HEADACHES AND MIGRAINE

A headache (medically known as cephalalgia) is a condition of mild to severe pain in the head; sometimes upper back or neck pain may also be interpreted as a headache.  Headaches have a wide variety of causes, ranging from eyestrain to inflammation of the sinus cavities to life-threatening conditions such as encephalitis, brain cancer, meningitis, and cerebral aneurysms.  When the headache occurs in conjunction with a head injury the cause is usually quite evident; however, many causes of headaches are more elusive.  The most common type of headache is a tension headache.  Some people experience headaches when they are hungry or dehydrated (severe dehydration is the cause of the headache during a hangover, since alcohol is a diuretic).  Migraine can be caused by irritation of the nerves close to the vertebrae in the neck or muscular tension.  It is common to take over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin, paracetamol (acetaminophen - often sold as Tylenol or Panadol) or ibuprofen to relieve headaches.  However, when taken too frequently, painkiller medications may actually cause headaches. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headache)