causes prevention of persistent headache?

A persistent headache can result from an injury or a structural problem in the spine, such as arthritis. It can also affect people who have migraine or have had a stroke. The overuse of pain relief drugs can also cause a headache that does not go away.

Headache pain can range from mild to severe and may last for several hours. Although resting and taking over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers can treat most headaches, some people experience headaches that last for longer than a day.

Causes
Migraine, head injuries, and medication misuse can cause head pain that lasts for several hours or days.

Types of lingering headache can include:
1. Intractable migraine ;Migraine is a type of headache. Intractable migraine, also known as status migrainosus, is a severe migraine headache that lasts for longer than 72 hours.

The defining characteristic of this type of migraine is its duration. Intractable migraine causes the same symptoms of a typical migraine, but the pain does not improve with standard migraine treatment.

Migraine episodes usually follow a predictable pattern. People can experience prodromes, or auras — which can manifest as visual, physical, auditory symptoms — before the onset of an intense, throbbing headache on one or both sides of the head.

Other symptoms of migraine include:

• sensitivity to light and sound
• nausea and vomiting
• fatigue
• dizziness
• changes in mood or behavior
• confusion

2. Rebound headaches

People who regularly take OTC or prescription pain relief drugs for their headaches can develop medication overuse headaches, otherwise known as rebound headaches.

Rebound headaches tend to occur on a recurring basis. The International Headache Society (IHS) describe a rebound headache as one that occurs on 15 or more days per month in people with a preexisting primary headache disorder and a history of medication overuse.

The symptoms vary from person to person, but they usually follow the same pattern as the preexisting primary headache.

Cervicogenic headaches

Cervicogenic headaches are secondary headaches that result from structural problems in the head, neck, and spine.

These structural issues may be due to:

• whiplash
• fractures
• infections
• arthritis
• malformations present at birth

Typically, people with cervicogenic headaches experience pain that begins in the neck and back of the head and spreads to the front of the head.

3. Head injury

A traumatic brain injury (TBI), or concussion, can lead to many long term complications, such as the development of new or worsening headaches.

TBIs usually develop after a person sustains a blunt force or penetrating injury to the head. This can occur from:

• sports injuries
• falls
• motor vehicle accidents
• gunshot wounds

Persistent headaches are among the most common symptoms following a mild TBI, according to a recent article in the journal NeuroRehabilitation.

4. Stroke

Stoke is a serious neurological condition that results from a sudden interruption in blood flow to the brain, such as blood clots or a ruptured blood vessel.

Up to 23% of peopleTrusted Source develop a persistent headache following a stroke.

Post-stroke headaches often developTrusted Source in the eyes or on the side of the head where the stroke occurred.

5. Long term treatments

People can use a combination of medical treatments and lifestyle changes to treat a lingering headache. Some potential treatment options are as follows:

Medication

A wide variety of OTC and prescription medications can help reduce headache symptoms.

People should only take medication as indicated by the manufacturer or a doctor. Overusing mediation, even OTC pain relievers, can cause rebound headaches.

When to seek help

Anyone with a headache that lasts for at least 3 days and does not respond to OTC treatments should contact a doctor. This is especially true if the headache:

is a new or unusual symptom, particularly in people aged over 50 years

significantly changes in intensity when a person changes position, such as when they go from lying down to standing up

starts when a person coughs, sneezes, or strains

occurs alongside unexplained weight loss or night sweats

does not respond to OTC drugs or a person’s usual migraine medication.

Treatment

Treatment for headaches and blurred vision varies greatly because they depend on the underlying cause of these symptoms. If a person has these symptoms, a doctor can diagnose their source and prescribe an appropriate course of treatment.

For example, if they result from migraine, a doctor can recommend medications and pain relievers that can reduce the severity of their symptoms. Conversely, if they result from a stroke, a doctor may administer a thrombolytic, which is a medication that can break up clots in the blood.

Home Remedies

1. Drink water; Inadequate hydration may lead you to develop a headache.

In fact, studies have demonstrated that dehydration is a common cause of headaches (4, 9)

What’s more, being dehydrated can impair concentration and cause irritability, making your symptoms seem even worse (10).

Thankfully, research suggests that drinking more water may help reduce headache occurrence, duration, and severity in some people.

2. Take some magnesium; Magnesium is an important mineral necessary for countless functions in the body, including blood sugar regulation and nerve transmission (12).

Interestingly, magnesium has also been shown to be a safe, effective remedy for headaches.

Evidence suggests that magnesium deficiency is more common in people who get frequent migraine headaches than in those who don’t.

3. Limit alcohol

While having an alcoholic drink may not cause a headache in most people, studies have shown that alcohol can trigger migraines in about one-third of those who experience frequent headaches (17).

Alcohol intake is also a risk factor for tension headaches and for cluster headaches, which are among the most severe types of headaches (17, 18).

There are several ways in which alcohol is thought to trigger headaches, including by provoking inflammation, activating certain neuronal pathways, contributing to dehydration, and widening blood vessels, though the exact mechanism is still unclear .

4. Get adequate sleep

Sleep deprivation can be detrimental to your health in many ways and may even cause headaches in some people.

In fact, research shows that poor sleep quality and insomnia are associated with increased headache frequency and severity.

Sleep apnea, a health condition in which breathing repeatedly stops and then starts again during sleep, is associated with morning headaches, while insomnia is linked to increased headache severity in those with tension headaches.

5. Avoid foods high in histamine

Histamine is a chemical found naturally in the body that plays a role in the immune, digestive, and nervous systems.

It’s also found in certain foods, such as aged cheeses, fermented foods, beer, wine, smoked fish, and cured meats.

Studies suggest that consuming histamine may cause migraines in those who are sensitive to it.

Some people cannot excrete histamine properly because they have impaired function of the enzymes responsible for breaking it down.

6.Try a B-complex vitamin

B vitamins are a group of water-soluble micronutrients that play many important roles in your body. For example, they contribute to neurotransmitter synthesis and help turn food into energy.

Some B vitamins may also have a protective effect against headaches.

Several studies have shown that certain B vitamin supplements, including riboflavin (B2), folate, B12, and pyridoxine (B6) may reduce headache symptoms.

B-complex supplements contain all eight of the B vitamins and are a safe, cost-effective way to naturally treat headache symptoms.