There are many types of headaches. Some are caused by stress, others by sinus infections and yet others by migraines. But how do you tell the difference between these various headache types?
This article will teach you how to identify the type of headache you’re suffering from so you can get the help you need.
Headaches are very common. In fact, most adults experience a headache every day. However, not everyone knows how to identify the type and cause of their headache. It’s important to know the difference because each type has its own treatment.
This article will explain the different types of headaches, how to recognize them, and how to treat them correctly.
Table of Contents
There are two types of Headaches
Primary Headaches
Primary headaches include migraines, tension-type headaches, cluster headaches, and sinus headaches. These are the most common types of headaches.
Secondary headaches
Secondary Headache include those caused by infections, such as sinusitis and ear infections, and those caused by conditions like high blood pressure, stress, and sleep disorders.
What Causes Headaches?
There are many different types of headaches, including tension headaches, migraine headaches, cluster headaches, sinus headaches, and others. But there are only two main reasons people get headaches: stress and dehydration.
Stress is the number one cause of headaches. In fact, stress is the most common reason people get headaches. Other common reasons include dehydration (not drinking enough water), lack of sleep, and poor diet.
The second major cause of headaches is dehydration. Dehydration occurs when we don’t drink enough water. This leads to headaches because our brains need water to function properly.
Other common causes of headaches include:
- Lack of sleep
- Poor diet
- Stress
- Overuse of caffeine
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Certain medications
- Sinus infections
- Allergies
- Infections
To identify the cause of your headache, ask yourself these questions:
1. What was happening when I had this headache?
2. Was there anything unusual going on at work or home?
3. Did I eat poorly or drink too much alcohol?
4. Is my head hurting because of a cold, flu, or another illness?
5. Have I been sleeping well lately?
6. Are my muscles tense?
7. Do I feel stressed out?
8. Am I having trouble concentrating?
9. Does my vision seem blurry?
10. Is my jaw sore?
11. Have I recently injured myself?
12. Have I recently taken medication?
13. Has anyone close to me been sick recently?
14. Have I recently changed my diet?
Tension Headache
Tension headaches are another common type of headache. These headaches are often triggered by stress, anxiety, or fatigue. Tension headaches typically last between 30 minutes and 2 days and may include neck stiffness, jaw clenching, and/or back pain.
Tension headaches are often confused with migraine headaches. But they’re not the same. Tension headaches are usually located at the back of the head, and behind the eyes, and may be accompanied by stiff neck and neck pain. They’re typically mild and last only a short period of time.
Migraine Headache
If you suffer from chronic headaches, you may be suffering from a condition called migraine. Migraine is a neurological disorder that affects approximately 15% of women and 6% of men. Migraine is characterized by recurring episodes of intense throbbing or pulsating pain that occurs on one side of the head, neck, or face. These recurrent headaches can last anywhere from 4 hours to 72 hours.
There are two types of migraine:
- Migraine without aura
- Migraine with aura
Aura is an initial visual disturbance that occurs prior to the onset of the headache phase.
About 50% of patients with migraine have aura.
In addition to the headache, you may experience nausea, vomiting, photophobia, phonophobia, osmophobia, dizziness, fatigue, paresthesia, and tinnitus.
Cluster Headache
Cluster headaches are characterized by severe unilateral head pain lasting 15 to 180 minutes. Cluster headaches are rare, affecting only 1% of people worldwide.
Cluster headaches are extremely painful, last for hours, and occur in clusters. They’re often misdiagnosed as migraines because they share many symptoms. But cluster headaches don’t respond well to migraine medications, and they’re not caused by stress or tension.
The pain occurs in the head behind the eyes (the back of the neck) and sometimes spreads down the face. Cluster headaches usually come in waves, lasting anywhere from two weeks to three months.
They’re most common between ages 30 and 50, although anyone can get them. In fact, some people never experience a single episode of cluster headaches.
There are four types of cluster headaches: classic, ophthalmic, paroxysmal hemicrania, and short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT).
