Inflammatory Headaches
An inflammatory, or traction, headache is caused by pressure within the head, due to any of a variety of disorders.Causes
Clogged sinuses and sinus infections are probably the chief cause of this type of headache. The sinuses are the cavities within the facial bones. When mucus, which normally flows freely through the sinuses and drains down the nasopharynx or out the nose, cannot drain properly, it collects in the sinuses and causes excess pressure on the surrounding tissues, leading to headache.
Other causes of inflammatory headaches include an aneurysm (a bulge in a blood vessel) in the head and a brain tumor. Aneurysms may not cause pain until they rupture or enlarge rapidly. Brain tumors are usually associated with swelling in the surrounding tissues, which may cause increased pressure within the skull and, as a result, a dull, constant painful headache. Anyone who experiences the abrupt onset of a severe headache or "the worst headache of my life" should seek medical evaluation immediately.
High blood pressure, which causes blood to rush through the vessels with too great a force; infections, which inflame sensitive tissue; and fever, which may enlarge the blood vessels, can also cause headache due to excess pressure within the skull.
Symptoms
The symptoms of an inflammatory headache are a dull, aching pain, often occurring early in the day, accompanied by a feeling of pressure in the head. The pain is heightened by sneezing, coughing, bending over, or doing anything that increases the amount of blood in the head.
Diagnosis
This type of headache is diagnosed by determining first whether sinus problems are causing it. If not, the doctor may order an electroencephalogram (EEG), which is a visual record of electrical activity in the brain; X-ray studies; a computed tomographic (CT) scan, which provides a cross-sectional picture of the brain; or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study, which yields images comparable to those obtained with CT but without the use of X rays. These tests can detect the presence of a tumor, an aneurysm, or another abnormality in the brain that may be responsible for causing the headache.
Treatment
Inflammatory headaches are treated according to their causes. Those triggered by a sinus infection can be treated with painkillers, antibiotics to fight the infection, or antihistamines and decongestants to dry out and help drain the sinuses. Headaches resulting from more serious disorders, such as a brain tumor, will almost certainly require further evaluation and treatment.
Prevention
Prevention of these headaches is sometimes possible if the cause is as simple as a sinus infection. For example, if you suffer from frequent sinus headaches, you should stop smoking. Smokers seem particularly prone to sinus infections.
The inflammatory headache is somewhat different from the migraine and muscle contraction types, but all three obviously have this in common: They can be extremely painful.
