Nearly everyone has experienced a headache at least once or twice, but some people experience them more often and more severely than others. Minor headaches can be ignored or eliminated by over-the-counter pain relievers, food or coffee, or rest. Whereas more severe headaches, including migraines, may not be as easy to get rid of.

Although doctors don’t fully understand what causes most headaches, they do know that the brain tissue and skull are never responsible because they don’t contain any nerves that register pain. However, the blood vessels in the head and neck, the tissues that surround the brain, major nerves that originate in the brain, the scalp, sinuses, muscles and joints of the neck, and teeth can all trigger or signal pain.

There are a number of different types of headaches including migraines, tension headaches, cluster headaches, sinus headaches, medication headaches, and many more conditions associated with headaches.

Tension headaches are the most common of all headaches and occur in about three of every four adults. Usually, they are mild to moderate and occur infrequently, but some people do get severe tension headaches many times a week. There are many potential triggers of tension headaches, including stress, diet, alcohol intake, environment, hormones, caffeine withdrawal, and lack of sleep. If you frequently experience headaches, try taking note of your circumstances when a headache starts. Track the day, time, symptoms, and circumstances surrounding the pain (what have you eaten? Are you dealing with a difficult situation or stress?). If you can associate your headache with particular triggers, try to avoid them. If you notice that you tend to have worse headaches when you are stressed, try different types of body and mind relaxation techniques, including yoga and meditation.

Migraines occur much less often that tension headaches but tend to be significantly more severe. They are 2-3x more common in women than men. Neurologists believe that migraines are caused by changes in the brain’s blood flow and nerve cell activity. Approximately 70% of people who experience migraines have at least one close relative that does as well, suggesting genetics play a role in migraines. Migraines can occur out of the blue but are usually set off by a trigger such as changing weather, sleep patterns, emotional stress, fatigue, diet, or sensory triggers. Anyone that experiences migraines understands the severity and difficulty managing them. Everyone’s bodies are different, and a variety of prevention and treatment methods can be prescribed.

Cluster headaches are uncommon but severe and occur 5x more often in men than women. Middle-aged men with a history of smoking are most susceptible to cluster headaches, which tend to appear as 1-8 headaches a day during a 1–3-month period every year or two, often at the same time of year. The headaches start abruptly on one side of the head and lasts about 30-60 minutes. Nausea and sensitivity to light are commonly experienced as well.

Acute sinusitis, an inflammation of the cavities within the bones that surround the nose, can cause pain in the forehead, around the nose and eyes, over the cheeks, and/or in the upper teeth. Typically, bending over or stooping forward makes the pain more significant. Sinus headaches are usually secondary to the other pain one experiences when they have sinusitis.

Medication headaches: Headaches are a very common side effect among medications and some headache medications even cause overuse or rebound headaches. Weird right? Individuals who experience frequent migraines are at highest risk of the vicious cycle of pain of medication headaches, especially if they take medicine more than 10 to 15 days a month.

Headaches are a very common side effect among medications and some headache medications even cause overuse or rebound headaches. Weird right? Individuals who experience frequent migraines are at highest risk of the vicious cycle of pain of medication headaches, especially if they take medicine more than 10 to 15 days a month.

For most of us, an occasional headache is something that (luckily) can easily be treated or prevented with over-the-counter pain relievers, sleep, relaxation measures, or time. However, for those of us that experience frequent headaches, especially migraines, the answer is not so easy. Learn to recognize potential triggers or warning signs of oncoming headaches. Work with us to develop a strategy to prevent and treat migraines and other serious headaches.