What causes the average headache?

So I woke up this morning with a throbbing headache, and it got me to thinking. What causes the average headache that’s not nasally-related, nor caused by hitting one’s head, or from drinking in excess? I went to sleep late last night, but got a good ten and a half hours anyway, so it can’t be sleep deprivation, can it? And it’s not like I get them too often or anything, so I don’t believe it’s evidence of something physically wrong with me. So, does anyone know what the deal is?

-HPE

*Pillows which are too big or too small

*Being dehydrated -or- low on salt

*I don’t think that sleeping necessarily relaxes the muscle-tension which causes tension headaches… any info? I know I get tension headaches which go on for days.

*Do you get migraines?

*Sleeping too long gives me headaches, too

*This is my first post on SDMB!

I was going to start a thread on this, but I think its close enough to stick here. Due to the hours I work I only sleep 3-5 hours a night. On my days off I sometimes sleep 10-12 hours straight and sometimes wake up with a pounding headache. My wife told me ‘to much sleep gives you a headache’. I never heard this before, WTF, I would think just the reverse. Is it true? and why?

never thought of this. I know that if I sleep with two excessively-fluffy pillows my neck will begin to hurt, but I was unaware that this might affect my head as well. How exactly does pillow size cause headaches?

Although they run in my family (my mother is especially subsceptible to getting migraines that will even leave her blind for a few hours, though in her later years these occur less and less frequently), I have never had migraines. The headache I have now (which two tylenol have not as of yet cured) is probably one of the more annoying ones I tend to get, but not bad enough to prevent me from going about my daily life.

Perhaps this is it. I slept until eleven thirty today, which is very very late for me to sleep in. Maybe throwing off the whole sleep schedule did it. Resolution for tomorrow-sleep with one normal sized pillow, and keep my usual sleeping hours. thanks for your help, man.

I dunno. Hopefully with all of your help, I will be able to cure this ungodly affliction. And as a final point, Sattua also brought up an interesting sub-question-what is more beneficial? Sleeping on one pillow or two?

-H.P.E.

I’ve always slept with two pillows. Really big pillows never make my neck hurt: small ones do.

I think that a neckache could climb to your head. My tension headaches start at the base of my neck and climb upwards. They start to throb about the time they get to my eyesockets.

Try some Aleve in a few hours.

The once a year headache? Who knows?

Chronic headaches?

  1. Tension (and/or withdrawal from tension headache paikillers)
  2. Migraine (with or without a preceding aura)
  3. Sinus problems
  4. Tumours and other masses inside the skull
  5. Inflammation of blood vessels (over age 60)
  6. Certain medications (eg. nitrates, persantine,…)
  7. Miscellaneous causes

[sub]Not intended to be medical advice. See your doctor. Blah, blah, blah…[/sub]

Some people sleep with no pillow. Claim that it’s better for your back. http://www.healthscout.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Af.woa/7/wo/8l2000iB700sh100LL/0.2.5.21.3.0.8.1.2.7 This has some info on h/a. More recent stuff I read elsewhere postulates that migraines and clusters are actually variation of vessel-dilation h/a and can be treated similarly.

lists a lotta different kinds of h/a and what causes them. I was trying to find the site re the migraines, clusters, being variant of vascular, but was unsuccessful.

I’ve heard that caffeine (either too much or too little) can cause headaches. Granted, this may change your sleeping patterns – and that may be the real culprit. But if you tend to drink alot of caffeine and then don’t get any for a day, your headache could be a sign of short-term withdrawal.

I agree with the medication thing, too. Changes (or simply the side effects) of medication can cause headaches.

I know, cuz I have one right now and I just switched from the good little pink pills to the evil little green ones.

sorry…I just had to get that out of me. :slight_smile:

What I learned in physiology today: low oxygen intake can cause headaches. Do you sleep with your nose under the covers?

Though, your body takes up oxygen more efficiently when you’re supine so I don’t know if that would make up for it…

don’t really know what causes them, but I do know that if you sleep on your neck funny, it can attribute to it!

hehe…perfect solution for getting rid of a headache tho!

During orgasm, endorphins released are meant to assist in getting rid of the headache! so the best solution in my books would be a little morning glory!

On top of that, using this theory, the missus can never complain she’s got a headache again! :smiley: