I only take pain medication now about once per week instead of every day. Approximately 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches and, for about half of these people, the pain prevents them from leading a normal life. This tightening of the muscles decreases the blood flow to the head and irritates the pain fibers in the skin, muscles and walls of the blood vessels. Tension-type symptoms involve a steady, constant pain on both sides of the head which can last anywhere from several hours to several days, or even months. If this occurs regularly over a period of years it is considered to be a chronic condition.
Vascular headaches involve the flow of blood in the brain.
A leading theory maintains that a reaction to stress, foods or environmental factors leads to a restriction of the flow of blood to the brain. This may be experienced as mental confusion, possibly accompanied by distorted speech or visual aberrations which precede the onset of headache. The brain reacts to the decreased oxygen supply with the dilation of arteries in the brain. The dilation of blood vessels spreads to the neck and scalp, stimulating a pain reaction. For an effective, alternative health approach to gaining headache relief, click here .