Causes of Headaches
Part of the reason that headaches are so frustrating is that it can be hard to understand precisely what's happening or why a person gets headaches. Usually, there's nothing that shows that a person is having a headache – it isn't like having a bruise or broken bone, where the cause of the pain is obvious. Also, there's no test for the most common causes of headaches. Fortunately, treatments are often effective regardless of the underlying source of headaches.
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We now know that migraine attacks are caused by chemical changes in and around the brain and nervous system and that genetic factors play a major role in explaining why people tend to get headaches.
Factors that May Contribute to Headaches
Understanding the factors that can worsen headaches are crucial in managing and preventing their impact on daily life. Various triggers can worsen headaches, making them more frequent or intense. These triggers can vary from person to person, but by becoming aware of the factors that can make headaches worse, you can regain control over your wellbeing.
The first thing is to consider what may be contributing to your headaches. Lifestyle factors such as diet, dehydration, sleep, exercise and mental health could all be impacting your headaches. Learn more on how obesity, depression and anxiety, and sleep apnea are all risk factors for headache.
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Other Contributing Factors of Headache Include:​​
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Medication Overuse Causing Rebound Headaches
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Rebound headaches can occur if medications used to stop headaches are taken too often.
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This can occur with common pain medications such as Tylenol and Advil; or prescription medications like sumatriptan and opioid medicines.
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Limit taking medications to stop your headaches to two or three days each week or 10 days per month.
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What to do when you experience a rebound headache:​​
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Try to stop using these medicines or reduce your use to fewer than two or three days per week.
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Taking a prescription medication daily to prevent headaches can be used to help stop medication overuse. Discuss this option with with your headache specialist or your primary care provider.
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Learn more about medication overuse.​
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Eye Strain and Screen Time
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Some people notice headaches that happen with eye strain or when looking at a computer screen.
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There are tinted screen guards and glasses that can be tried to help reduce these headaches.
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Learn more about screen time and headaches.
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​Menstruation and Menopause​
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The fluctuation of hormones in the body caused by ovulation, menstruation, or menopause may aggravate your headaches.
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If you experience this, discuss the various management options with your provider such as specific headache medication approaches or the use of hormone medications.
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Pregnancy and Breastfeeding​
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Pregnancy often requires a special treatment plan to ensure you and your baby stay healthy.​
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It's common to experience changes in headache frequency during your pregnancy due to fluctuating hormone levels. Most commonly, headaches tend to get better during pregnancy and return after pregnancy.
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Weather
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Rain, high humidity and changes to the pressure in the atmosphere can increase the frequency of headaches.
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Since the weather can't be controlled, remind yourself to check it each morning so you can be prepared for potential headaches.
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Other Neurologic Conditions
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Head trauma or concussion
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Headaches are a common symptom after head trauma or concussion and generally improve with time.​
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The treatments for headaches associated with head trauma and concussion are similar to treatments for headaches.
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Learn more about brain injury rehabilitation or learn more about concussion treatment at Ohio State.
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There are many other neurologic conditions that have an increased frequency of headaches. Some of these might include:
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