DR. WALLACE: I'm 14 years old and healthy, but I do have a concern because I have been getting horrible headaches for almost a year now. I take over-the-counter medicine, but it only helps 1 out of roughly 5 times. The rest of the time the headache remains.

Because my headaches won't seem to go away, I'm scared that I may have a tumor or something like that. What should I do now, since I seem to keep getting them so often? — Pounding Head, via email

POUNDING HEAD: Unfortunately, for many people, headaches are a frequent and unwelcome part of life. Headaches can occur due to many factors, from eyestrain to dehydration, for example.

In your case, due to the length of time you have been experiencing recurring headaches, you need to see your primary care doctor as soon as possible to get a complete physical to see what factors might be in play.

According to Medical News Today, common factors that lead to headaches often include:

— Emotional, such as stress, depression or anxiety.

— Medical, such as a migraine or high blood pressure.

— Physical, such as an injury.

— Environmental, such as the weather.

Frequent or severe headaches can affect a person's quality of life. Knowing how to recognize the cause of a headache can help a person take appropriate action.

Headaches can cause various types of pain, and classifying the pain can help a doctor reach a diagnosis. Doctors also categorize headaches based on whether an underlying health condition is responsible for the pain. In other words, a headache may be primary or secondary.

A primary headache is not a symptom of an underlying illness. Instead, these headaches result from problems involving the structures of the head and neck.

A primary headache may be due to overactivity of:

— Specific areas of the brain.

— Blood vessels.

— Muscles.

— Nerves.

— Brain chemicals.

Common types of primary headaches include cluster and tension headaches. Also, headaches can result from using medication for the pain too often. In this case, a person has a medication-overuse headache, and this is another type of primary headache.

Secondary headaches typically have symptoms indicating underlying medical conditions. The cause of a secondary headache may be:

— Pregnancy.

— Systemic conditions such as an infection.

— Hypothyroidism.

— Giant cell arteritis.

— A stroke.

— A brain tumor.

Secondary headaches can sometimes result from serious health issues. It is very important to seek medical advice if any headache:

— Is severe or disruptive.

— Is persistent.

— Occurs regularly.

— Does not improve with medication.

— Occurs alongside other symptoms, such as confusion, a fever, sensory changes or stiffness in the neck.

As you can see, there are many types and factors that may cause and lead to recurring headaches. Please see your medical professional immediately to begin your diagnosis.

Dr. Robert Wallace welcomes questions from readers. Although he is unable to reply to all of them individually, he will answer as many as possible in this column. Email him at [email protected]. To find out more about Dr. Robert Wallace and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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