What kind of doctor should I consult for headaches? Possible causes of pain, examination, treatment

Which doctor should I consult for headaches? This question is often asked by those who regularly suffer from unpleasant sensations in the frontal, parietal, temporal or cervical part of the head. To get rid of discomfort, most people take painkillers. But, as a rule, they give only a temporary effect. Therefore, with constant pain should always consult with a doctor. So, what kind of doctor should I consult for headaches? This we will discuss in this article. Also, we will talk about possible causes of discomfort, diagnosis and treatment.

General information

Headache is the most common symptom that occurs not only in adults but also in children. This medical term includes virtually all types of discomfort and pain localized in the head region. However, in everyday life it is increasingly used to refer to unpleasant sensations in the skull.

Types of pain

Before telling you about which doctor to consult for headaches, you should tell what types of such unpleasant sensations happen. Currently, there are 4 main types. Let's consider them in more detail:

• Muscle tension, arising from prolonged stress or squeezing of soft tissues of the head.
• Vascular pain, which is characterized by a marked ripple. They arise when the resistance of the vascular walls does not match and the pulse volume of the blood increases.
• Neuralgic pains, which are characterized by sharp and cutting sensations. With the head neuralgia, so-called trigger zones are formed. After pressing on them, there is a noticeable pain that can spread to neighboring or remote areas.
• Fluorodinamic pain. It is divided into 2 species, each of which has a direct connection with the tension of the vascular membranes. Pain with intracranial pressure may be different. When raised - it is bursting, depends on the position of the body and is strengthened when straining and coughing. With lowered - the pain increases in the patient's standing position and decreases when the head is tilted.

Other types of

In addition to these types of headaches, specialists also provide 2 additional types. They include:

• Mixed pain, that is, a combination of some basic types.
• Psychalgia or hypochondriacal, central pain, in which all of the above factors can not be objectified.

Headaches: diseases-causes

Any unpleasant sensations in the skull have their own reasons for development. To improve your condition, you should find out why such discomfort occurs. Doing it yourself is quite problematic. Therefore, we recommend that you consult the doctor right away. If you do not have such an opportunity, we recommend that you observe your condition and try to identify the cause yourself.

Muscle Tension

This is the most common form of headache. It appears gradually and, as a rule, passes for several hours or days. With a strong emotional stress, discomfort in the skull can occur suddenly.

This pain is bilateral. It is usually localized in both the frontal lobes or the frontal-occipital region. Sometimes discomfort takes a dull compressive character and spreads all over the skull. The patient may experience unpleasant sensations when wearing a headdress, combing his hair, and also at night.

The reasons for this condition can be: uncomfortable posture, a combination of muscle-tonic factor and emotional chronic stress, incorrect posture, prolonged and frequent stressful situations that are associated with anxiety, anxiety and depression, osteochondrosis.

Tumor

Neoplasms can also cause headaches. Usually they are gradually progressive. Unpleasant sensations can be pulsating, non-pulsating, deep, blunt and splitting. In this case, consultation of a neurosurgeon is mandatory.

Most often, pain in tumors is provoked by a change in the position of the head and physical activity. Because of the discomfort in the skull, very many people wake up even at night. Often they have a strong and sudden vomiting.

For permanent and severe pain, a tumor can be performed on the brain. However, this requires a thorough examination of the patient.

Hemorrhage

This pathological condition can cause a headache like "sudden stroke".Very often, these unexpected sensations are significantly different from those that the patient experienced before.

As a rule, pain with subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs against excessive physical exertion or a sharp rise in blood pressure.

Temporal arteritis

Most often, this disease occurs in people older than 50 years. This disease is characterized by unilateral localization in the temporal region. There is also pain when trying to feel the temporal artery, which is significantly thickened. Temporal arteritis is often accompanied by visual impairment, fever, aching muscles and joints.

Increased HP

Headache with increased pressure has a constant and growing character. Such unpleasant sensations are of maximum severity and localized in the frontal region.

Usually discomfort in the skull occurs at night or in the morning, as well as when coughing and sneezing. Pain can be accompanied by dizziness, nausea and visual impairment. It can also be combined with pregnancy, obesity, taking oral contraceptives and systemic lupus erythematosus.

Syndrome of the vertebral artery

Pains with such a disease occur when irritating the plexus of the vertebral arteries. As a rule, this is due to osteochondrosis of the spine. Most often with this diagnosis, discomfort is noted in the cervico-occipital region. He wears a bursting, dumb, shooting and stabbing character. It is also possible to spread unpleasant sensations in the orbit. This causes ringing and noise in the ears, dizziness.

Concussion

A doctor involved in the treatment of concussion should carefully examine the patient immediately after receiving an injury. Pain in this pathology is often accompanied by nausea, dizziness and vomiting.

Sharp, harsh and sudden unpleasant sensations are a serious signal of danger. In some cases, even an operation on the brain may be required.

Specialist's help

To which doctor should I apply for headaches? It depends on the nature of the syndrome. It should be noted immediately that several narrow specialists are engaged in the treatment of such an ailment.

• Therapist. After consultation, he will be able to refer you to a narrow-profile physician( for example, an oculist or LOR).
• Neuropathologist. Identifies the causes of pain associated with neurological disorders. Such a doctor should be consulted if the pain syndrome is different in duration and intensity.
• A psychotherapist is necessary if discomfort is accompanied by depressive syndromes, depressed mood and mental stress.
• The reflexologist works on the biological points of the body with fingertips, magnets or needles. To it address after consultation with the neurologist or the therapist.
• Neurosurgeon. It is treated with symptoms of a hernia in the cervical spine, frequent dizziness, numbness of the fingers and toes, sudden pressure drops, joint and shoulder pain. Also, the consultation of a neurosurgeon is necessary when a brain tumor is suspected.

Examination of

Detection of the disease to eliminate permanent headaches is extremely necessary. For this it is recommended to pass:

• computed tomography;
• magnetic resonance imaging;
• electroencephalography.

Also, a specialist can recommend:

• X-ray examination;
• examination of nasal sinuses and teeth;
• electromyography;
• computer scanning;
• electromyostimulation.

Treatment of

Treatment of headache should be done only after determining its causes. As a rule, medicamentous therapy is used for this. In some cases, the patient may undergo a surgical procedure.

The following headaches for treating headaches are also common: psychotherapy, including relaxation and hypnotherapy, physiotherapy, acupuncture, massage of the temporal and backseat regions, aerobics, relaxing exercises, regular training and so on.