Headache is the most common he alth complaint. This is the first sign of fatigue and overstrain, and sometimes an alarm signal about serious disorders of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. Although the pain is common, it requires special attention and proper treatment. In the article we will talk about which doctor to contact for headaches and how to deal with them effectively.
Prevalence
Head pain is the most common neurological disorder, occurring regardless of gender, age or demographics. With the growth of employment and the pace of life, the symptoms have become common, and sometimes even everyday occurrence for the average person. The complaint has grown into a worldwide problem that has not received enough attention. Few people know which doctor to contact for headaches, usually many simply limit their treatment with painkillers.
The main difficulty in eliminating such an unpleasant symptom is an unclear clinical picture. A particular disease or symptom is the first question a doctor asks. Depending on the nature, pain is distinguished:
- pulsing;
- voltage;
- spicy;
- squeezing, squeezing;
- bursting.
Unpleasant sensations can occur in any part of the head: the temples, the back of the head, near the eyes, in the forehead. Depending on the location and type of pain, the true cause of its occurrence can be assumed.
Root Causes
As you know, pain is the first alarm signal from the body. Ignoring and drowning it out with analgesics without trying to understand the cause is stupid and ineffective: there is a high probability that the pain will return again. There are true and secondary causes of the development of unpleasant sensations. In the first case, everything is limited only by the brain and the influence of the external environment at the level of the psyche. The person is he althy, but did not get enough sleep, was nervous, was busy with mental work for a long time - he got a tension headache. For its treatment, it is only necessary to recover qualitatively: relax the muscles of the neck and head, get enough sleep, improve nutrition.
The bigger problem is the migraine. This is a pathology of the areas of the brain responsible for pain. The disease is characterized by seizures that may be accompanied by nausea, light intolerance, and visual disturbances. The main feature issharp pain in the temples, spilling over the whole head. Often one-sided manifestation of unpleasant symptoms. Which doctor should I contact for headaches in the temples with suspected migraine? It is best to immediately come to a consultation with a neurologist.
Causes of secondary pains
The prevalence of a symptom in a variety of diseases fully answers the question: “Which doctor should I contact for headaches?” The very first specialist to visit is undoubtedly a therapist. A qualified general practitioner will be able to qualitatively assess the patient's condition and narrow down the range of possible causes of poor he alth. The most common ones are:
- prolonged stress, insomnia;
- mental strain;
- infectious and inflammatory diseases;
- circulatory disorders;
- diseases of the nervous system and heart;
- problems with SHOP.
Don't put off a visit to the hospital if you suffer from frequent headaches. Which doctor to contact in this case, you already know - to the therapist. Be sure to tell him about the presence of chronic diseases and other symptoms, if any.
Further examination
The therapist will take a history, prescribe a general examination and initial treatment to prevent severe headaches. To what doctor to address after family? Most likely, the next specialist on the road to recovery will be a diagnostician. Based on the data and recommendations already collected, hewill decide whether to conduct:
- laboratory tests;
- Ultrasound, vascular ultrasound;
- MRI or CT of the brain;
- Echo-EG, EEG;
- other additional procedures.
The importance of getting tested cannot be underestimated. This is the only way to determine the true cause of the ailment.
Is the nervous system to blame?
If you suffer from constant headaches, which doctor should I contact to solve the problem faster? After all, in most cases, working capacity decreases, memory and mood deteriorate. You can immediately make an appointment with a neurologist, if the condition is not complicated by fever, cough and other symptoms of infection.
Most often leads to a doctor of this profile:
- Beam, cluster pain, characterized by an acute course. The most common aggravating factor is alcohol abuse and smoking.
- Neuralgia - nerve disorders, accompanied by shooting and stabbing pains.
- Migraine is an independent and common disease. These are strong and throbbing pains spreading over the whole head or on one side. Associated symptoms are dizziness, nausea, tinnitus;
- Neuroses of various nature.
Diseases of the nervous system are a common, but far from the only, cause of poor he alth. But if seizures occur with a certain frequency and do not affect other organ systems,most likely, the neurologist will become the main assistant in the treatment.
Headache and ENT?
At first glance, an otorhinolaryngologist is not included in the list of those specialists who are worth visiting when they suffer from headaches. Which doctor should I contact if they occur in the nose, forehead? And if you add subfebrile temperature to the symptoms? Then there is a high probability that the patient came to the address. And it’s good that he came at all, because such a “bouquet” of troubles speaks of an advanced state of ENT diseases, and this is already dangerous to he alth.
Most often, a headache is provoked by inflammation in the sinuses, which is provoked by diseases such as sinusitis, ethmoiditis, frontal sinusitis. Treatment should be immediate because of the risk of developing a purulent infection. Which doctor should be consulted for headaches not associated with ENT diseases, but accompanied by high fever? Without a doubt, it is worth visiting an infectious disease specialist as soon as possible.
Headache and hypertension: is there a link?
People suffering from high blood pressure often write down headache as a characteristic symptom of this disease. In fact, the processes are interconnected, but not directly. The pain itself, and a headache in particular, can cause an increase in blood pressure (up to about 160 mmHg).
The body of everyone reacts to “alarm signals” in different ways, so it’s wrong to write off pain for pressure and vice versa. But the combination of these signs should alert and encourage a visit to the clinic. To whichsee a doctor for headaches and high blood pressure? The first thing to do is to see a therapist. You may also need to consult a cardiologist.
Can an optometrist help?
It turns out that a headache can also signal ophthalmic diseases, especially if it occurs in the forehead, temples, bridge of the nose and eye sockets. The cause of discomfort is most often the increased pressure of the fundus, which leads to many troubles. For example, glaucoma. Late treatment can lead to severe visual impairment, up to blindness.
In addition to increasing the pressure of the fundus, headaches can provoke astigmatism. Usually the disease develops from early childhood and requires observation and treatment by an ophthalmologist.
Consultation of other specialists
Frequent, almost incessant headaches may indicate the development of severe pathology, such as brain cancer. An oncologist can make an accurate diagnosis only after CT, MRI, and in some cases PET diagnostics. To prevent the development of serious consequences, it is recommended to undergo preventive examinations at least once a year, especially if the problem of persistent headaches is relevant, and the cause of their occurrence has not been clarified.
Benign and malignant formations manifest themselves in the form of dizziness up to loss of consciousness, convulsions. Symptoms of specific signs vary depending on the locationtumor localization.
Headache - regardless of the causes - is an extremely unpleasant condition that provokes a decrease in efficiency and a deterioration in general well-being and mood. Particular attention should be paid to the quality of treatment of symptoms: ordinary pain may hide a serious illness that requires urgent treatment. When planning to go to the hospital and wondering who to turn to, determine the importance of the very fact of visiting a doctor and following his recommendations. Start with a therapist or neurologist. If additional consultations are needed, specialists will refer you to highly specialized doctors for a conversation.
