Types Of Headaches You Need To Know About!

We all have suffered from headaches sometime in our life. Sometimes it may go away in an hour and sometimes it might take a day! Ever wondered why your head pains at temples or the back? Well, there are different types of headaches! Yes, you heard it right! Crazy as it may sound, but there are different types of headaches based on their cause of origin. In this article, we’ll have an overview of all! So let’s get started!

Types of headaches

Many of us are familiar with some form of the throbbing, uncomfortable, and distracting pain of a headache. In this article, we will be looking at various types of headaches like migraines, cluster headaches, and even caffeine headaches!

The World Health Organization points out that nearly everyone experiences a headache once in a while. Headaches can generally be defined as pain “in any region of the head”. However, the cause, duration, and intensity of this pain can vary according to the type of headache.

In some cases, a headache may require immediate medical attention. Seek immediate medical care if you’re experiencing any of the following alongside your headache:
-confusion and slurred speech
-fever of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher
-paralysis in any part of your body
However, If your headache is less severe, read on! This article will help you to learn how to identify the type of headache you may be experiencing and what you can do to ease your symptoms.

1) Tension headache

As the name suggests, this type of headache is triggered by stress and tension. Say you’re stressed about an exam, have you ever felt an aching all over your head? If yes, tension is what’s creating this headache.

Apart from the headache, sensitivity around your neck, forehead, scalp, or shoulder muscles might occur.

Tension headaches are often episodic and go away quickly. However, you can take over-the-counter (OTC) medicines like Asprin or Ibuprofen.

2) Migraine

Due to our erratic lifestyles, migraine, which was once rare, has now become quite common. Migraine is characterized by intense pulsing from deep within your head. This horrible pain limits your day to day activities. Furthermore, people suffering from migraines have hypersensitivity towards light and sound. Also, there have been reports where people vomit and feel nausea.

Migraine is quite interesting! Before experiencing the actual, dreadful headache, one out of five people suffers from visual disturbances known as an aura. These may include zig- zag lines, blind spots, or even stars!

One might wonder what triggers such a gruesome headache? Some factors like sleep disruption, skipping meals, or hormonal fluctuations may cause migraines. But it may also run in your family! Did you know that women are three times more likely to develop migraines than men!

If OTC medicines don’t help in relieving the pain, doctors may prescribe triptans. Triptans are drugs that decrease inflammation and change the flow of blood within your brain. They come in the form of nasal sprays, pills, and injections.

3) Cluster headaches

Unlike its name, a cluster headache isn’t a collection of headaches! They are characterized by severe burning and piercing pain around or behind one eye or on one side of the face at a time. In addition to the pain, symptoms like swelling, redness, flushing, nasal congestion, and sweating can occur on the side that’s affected by the headache.

Unlike migraines, men are more prone to cluster headaches than women! In migraines, one may experience an aura, but clusters are sudden and last about 15 min to 3 hours. However, they occur in series… another will soon follow after one episode is over. People often experience 4-5 headaches in a day.

Doctors haven’t been able to identify any particular cause for cluster headaches. However, once diagnosed, they may recommend Oxygen therapy or local anesthetics for pain relief.

4) Sinus headache

As the name suggests, this headache triggers the sinus area in front of your head. People who have severe allergies or sinuses are prone to such headaches.

The symptoms consist of a dull, throbbing ache around the eyes, cheeks, and forehead. These headaches are usually accompanied by thick green or yellow nasal discharge. Other symptoms may include blocked nose, fever, nausea, and light or sound sensitivity.

Sinus headaches are often treated through pain relievers and other OTC nasal decongestants. A doctor may prescribe an antihistamine (if caused due to allergy) or an antibiotic (if caused due to bacterial infection).

5) Hormone headaches

These headaches are often experienced by women during their menses or pregnancy. A fluctuation in estrogen levels results in hormonal headaches. These are often known as menstrual headaches.

These are similar to migraines but minus the aura. However, they can be more deliberating and last longer. Hormonal headaches generally occur just before or during periods, during pregnancy or menopause.

Now because the headache is related to hormones, the cure lies in the balance of it. Doctors often recommend hormonal therapy or give medicines during periods. Handling the period AND a headache? Salute to all the women!

6) Caffeine headaches

To all the self-proclaimed chai and coffee lovers, this one’s for you! There are two types of caffeine headaches. One which results die too excess consumption and one due to its withdrawal.

The real question is how much coffee is bad? Heavy caffeine consumption, that’s 4 cups (400mg) can cause caffeine- related headaches.

People consuming 2 cups for over 2 weeks are prone to experience migraine-like withdrawal headaches. This is why you get a headache if you don’t get your subah and Shaam ki chai!

You might feel better within an hr of caffeine intake. If you’re hell-bent on stopping your caffeine addiction, get ready for a week of abrupt headaches, and then you’ll be fine!

7) Hangover headaches

Now we get to the juicy part! We all know that consuming too much alcohol can lead to a throbbing headache the next morning or even later that day. These headaches are similar to migraines. The pain usually felt on both sides of the head and is made worse by movement. A person suffering from a hangover headache may even experience nausea and sensitivity to light.

There’s no go-to cure for hangovers. However, you might be aware that drinking loads of water and eating sugary foods help in recovering from it. If nothing, OTC medicines mostly do the trick and get you going!

Want to enjoy a Sunday night of drinking and not face the dreadful hangover? Well here’s what you need to keep in mind. Firstly, never drink on an empty stomach. Secondly, drink in moderation. Don’t go all out! And lastly, be smart and drink water between alcoholic beverages. A glass of water for a glass of beer will get you up the next morning! Also, don’t forget to drink lots of water before sleeping.

Concludingly, there are several other types of headaches like medicine overuse and head injury headaches. We have tried to cover all the major and more relatable ones. It’s always advisable to go to a doctor if the headache is persistent or recurrent. Also, don’t take random painkillers without a prescription. Not all medicines work the same for everyone.

Headache is not a pleasant feeling to experience. A stable and balanced lifestyle is the best prevention for it. Drinking sufficient water, getting enough sleep, and having a proper diet can keep you fit and fine for the most part!

Let’s take a step back from our hectic lives and look back on ourselves for a while. It feels good to take care of one’s body and mind!

Till then, stay safe and koi headache maat palna!