Question: Hi, why and how do we get headaches?

Rebecca Dewey answered on 24 Jun 2015:

We have pain receptors at certain points within the brain – and these can sense if something is wrong. These sensory nerves then tell the pain matrix – a network of areas in the brain that deal with pain.

There are all sorts of causes for headaches. Most of the normal, transient ones are dehydration and inflammation. If we’re very thirsty and need to drink more fluid, we can get a headache. Alternatively, if we’re poorly and areas such as the sinuses have become inflamed (swollen, red and sore) then we might get a head ache. You also get inflammation and soreness around a bruise if you bang your head. Sometimes (very very rarely) a headache can mean something more sinister is going wrong in the brain, so persistent headaches should not be ignored.