Headaches

By AVINASH KAUR, Health Zone Tips

More than 10 million people in the UK get headaches, making them one of the most common health complaints, but most are easily treated.
Most headaches aren’t serious and can be treated with pharmacy remedies and lifestyle changes, such as getting more rest and drinking enough fluids.

Primary headaches are those that aren’t due to another underlying health problem.

Tension headaches are the most common, and what we think of as normal everyday headaches. They feel like a dull ache with constant pressure around the front, top and sides of the head as if a rubber band has been stretched around it.
Stress is one cause, but there are lots of others, including drinking too much alcohol, not getting enough sleep, depression, skipping meals and becoming dehydrated.
Migraines are less common. If a headache is recurrent and disabling to the point of stopping you from carrying on with daily life, it may be a migraine. People describe migraines as a pounding or throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head.
Most people treat their migraines successfully with over-the-counter medication. If they’re severe, however, you may need stronger migraine-specific medication that is only available on prescription from a doctor.