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How Come I Never Get Headaches?

Last updated on November 28th, 2022 at 11:46 am

How Come I Never Get Headaches? If you never get headaches, you are part of a very small, but very lucky percentage of the population…

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A headache is very common and most people would experience headaches at some time in their lives. Around 50% to 75% of adults would have experienced a headache at least once a year.

Nearly 4% of people in the world would have experienced a headache on more than 15 days a month. There are more than 200 types of headaches, which explains why most people get a headache.

If you have never got a headache, then you are one of the lucky few in the world. There would hardly be around 10% of the people in the world who would never have suffered from a headache.

Why Do I Never Get Headaches?

A study showed that there are around 4% people who have never experienced a headache in their lives. It is believed that this could be due to various environmental or biological reasons.

It is believed that if you never get a headache, it could be because you have a lower sensitivity to pain as compared to others.

It is possible that you have had a headache but because of enhanced pain sensitivity, you never felt it. You may even have experienced headache-related sensations but did not consider it painful enough to classify as a headache

How Come I Never Get Headaches?

I Never Get Headache But Have One Now

Since it is rare for people not to experience a headache, if you get one it is something uncommon. Virtually, everyone experiences a headache for some reason or the other.

It could be due to the weather, eg: weather turning cold. Sometimes, you can get a headache due to eating or drinking something that didn’t agree with you.

The headache could even be due to stiffness in the neck muscle. This could have happened due to a wrong posture while sleeping.

An occasional headache is not a cause for worry. Even if you are experiencing a headache for the first time, don’t worry. Most headaches go away on their own without any need for medication.

If the headache does not reduce in intensity or if you keep getting headaches repeatedly then you need to visit a doctor.

I Have Never Had a Migraine. Am I Immune?

A migraine is essentially a neurological disease that causes a headache. The headache that a migraine causes can be severe and even debilitating

If you have never had a migraine, you must consider yourself fortunate. Migraine can last for hours and even days causing an array of symptoms.

Around 15% of people across the world are believed to be suffering from migraines. So, if you have never had a migraine, it is not uncommon.

Generally, in a majority of cases migraine occurs due to genetic reasons. If no one in your family has ever had a migraine, the chances of you getting a migraine is less.

There are certain triggers like alcohol, a certain type of food, or weather changes that trigger a migraine. When you are not susceptible to any such trigger, then you are unlikely to have a migraine.

If you have a strong immune system, it offers you protection against conditions like migraine. Boosting your immunity could make you immune from migraines.

How Come I Never Get Headaches?

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What Does A Headache Feel Like?

A headache can have varying symptoms depending on the type of headache you have. Tension headaches are common and you can experience symptoms like:

  • Pain that can be mild or moderate.
  • Pain on both sides of the head with no throbbing.
  • Consistent pain that usually responds well to medication (even OTC).
  • Can worsen with some activity (like when you bend or walk upstairs).

The most severe headaches are migraine. A person having a migraine would experience:

  • Pain that is moderate or even severe and debilitating.
  • Pain that lasts for a very long time – even for days.
  • Throbbing pain that can cause a pounding sensation.
  • Sensitivity to light or smells or noise.
  • Vomiting or feeling nauseous.

If you are experiencing a cluster headache, it can be throbbing in nature. You may experience the headache behind the eyes. The headache would be intense, and you can have a stabbing sensation.

Why Do We Get Headaches?

Headaches can be classified as primary or secondary. The reason you get a headache would depend on the type of headache.

Primary headaches include migraine, cluster headache, and tension headache. The causes for these headaches include:

  • Certain type of foods, especially those that have nitrates.
  • Stress.
  • Not having a meal on time.
  • Not being able to sleep well.
  • Posture-related problems and neck pain.
  • Alcohol consumption.

Secondary headaches occur in your brain due to some other problem that you are having. These problems could be causing your headache. Some of the common causes for secondary headaches are:

  • Sinus infections.
  • A concussion due to a blow or injury.
  • Infection in the ear.
  • A hangover.
  • A clot in the brain or an aneurysm or tumor in the brain.
  • The result of a panic attack.
  • High blood pressure.
  • Glaucoma.
  • The side effects of medication you are taking.

Does Everyone Get Headaches?

According to the World Health Organization, 1 out of 20 people has a headache nearly every single day. 1 out of 7 adults suffer from migraines.

A large majority of people (nearly 90%) would have experienced a headache some time during their lives. Headaches are very common and can range from mild pain to severe throbbing pain.

Most people experience some types of headache. While some may experience headaches frequently, most others get it occasionally.

In most cases, headaches resolve on their own or after taking medication or any home remedy. In some cases, the headache may need long-term treatment.

FAQ related to never getting a headache or migraine

Since headaches are common, most people would have experienced at least a mild headache. People have many questions about headaches since they are concerned about the symptoms involved.

Most questions are related to migraines and tension headaches since they occur commonly. The following is a list of common questions related to headaches with the answers.

Does everyone get a headache?

Almost, 90% of people would have got a headache at some time or the other. There are many others who experience very mild headaches that may not cause distressing symptoms.

Virtually, everyone has headaches in some form or the other. While some people get headaches occasionally, others suffer from headaches frequently.

Having a headache occasionally is not a problem and could be due to various reasons. Treatment is needed only when headaches occur frequently.

How Come I Never Get Headaches?

Are some people immune to headaches?

There is a possibility that some people are immune to headaches. A more logical explanation is that they have a higher sensitivity to pain.

This creates a situation where even if they experience a mild headache, they don’t feel the symptoms. The result is they feel they are immune to headaches.

There are some 5% to 10% people who have never experienced a headache. It is unlikely that they are immune to headaches.

They could have a higher immunity level that makes them not experience the pain that comes from a headache.

Why do some people get migraines others don’t?

It is estimated that nearly 1 out of every 7 adults suffer from migraine. This has made migraine a common type of headache.

A question that would have arisen in your mind is why some people get migraines while others don’t. The answer for this question lies in understanding more about migraines.

Knowing the causes of migraines will help in answering this question. Doctors do not fully understand the exact reason why a person gets a migraine.

The two primary factors involved are genetic and environmental. It is believed that any imbalance in brain chemicals can lead to migraine.

People who do suffer from migraine get a migraine attack due to certain factors known as triggers. Exposure to these triggers leads a migraine attack.

Some of the common triggers for migraine attacks include:

  • Food and drink, when a particular type of food is consumed. Alcohol and caffeine are triggers in most people.
  • Stress can trigger a migraine attack.
  • Hormonal changes that occur in women, especially during menstruation can trigger migraine.
  • Sleeping less or sleeping too much can trigger a migraine attack.
  • A change in the weather condition (eg: sudden cold) can trigger migraine.
  • Exposure to certain sensory stimuli like flashing lights, smell of paint or fragrance, and smoke can cause migraine.
  • Physical activity (eg: sexual intercourse) can trigger a migraine attack in some people.
  • Certain medicines like oral contraceptives and vasodilators can cause migraine.

There have been some studies that looked at why some people get migraine and others don’t. Most people are exposed to the triggers described above but not all get migraine.

It is now believed that there are structural changes in the brain that make a person more susceptible to migraine. These changes could be due to genetic factors.

People with migraine could have a thinner brain cortex making them liable to get migraine. The coating in our nerves (known as myelin) can break down leading to inflammation.

This inflammation causes migraine. The breaking down of myelin is why some people get migraine and others don’t.

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