Sometimes I have headaches. I've heard that they're caused by the pressure of veins in my brain (not anything more). I found out that if I cool my forehead or eyelids with water, the pain stops.
Am I actually healing the cause or just cloaking the symptoms?
(It does not hurry, I'm just interested ;)
You are possibly reducing some of the causes of the symptoms, but for numerous reasons and maybe a secondary diagnosis the headaches themselves may return. Head cooling is a typical treatment for headaches and migraines.
Ice packs have a numbing effect, which may dull the sensation of pain.
Heat works as well.
Hot packs and heating pads can relax tense muscles. Warm showers or baths may have a similar effect.
It is thought that cold constricts the blood vessels (a process known as vasoconstriction), possibly creating decreased downstream blood flow and lessening the pain you may feed. A cold pack may also reduce edema (swelling).
The potential neurologic effects of cold therapy on migraine may be rooted in the fact that the cold inhibits your ability to feel the pain, a process called analgesia.
So applying cold is not just masking the symptoms, but may also be working at the root of the problem.
