What causes headaches in old women?

We may all have headaches. In some cases, headaches can be effectively relieved after a period of rest, but some people may have headaches more frequently, so we need to pay more attention to it. For women, the problem of headaches also confuses many people, so today let’s take a look at the reasons why women often suffer from headaches?

1. Hypertension

The headache caused by high blood pressure is mainly characterized by swelling pain, which is persistent and the pain location is not fixed, but may be on the left or right side or on the head. The disease is more likely to occur when the average temperature drops. This is because the blood vessels in the body contract and the blood pressure is higher than usual in the cold season. Patients with a history of hypertension usually suffer from headaches due to insufficient medication and failure to lower blood pressure.

2. Cervical vertebrae compress nerves

The most common symptom is pain in the back of the head, which may go straight up to the head and is accompanied by neck pain. The pain is continuous and dominated by swelling. The pain is often caused by degenerative changes in the cervical vertebrae, which speeds up or reduces the blood flow in the internal carotid artery and causes vertebral-basilar artery spasm. See an orthopedic doctor or acupuncture and massage doctor.

3. Cerebral infarction, cerebral hemorrhage

The headache caused by cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage is called central nervous system headache, which presents as a swelling pain and dull pain when it occurs. In addition to headache, there are also numbness of one or both limbs, fatigue, confusion and other main symptoms. If it is cerebral hemorrhage, the symptoms will be more serious due to the increased pressure in the brain and the stimulation of congestion. Cerebral infarction and cerebral hemorrhage can usually be diagnosed by CT scan. If the bleeding is more serious, please see a cranial surgeon.

4. Fever and cold

Headaches caused by fever and colds are often accompanied by symptoms such as chills, fever, and nasal congestion. If it is a wind-heat cold, most of the patients will also have fever, and the fever symptoms are stronger than chills, dry throat, yellow sputum and other symptoms; if it is a wind-cold cold, the patients will be afraid of cold, and the chills symptoms are stronger than fever symptoms, and they will also have white sputum, pale tongue with white fur, etc. If you have a cold and headache, you should see a respiratory physician.

5. Infection

This type of headache is caused by the invasion of microorganisms such as bacteria and viral infections into the body. It is more common in infections of the lungs, urinary system and oral cavity, and is usually characterized by heavy pain and accompanied by fever. When this type of headache occurs, the patient should pay attention to abnormal reactions in various parts of the body, identify the infected area and use medication to treat it. You need to see a general doctor and then see the corresponding department based on the doctor's diagnosis.

6. Neuralgia:

Also known as tension headache, it is a paroxysmal feeling of tightness in the head, with some pressure pain points, characterized by squeezing, dull pain, and dull pain. It is common in people who do too much mental work, have poor sleep or insomnia. Patients with this type of headache generally do not have fever symptoms.

7. Migraine

It is a unilateral headache. A very small number of patients have repeated attacks on both sides or alternating between the upper and lower parts. It presents as heart-pounding pain behind the eye sockets (eye circles) or in the frontal area (temple area), and can extend to the entire head. In severe cases, there is nausea or vomiting, fear of light and sound, and the symptoms are aggravated during strenuous activities; factors such as menstrual cycle, weather changes, noise, strong light and other stimuli can all cause migraines. You can see a neurology doctor.

8. Trigeminal neuralgia:

This type of headache is more intense, like lightning or electric shock, and may be accompanied by tears. The headache is paroxysmal and intermittent, lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes, and will recur after a period of time. It is caused by stimulation of the buccal branch, ophthalmic branch, and temporal branch nerves distributed in the head. The stimulation comes from various sources, such as hypothermia, overheating, mental stimulation and other factors, as well as ENT inflammation, especially complication after recovery from otitis media. Brushing your teeth or washing your face can cause headaches by touching areas where nerves are distributed. In addition, the pain of the buccal nerve is easily misdiagnosed as toothache or gingivitis, and the headache may not be relieved after the front teeth are extracted.

This type of pain is ineffective with ordinary painkillers. Western medicine generally uses sedative analgesics, such as oral carbamazepine, phenytoin sodium or closed therapies, but they cannot eliminate the root cause. Traditional Chinese medicine requires traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation and treatment, using Chinese herbal medicine to remove blood stasis and dredge meridians or acupuncture therapy, which can effectively reduce the frequency of onset, and some patients can even stop taking medication. You can see a neurology doctor or a Chinese medicine doctor.

9. Shingles

Herpes zoster virus infection generally affects the intercostal nerves on one side of the chest or the main production area of ​​the trigeminal nerve in the face and head, as well as the waist, buttocks and arms, causing segmental damage to the nerve fibers. If the head and face are affected, it will cause headaches. You can see a neurology doctor.

10. Eye diseases

Glaucoma, severe myopia, and fundus lesions can all cause headaches, which require specialized examinations and treatment under the guidance of an ophthalmologist.

11. Head tumor

Tumors including those in the brain, ears, nose and throat, such as nasopharyngeal carcinoma, can cause headaches. The principle is that the tumor compresses the nerve center and the brain pressure increases, causing severe headaches. Need to see the neurosurgery and oncology department.