There are many types of headaches, and their causes and symptoms can vary. While most last only a short time and are rarely a cause for concern, being able to recognize what type of headache a person is experiencing can tell them how best to treat it and whether they should see a doctor.
Headaches are a common complaint. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), most people will experience a headache from time to time. While they can sometimes be strong and debilitating, most can be treated with pain relievers and will go away within several hours.
However, repeated attacks or certain types of headaches could signify something more serious.
This article discusses some of the most common types of headaches, along with their causes, treatment, prevention, and when to see a doctor.
The International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) Edition defines more than 150 different types of headache pain. head, Which is divided into two main categories: primary and secondary.
Primary headachesA primary headache is not caused by another condition but is the condition itself. For example, migraines and tension headaches can be mentioned.
1. Migraines
A person who suffers from migraine usually feels intense, stabbing pain on only one side of the head. The person may experience increased sensitivity to light, sounds, and smells.
Feeling nauseous and vomiting are also common. About a third of people with migraine experience an aura that precedes the onset of the headache. These are visual and sensory disturbances that generally last between 5 and 60 minutes.
They may include: seeing zigzag lines, flashing lights, or partial vision lossnumbnessstabs and stings muscular weakness difficulty speaking in mind and
aura symptoms may also indicate a stroke or meningitis. Anyone experiencing them for the first time should see a doctor immediately. Migraines tend to be recurring, and each attack can last up to 3 days.
For many, it is a lifelong condition. While a migraine can occur in adults and children, it is three times more likely to develop in women than in men.
The frequency of episodes can vary from several times a week to once a year. The causes of migraine are not completely understood.
However, they are often hereditary. Migraines are also more common in people with certain pre-existing conditions, such as depression and epilepsy.
Migraine triggers could include: stress and anxiety sleep disturbance hormonal changes mealsdehydrationsome foods and medicationsbright lights and loud noisesOver-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, such as ibuprofen or aspirin, can relieve or reduce headache pain or shorten its duration.
Doctors may prescribe an antiemetic medication to relieve nausea and vomiting, such as metoclopramide or ondansetron. Combinations of migraine medications can also be purchased.
They can relieve episodes at: rest in a dark and quiet placeplace an ice pack or cold cloth on your foreheaddrinking water for more difficult-to-treat migraines, doctors may prescribe a type of drug called triptan, such as sumatriptan or rizatriptan.
A person should take all medications as soon as migraine symptoms begin to improve their effectiveness.
People with chronic migraines should consult a doctor to learn about preventive treatments.
A doctor may diagnose a person with chronic migraine if they experience headaches: more than 15 days per month for 3 months in which migraine symptoms appear in at least eightPharmacological options for migraine prevention include topiramate, propranolol, and amitriptyline.
Other pain management options to consider include dietary supplements, meditation, acupuncture, and neuromodulation therapy, in which electrical pulses to the nerves.
2. Tension headaches
They are very common and most people will experience them occasionally. They present as a dull, constant pain felt on both sides of the head.
Other symptoms may include tenderness in the face, head, neck, and shoulders feeling of pressure behind the eyes sensitivity to light and sound these headaches usually last between 30 minutes and several hours.
The severity can vary, but they rarely prevent normal activities. The cause of tension headaches is unclear, but stress, anxiety, and depression are common triggers.
Other possible triggers include: dehydration loud noiseslack of exercisenot sleeping wellincorrect postureskip mealsEye fatigueOver-the-counter pain relievers such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen (paracetamol), and aspirin are often very effective in relieving or reducing pain.
People who experience headaches for more than 15 days a month in 90 days should consult a doctor.
Lifestyle changes and some treatments can help prevent tension headaches. Among them: getting enough exercise regularly and improving posture while sitting and standing getting eye management of stress, anxiety, or depression acupuncture
3. Cluster headache
Cluster headaches can cause a burning sensation with pain behind the eyes. Cluster headaches are severe and recurrent, and are six times more likely to develop in men than women. People describe intense burning or stabbing pain behind or around one eye.
Other symptoms may include: watery eyes swollen eyelidstuffy or runny nose sensitivity to light and sound restlessness or agitationCluster headaches are usually sudden, without warning, and last between 15 minutes and 3 hours. People can experience up to eight episodes a day.
Episodes tend to occur in daily “clusters” that can persist for weeks or months. They usually occur at the same time of day, which is usually a couple of hours after you fall asleep at night.
Anyone who experiences these symptoms, which can sometimes be confused with rhinitis, should consult your doctor.
The cause of cluster headaches is unclear, but they are more likely to occur in people who smoke.
It is important to avoid alcohol during episodes. Treatment aims to reduce the severity and frequency of episodes. Options include: melatonin therapylithiumDoctors may suggest surgery in cases that are very difficult to treat.
4. Exertional headaches
Exertional headaches are caused by intense physical exercise and can be triggered by: running weights-sexual relations coughing or sneezing attacks headaches are usually short-lived, but can sometimes last up to 2 days.
They present as a stabbing pain that can be felt throughout the head and are more common in people with a family history of migraine.
People experiencing cluster headaches for the first time should see a doctor, as they could be a sign of something serious. Most episodes can be treated with over-the-counter pain relievers.
Taking a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) or beta-blocker before exercise can help prevent headaches, as can warm-up exercises.
5. Hypnic headaches
A hypnic headache is a rare condition that usually first manifests at age 50, but can begin earlier. It is also known as a “wake-up” headache, as it usually wakes up the sufferer during the night. This type of headache consists of a mild to moderate throbbing pain usually felt on both sides of the head.
