How Much Do You Know About Headaches?

Drinking alcohol can trigger headaches in some people. Why? It could be because:

• Sulfites, which are a preservative in some types of alcohol, bother some people.
• Alcohol causes more blood flow to your brain, which can trigger a headache.
• It could also be because of how your body processes alcohol.

Red wine, beer, whiskey, scotch, and champagne are the most common boozy headache culprits.

Who hasn't had the feeling? You're going to town on some ice cream or a cold drink when suddenly, the middle of your head feels like it's splitting open.

An ice cream headache, or a "brain freeze," is definitely real. Drink something warm or hold your tongue to the roof of your mouth to warm it up and feel better.

About six times as many men get cluster headaches as women. Cluster headaches are the least common headache but can be very severe.

You usually feel the pain behind or around one eye, and it's so bad that you usually can't sit still. These headaches often happen at the same time every day, and the attacks can last a couple of minutes or a few hours.

For relief, you can talk with your doctor about medications to help stop a headache, and there are preventive medications, too.

It's kind of ironic. If you take headache medication too often, you can trigger another one, called a rebound headache.

It can be a vicious cycle: You take medicine to feel better, and then you get more pain when the medication wears off.

It's important to take medicine only as directed. Don't try to take more or use a higher dose than the label or your doc tells you. If you're getting a lot of headaches, talk to your doctor about ways to prevent them.

With a sinus headache, you usually get head pain along with nasal discharge, congestion, postnasal drip, and a sore throat. You can often treat a sinus headache with over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. A warm shower might help with congestion. And over-the-counter decongestants and antihistamines may help relieve symptoms too.

If you get a fever, too, that may mean you have a sinus infection. See your doctor if you develop a fever.

Weekends should be headache-free! Yet, some people who get migraines also get "weekend headaches." Changes in your routine can bring the pain. Maybe you get more sleep, drink less caffeine (causing a caffeine withdrawal headache), or are more active on the weekend. Any of those changes can trigger a headache.

To avoid pain, stay with your schedule -- and off the caffeine (during the week and weekend), if that's a trigger.

Alcohol dehydrates your body, and that might cause all kinds of things, including the throbbing headache you might get after tossing back a few too many the night before. Hangover headaches also can be blamed on hormonal changes caused by alcohol and the toxic effects alcohol has on your body.

To avoid getting so dehydrated, it may help to drink something without booze before and after you drink the harder stuff.

Some people say the rush of chemicals in the brain from sex provides some sexual healing for their headaches. But for others, sex -- just like other types of physical activity -- can trigger headaches. People with migraines and men over 40 are the most likely to get them.

Sex headaches are pretty rare, but they're usually harmless. Still, they are worth talking to your doctor about. They can rule out anything serious, like a ruptured blood vessel, and help with the pain. Seek emergency medical help if the pain hits you like a thunderclap at climax.

Your doctor will usually diagnose your headaches based on how you describe them. They will ask you to describe the pain, how you act when you have a headache, and what you do to relieve your symptoms. However, if you have any concerning symptoms, especially if it’s a new headache, your doctor may order a brain scan.

Sometimes, headaches can be warning signs, telling you that something serious is going on in your body. Get medical help right away if, for example, you have a:

• Sudden, severe headache along with a stiff neck and vomiting -- it could be symptoms of meningitis or bleeding in your brain.
• Headache after recently having been hit on the head -- it could be a sign of a concussion.
• Headache with numbness or tingling in your arm or leg, or confusion -- these may be signs of a stroke.

Research shows acupuncture can help headaches. Some studies have shown that it is as effective as painkillers in relieving tension and migraine headaches.