Migraines & Headaches Causes

What Causes Headaches

There are numerous causes of headaches that can range from triggers from the foods we eat to muscular contractions in the head. It is believed that the main cause of tension headaches occurs when with the muscles surrounding the skull, face and neck go into spasm. As they contract, they bring about pain and the symptoms associated with tension headaches. The spasms may occur in response to a significant amount of physical or mental stress such as engaging in repetitive or prolonged tasks or being under stress for an extended period of time.

Migraines on the other hand are vascular headaches caused by an enlargement of the temporal artery, a kind of blood vessels that is located along the temple. As the blood vessels dilate, they cause certain chemicals that surround the vessels to be released. These chemicals in turn bring about inflammation, pain and the additional symptoms of a migraine headache.

There are a variety of biological and environmental risk factors for developing chronic headaches. Migraines affect women more than and they typically occur in those who are 40 years of age or younger. Having a family history of migraines and hormonal changes, more notably in women, are also predisposing risk factors. Birth control pills and other medications that contain estrogen are additional risk factors as are changes in weather Tension headaches also appear to affect more women than men and are more common among those who are around the age of 40.