Headaches
A headache is a term used to describe pain in and around the head and face. A headache itself isn't a disease, but it represents the symptoms of a disorder or disease. There are two types of headaches, extracranial, which describes pain originating outside the brain, and intracranial, which describes pain originating inside the brain. Americans report a high occurrence of headaches, most noticeably those living in urban areas such as New York or New Jersey. Some of the most common types of headaches are vascular, contact, neuralgias of the head or neck, paranasal sinus pain, and temporomandibular disorders.
Vascular headaches include migraines, high blood pressure head pain, and cluster headaches. These can be felt in the face, behind the eyes, and can travel to the scalp, tongue, jaw, and neck. Generally, the root of the pain is an inflammation of the facial blood vessels (temporal artery).
Contact headaches can occur when deviation of the septum or enlargement of a turbinate (spongy bone of the nasal passage that humidifies incoming air) causes the septum and the lateral nasal wall to come into contact with one another. This typically causes pain that increases and decreases in relation to the nasal cycle. It can travel from mid-face to the ears. In order to alleviate this pain, pain relievers may be used for temporary treatment, but correction of the septum or partial removal of an enlarged turbinate will provide more permanent relief.
Neuralgias of the head or neck are most often brought on as the result of a viral infection, such as shingles or herpes. This type of headache is characterized by exacerbations, remissions, and a general lack of neurologic deficit. This causes pain in the cranial nerves of the head and neck.
Paranasal sinus pain is frequently the cause of headaches. Commonly, pain can be caused by an airplane, driving, or using a high speed, high rise elevator. This type of pain is known as frontal sinus barotrauma and treatment involves the relief of the obstruction and treatment of any infection. Sinusitis involves a headache, fever, runny nose, and obstruction of the sinus. The maxillary sinus, located below the eyes and under the cheeks, is most commonly afflicted by sinusitis. Symptoms of this disorder can be acute or chronic in their presentation.
Temporomandibular disorders cover abnormalities of the temporomandibular joints (TMJ or jaw joint) and its socket or surrounding capsule. This type of pain is often caused by inflammatory, neoplastic, or infectious diseases, or from developmental disorders such as misaligned teeth. Typical symptoms include facial pain and swelling in front of the ears as well as clicking of the temporomandibular joints. Odontogenic pain can also be the root of such pain.
Copyright ENT and Allergy Associates, LLP
Physicians:
04/15/2010