Classic Cluster Headache
Classic cluster headaches are the most common type. They’re characterized by severe, throbbing pain in the forehead and/or temples that lasts for 15 minutes to several hours. Classic cluster headaches may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light.
Ophthalmic Cluster Headache
Ophthalmic cluster headaches affect only the eyes. People who suffer from these headaches feel pressure inside their eyeballs, which makes them very sensitive to bright lights.
Paroxysmal Hemicaniala Headache
Paroxysmal hemicaniala headache affects only half of the body, including the face, scalp, and upper part of the neck. Paroxysmal hemicaniala headaches are similar to classic cluster headaches, except they’re shorter in duration and tend to happen once every week or month.
SUNCT
Short-lasting unilateral neuralgic attack with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) is a rare form of cluster headache. SUNCTs are characterized by intense stabbing pains in one side of the head, along with redness and swelling of the eyelid. The pain tends to spread throughout the head and face.
People who suffer from SUNCTs may experience other symptoms, such as a feeling of fullness in the jaw, numbness, tingling, and burning sensations.
To identify whether you have a cluster headache, ask yourself if any of the following symptoms apply to you:
• Pain that starts in the back of the head and moves toward the front
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sensitivity to light
• Difficulty concentrating
• Dizziness
• Feeling tired all the time
• A sore throat
• Fatigue
• An upset stomach
• Changes in mood
• Problems sleeping
• Excessive sweating
• Loss of appetite
If you answer yes to at least 3 of those questions, it’s possible you have a cluster headache. If you think you might have a cluster headache, talk to your doctor about getting an appointment.
Sinus Headache
Another most common type of headache is sinus headache. Sinuses are air-filled cavities located behind each ear. They’re responsible for draining mucous from the nasal cavity and helping keep the nose clear.
When the sinuses become blocked, they produce pressure inside the head. This pressure creates pain in the face and forehead. In some cases, the pressure can cause facial swelling.
Sinus headaches are usually triggered by allergies, colds, or upper respiratory infections. However, there are many other possible triggers including stress, poor posture, and sleep deprivation.
If you experience sinus headache, try taking over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) or acetaminophen (Tylenol). These medicines help reduce inflammation and relieve pain.
Other things you can do include drinking plenty of water, getting enough sleep, avoiding allergens, and exercising regularly.
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Medication Overuse Headache (MOH)
If you’re taking medication, there’s a good chance you’ve experienced headaches at some point. Headaches are common side effects of many medications, including over-the-counter pain relievers, anti-depressants, blood pressure medications, and others.
Also, for Migraines, they’re usually treated with painkillers. But many people use too many painkillers, leading to medication overuse headache (MOH). MOH is when people take medications for migraines long after their symptoms have gone away. This leads to rebound headaches, where the person feels worse than ever because the drugs aren’t working anymore.
Headaches Caused by Diet and Food
If you’re having headaches, you may be wondering whether they’re caused by diet and food. Headaches can be caused by many things, including stress, lack of sleep, dehydration, and poor nutrition. But there are some foods that can cause headaches.
Some common culprits include caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, nuts, dairy, wheat, gluten, soy, and MSG (monosodium glutamate). So if you’re experiencing headaches, try an elimination diet, cutting out these foods and see if your headaches go away.
However, if you still experience headaches after eliminating these foods, you might need to visit your doctor. Your doctor can help determine whether your headaches are due to a medical condition, such as sinusitis or migraines, or if they’re just a result of eating too much junk food.
Other types of headaches
Other types of headaches include:
Cervicogenic Headaches
Cervicogenic headaches are a type of headache that is caused by neck pain. They are also known as cervicogenic headaches, cervical headaches or occipital neuralgia. Cervical headaches can be classified into two types: primary and secondary. Primary cervical headaches include tension-type headaches and migraine headaches. Secondary cervical headaches include those associated with other disorders such as whiplash injuries, multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, and temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ). The most common cause of cervicogenic headaches is whiplash injury. Other causes include cervical spondylosis, cervical disc herniation, and cervical radiculopathy.
Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN)
It is a common neuropathic pain syndrome characterized by paroxysmal severe unilateral facial pain, which can be triggered or aggravated by innocuous stimuli. The prevalence of TN in the general population has been reported to range from 0.2% to 1%, and it increases with age. Although the reasons of TN remains unclear, several factors have been suggested as triggers for this condition: vascular compression, central nervous system degeneration, demyelination, and nerve injury.
Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ)
If you’ve ever had a headache, you know they’re not always just a simple case of stress or fatigue. Sometimes they’re caused by problems with your teeth or jaw.
When this happens, you may experience pain in your head, neck, face, shoulders, or back. This type of headache is called a jaw or dental problem headache.
The most common cause of these types of headaches is TMJ disorder (temporomandibular joint disorder). This condition occurs when the muscles surrounding your temporomandibular joints become inflamed. These muscles connect your skull to your lower jaw.
Other possible causes include bruxism (teeth grinding), clenching or grinding your teeth, and tooth decay.
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (iih)
It is a disorder characterized by increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure and optic nerve head swelling. It has been reported that the prevalence of IIH in women is higher than that in men, with an estimated incidence rate of 1–4 per 100,000 person-years. The reasons causing IIH remains unclear; however, it is commonly associated with obesity, pregnancy, or hormonal changes.
Postdural Puncture Headache (pdph)
It is a common complication of spinal anesthesia. It usually occurs within 24 hours after surgery in patients who have received lumbar epidural analgesia for postoperative pain relief. PDPH can be classified as early or delayed based on its onset time. Early-onset PDPH presents with severe headaches that occur immediately after dural puncture, while delayed-onset PDP is characterized by milder symptoms that begin later than 48 hours after surgery.
Ophthalmoplegic Migraine (OM)
OM is a rare, non-familial headache syndrome characterized by recurrent attacks of unilateral or bilateral ocular pain and ipsilateral cranial nerve palsies. The pathophysiology of OM remains unclear; however, the involvement of cortical spreading depression (CSD), which is considered to be a mechanism underlying aura in migraine, has been suggested \ \]. CSD is an electroencephalographic phenomenon that occurs during migraine with aura. It is defined as a slow wave that propagates along the cortex at a rate of 1 mm/min and reaches its maximum amplitude within 2 seconds. CSD can be recorded using electroencephalogram (EEG). In general, CSD is not accompanied by clinical symptoms
Bell’s Palsy
Bell’s palsy is a relatively common condition, with an estimated incidence of 1.5–2 per 100 000 person-years. It typically affects the first branch of the facial nerve and results in weakness or paralysis of one side of the face. The most commonly affected areas are the muscles that control eye closure (e.g., orbicularis oculi) and those involved in smiling (e.g., zygomaticus major). In some cases, there may be associated headaches.
The cause of Bell’s palsy remains unclear; however, several factors have been implicated as possible causes, including viral infection, immune system activation, trauma, and genetic predisposition.
Temporal Arteritis
Temporal arteritis is a disease that affects arteries in the temporal region of the brain. Patients with temporal arteritis often experience a stiffening of the arteries in the temple area, which leads to aching, burning, tingling, and numbness in the face.
Treatment for Headaches
Headache treatment depends upon the cause of the headache. If the headache is caused due to sinusitis, then antibiotics may be prescribed. For migraine, painkillers, anti-inflammatory drugs, and analgesics are used.
Other treatment options are physical therapy, acupuncture, massage, chiropractic care, and relaxation techniques.
In conclusion, headaches are very common, especially during the winter months. However, it’s important to know which type of headache you’re dealing with so that you can treat it properly. Headaches can range from mild to severe, and each has its own set of symptoms. Knowing what to look for can help you determine whether you need to seek medical attention right away or wait until later.
The most common types of headaches include tension headaches, migraines, sinus headaches, cluster headaches, and post-traumatic headaches. Each of these conditions has their own unique causes and symptoms, so knowing what to look for can save you a trip to the doctor.
Source: American Headache Society