Migraines

There are several types of headaches, and the medical community has established a definite set of categories for each. The vast majority of headaches fall into the primary category. Primary headaches afflict millions every day, and are not a serious or life threatening issue. Primary headaches can occasionally become very painful, or can become a chronic problem.

Although this isn’t life threatening, it can be a serious impediment to quality of life. Fixing these Headache Types can be crucial to restoring enjoyment of daily life activities. Correcting issues regarding primary headaches can usually be done with the use of over the counter medications.

Cluster headaches are a far more serious kind of headache that can seriously debilitate a patient if not treated. Although not life threatening in itself, the associated is very serious and often debilitating. Cluster headaches are so called because they occur in chronological groupings, and can be very hard to predict. This results in treatment that is difficult to apply, resulting in attacks that usually cannot be avoided.

A cluster headache can disable an individual, so great is the pain. Pain typically focuses behind one or both eyes. Patients may undergo a pain crisis when presented with a cluster headache. Treatment of this pain should be the immediate and overriding concern. Over the counter medications may do little to help under these circumstances.

Secondary headaches are far rarer, and signify an underlying issue. As the name implies, a secondary headache results from another issue. Secondary headaches result from a problem in the brain that may or may not be life threatening. In the most serious of cases, a secondary headache can be a sign of a brain tumor. There are dozens of other possible secondary headache causes. Regular headaches should be a sign to see the doctor.

The vast majority of Headache Types suffered fit into the primary headache category. As many as 90% of primary headaches result from the “tension” variety of headache. A tension headache occurs when the muscles over the skull contract tightly, putting a painful amount of pressure on the head. The pain can typically be felt around the temples and around the eyes. Relief can usually be found with a variety of over the counter medications.