It can last up to 3 hours and be accompanied by other symptoms that may include nausea and sensitivity to light and sound.
People may experience several episodes each week. The cause of hypnic headache is not understood and its triggers are not known.
While hypnic headache is harmless, an older person experiencing any new type of headache for the first time should see a doctor. Migraine and cluster headaches should also be ruled out.
The main treatment option is caffeine, taken in tablets or in cups of coffee before bed. Other pharmaceutical options include indomethacin, melatonin, and lithium.
Secondary headachesA secondary headache is a symptom of something else, such as pain resulting from head trauma or sudden caffeine withdrawal.
6. Headache from overuse of medications
Certain medications can cause frequent headaches when taken regularly. A medication overuse headache (MOH), sometimes known as a rebound headache, is the most common type of secondary headache.
An MOH is characterized by a frequent or daily headache with symptoms similar to tension pain or migraines. This type of headache initially responds to pain relievers but returns later.
MOH can result from taking pain relievers for more than 15 days in a month. These medications can cause MOH: opioids acetaminophen (paracetamol)triptans, such as sumatriptan NSAIDs, such as aspirin or ibuprofenMOH can still occur after taking these medications as directed.
However, it appears to develop primarily in people who take pain relievers, specifically for the treatment of back pain. head.
The only treatment for MOH is to stop taking the medication that caused the pain in the first place. Anyone stopping medication should do so under the supervision of a doctor.
The doctor will be able to help design a plan and prescribe other drugs that will facilitate the withdrawal process. Symptoms are likely to get worse before they get better after the medication has been stopped. The headaches will usually stop within 10 days.
Other withdrawal symptoms usually go away within 7 days but can take up to 3 weeks. Among them: are nausea and vomitingincrise of cardiac frequency sleep disturbance restlessness, anxiety, and nervousness most people return to their original headache pattern 2 months later.
After this, it may be safe to start taking pain relief medications again. The following steps can help prevent MOH: avoid the-codeine use limit pain reliever use to no more than 2 days a week use preventative medications for a chronic migraine
7. Sinus headache
Sinus headache is caused by sinusitis, an inflammation of the sinuses, which is usually the result of an infection or allergy. Symptoms include a dull, stabbing pain around the eyes, cheeks, and forehead.
The pain may worsen with movement or exertion and may sometimes spread to the teeth and jaw. This type of headache is usually accompanied by a thick green or yellow nasal discharge.
Other symptoms may include nasal obstruction, fever, nausea, and sensitivity to light or noise. Sinus headache is quite rare. If there are no nasal symptoms, a headache of this nature is more likely to be a migraine.
Sinus headaches can be treated with over-the-counter pain relievers and nasal decongestants. People should see a doctor if symptoms do not improve within a week.
A doctor may prescribe antibiotics, if he or she believes that the cause of the pain is a bacterial infection, or antihistamines, in the case of an allergy.
Doctors may also prescribe a corticosteroid nasal inhaler to help reduce swelling.
To diagnose the underlying cause of sinusitis, a doctor may refer a person to an ear, nose, and throat specialist. In some cases, surgical drainage may be necessary.
8. Caffeine-related headache
Excessive caffeine consumption, more than 400 milligrams (mg), or about 4 cups of coffee a day, can sometimes cause headaches. In people who have consumed more than 200 mg of caffeine per day for more than 2 weeks, withdrawal can cause migraine-like headaches. They usually develop within 24 hours after abruptly stopping use.
Other possible symptoms include fatigue difficulty focusing bad mood The symptoms usually may be relieved within one hour of ingesting caffeine or resolve completely within 7 days of complete abstinence.
The effects of caffeine vary from person to person, but reducing consumption may lower your risk of headaches. Limiting caffeine consumption is sometimes recommended for chronic migraine sufferers.
9. Headache due to head trauma
Minor bumps and bumps to the head and neck are common and generally not a cause for concern. Sometimes the headache can develop immediately or shortly afterward, and often resembles a migraine or tension headache.
They can usually be treated with over-the-counter pain relievers. Anyone experiencing persistent or worsening headaches should see a doctor.
Always call an ambulance for serious head injuries, or if someone experiences the following symptoms after any type of head injury:unconsciousnessseizuresvomitingmemory lossconfusionvision or hearing problemsPost-traumatic headache can also develop months after the original head injury, making it difficult to diagnose.
Sometimes it can occur daily and persist for up to 12 months.
10. Menstrual headache
Headache is often related to changes in hormonal levels. In women, migraine is often linked to periods due to natural changes in estrogen levels.
These menstrual migraines develop a few days before or during a period, or sometimes during ovulation.
Symptoms are similar to migraine without aura but may last longer or be more debilitating. Hormonal headaches can also be caused by: oral contraceptivesmenopausepregnancyTreatment for a menstrual headache is the same as that for migraine without aura.
Doctors can advise on possible preventive measures, such as hormone therapy a triptan, or NSAID close to the time of your period alternative oral contraception plans, such as skipping the pill breakhormone replacement therapy for women during menopause.
11. Hangover headaches
Consuming too much alcohol can cause a throbbing headache in the morning or later that same day. This migraine-like headache is usually felt on both sides of the head and worsens with movement.
A person with a hangover headache may also experience nausea and sensitivity to light. There is no cure for a hangover, but symptoms can be relieved by drinking plenty of water and eating sugary foods.
Over-the-counter pain relievers can help reduce or relieve headache pain. Hangover symptoms tend to disappear within 72 hours.
The risk of getting a hangover can be reduced by Drinking in moderation not drinking on an empty stomach.
- drinking water between alcoholic
- drinks and before going to bed
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