Common Types of Headaches

Common Types of Headaches

A headache is a pain in the head that can happen as throbbing, constant, sharp, or dull. Headaches are common and there are high chances you will experience them many times in your life. Headaches Arlington can result from medical conditions, physical injuries, environmental factors, or emotional aspects like stress. Some headaches resolve on their own, while others require medical care. If you experience a sudden, severe headache, a headache with fever, breath shortness, and a stiff neck or headache after a head injury or accident, seek medical attention. Also seek emergency care if your headache is accompanied by dizziness, numbness or tingling, sudden loss of balance, paralysis, speech difficulties, seizures, or vision changes. There are many types of headaches, and here are some.

Tension headache

A tension headache may be a dull, aching sensation all over your head. It is the most common type of headache, affecting about three-fourths of people worldwide. Tension headaches can be acute or chronic. You may also experience tenderness or sensitivity around your neck, forehead, scalp, or shoulder muscles. Anyone can have tension headaches, but they are triggered by stress in most people. 

Cluster headache

Cluster headaches present as severe burning and piercing pain. They happen around or behind one eye or side of a face at a time. Symptoms of cluster headaches may include swelling, redness and sweating, nasal congestion, and eye tearing on the side the headache affects. Cluster headaches happen in series, lasting between fifteen minutes to three hours. Most people experience one to four episodes of cluster headaches daily, often around the same time each day.

Migraine

Migraine pain is a severe pulsing from deep within your head. The pain can last for days. Migraine headaches hinder you from performing your daily assignments. They can make you sensitive to light and sound, and you may cause nausea and vomiting. Migraine headaches can be associated with nervous system problems or run in your family. Environmental factors like sleep disruption, dehydration, skipping meals, exposure to chemicals, and some foods can trigger migraines.

Thunderclap headaches

A thunderclap is an intense headache that happens rapidly. It reaches maximum intensity within thirty seconds to one minute and gradually fades in a few hours. Thunderclap headaches can be benign or a symptom of a severe condition requiring emergency care. Sometimes thunderclap headaches indicate blood vessel tears, ruptures or blockages, stroke, brain injury, or pituitary apoplexy. If you experience a thunderclap headache, seek immediate medical care, as they can indicate life-threatening conditions.

Medication overuse headaches

Medication overuse headaches, also called rebound headaches, develop when you take medications to treat headaches too often. Instead of relieving symptoms, the drugs increase the intensity and frequency of your headaches. Rebound headaches mostly result from opiate-based medicines like the ones that contain codeine or morphine. The headaches may accompany neck pain, restlessness, reduced sleep quality, and nasal congestion.

A headache is a pain in the head that can happen as throbbing, constant, sharp, or dull. There are many types of headaches, including tension, migraines, thunderclap, cluster, and rebound. Schedule an appointment at Neuropathy and Pain Centers of Texas for headache treatment to relieve your discomfort. 

Clare Louise