• Question: what causes headaches?

    Asked by charlottewilliams to Carol, Ellie, John, Philip, Rebecca on 26 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Rebecca Lacey

      Rebecca Lacey answered on 26 Jun 2012:

      Headaches are caused by two main things. The first is very common and is when the blood vessels under the skin get narrower (constrict) and congested with blood. This can be caused by dehydration – when someone has not consumed enough fluids or has drunk too much alcohol.

      The second is very uncommon, but very serious. It is caused by an increase in pressure within the skull for example in a brain tumour or a bleed within the skull.

    • Photo: Carol White

      Carol White answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      Hi charlottewilliams – I hope Rebecca solved the biological puzzle of headaches!

      There are lots of different triggers that people aren’t aware of, such as
      – Stress & anger: which affects your hormones and how narrow the blood vessels are
      – Bad posture: creates tension in your back/neck
      – Perfume & strong smells: some of the chemicals have been found to bring on headaches!
      – Weather: seriously…. grey sky, humidity, high temperatures and storms are all related changing in air pressure which can trigger a headache!
      – Light: if it’s too bright, or flickering, light can increase certain chemicals in the brain that cause migraines.
      – Food: scientists have identified a few chemicals present in things like cheese that can give you a headache!

      All a bit daunting really, eek!

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