which is why it might be particularly effective for migraine headaches.

Lie down in a dark room. If you have migraines lying down in a darkened room and napping for an hour or so can usually make the headache history.

Have a snack. You can get headaches from just being hungry, because your blood sugar drops.

Always be aware of when you last ate. Try eating smaller meals, spread more frequently throughout the day.

Take a coffee break. If you feel a migraine coming on, go someplace quiet and have a strong cup of coffee. Take aspirin or ibuprofen according to package instructions. Like ice, caffeine acts as a vasoconstrictor, which seems to help migraines.

Or, do the caffeine wean. The surprising thing about caffeine is that either too much or lack of it can trigger pain. Too much caffeine can lead to headaches, because of an increase in tension or a decrease in sleep (or both). Consuming less than the usual amount of caffeine can lead to very painful withdrawal headaches. Frequently, weekday coffee or cola drinkers may drink less on weekends, and they get fierce withdrawal headaches. If you get headaches, give up caffeinated drinks slowly and gradually--by four to six ounces a day--perhaps by diluting regular brew with decaf until you're finally caffeine-free. You should also substitute eight cups a day of noncaffeinated liquids, such as water, juices, skim milk or herbal teas.

Keep a headache diary. Both tension and migraine headaches can have triggers. Your monthly cycle can affect headaches, too. I suggest that you log the time of day and month, the foods, activities, moods--anything that could possibly trigger a headache. After a couple of weeks, read your diary. See if anything obvious is causing your headaches and avoid the source if you possibly can.

It's a very individual thing. For many, chocolate can be a migraine trigger--though it doesn't trigger my migraines--but red wine will immediately send me right around the bend.

Avoid migraine triggers. Avoid the most common offenders: that is, foods that have been aged, fermented, pickled or marinated. Other reputed problem foods are those containing monosodium glutamate, or MSG (such as canned soups), nitrates or nitrites (such as lunchmeats).

And some added help:

Once a migraine takes hold, it's a bugger to relieve.

Restock your magnesium. I read about an Italian study that indicates that people with migraines are likely to have lower blood levels of magnesium than non-migraine-sufferers, and suggests that magnesium supplements for people with migraines warrant further study. Good food sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables, legumes, seafood, nuts and whole grains.

Regulate sleep patterns. People who work irregular shifts have trouble with their migraines. Circadian rhythms seem to play a part in migraines. Try to get to sleep and wake up at the same times each day and don't sleep late on weekends. Also, avoid napping during the day, as this may change your circadian rhythms.

Give aspirin a chance. An aspirin a day may keep migraines away. The problem with some of the prescription drugs used to try and prevent migraines (like beta and calcium channel blockers, antidepressants and mood-regulating drugs) is that they are like hitting a little problem with an awfully big hammer. Taking a regular 325-milligram aspirin tablet every other day, regularly, cut repeat migraine attacks by 20 percent. It might not work for everyone, but it's definitely worth trying, because if it works, it's an easy, inexpensive and relatively safe solution.

Hope this helps you. :)

Answer 9

Yes, everybody gets headaches, especially around a girl's period time.

Answer 10

If your under a lot of stress, then it's probably due to clenching or grinding your teeth when you sleep. See a dentist for a comfirmation.