• Question: How do we get headaches

    Asked by eatslugs to Callum, Gina, Katie, Michelle, Sam on 15 Nov 2012.
    • Photo: Callum Johnston

      Callum Johnston answered on 15 Nov 2012:

      Headaches are a really common problem for many people. There are lots of things that can cause them but its not always clear what that cause is. Sometimes they result from little things like being stressed, sitting in a funny position or not having enough sleep or water. However sometimes they can be caused by more serious problems like brain tumours or infections.

    • Photo: Sam Godfrey

      Sam Godfrey answered on 16 Nov 2012:

      Apparently there are more than 200 different causes of headache. I didn’t know that until now, so thanks for asking a question that made me learn something. Headaches can be caused by problems with muscles, nerves, veins, stress, dehydration and many other causes. Even having eye sight problems can be a cause of headaches. Most headaches are not dangerous, and usually we have the most common forms. Rarely they can be a sign of other problems that are more serious as Callum said. Our brain does not have any pain sensing cells, so a headache isn’t the brain feeling pain. Some forms of headache, like migranes, aren’t understood very well. Scientists are still trying to find out why people get them. The best thing a person can do who keeps getting headaches is go to the doctor who can decide whether it is a common headache or something that needs looking at a bit more.

    • Photo: Katie Howe

      Katie Howe answered on 16 Nov 2012:

      There are many different causes of headaches as Callum and Sam said. What is actaully happening is that the blood vessels in the head dilate (get bigger) and put pressure on the nerves surrounding them which causes inflammation and pain.

      Medicines that treat headaches like ibuprofen are anti-inflammatories so they will stop (or at least reduce) the pain. Some headache medicines also contain small amounts of caffeine as this helps the body to absorb the headache drugs more quickly.

      I hope that is helpful! Thanks for your question!

Comments