The Different Types of Headaches
Headaches are a very common complaint and affect almost every one at some point through out their life. There are many different types of headaches and knowing a bit more about how to identify them can be helpful in learning to manage and treat them when they occur.
We’ve listed the five most common types of headaches that we see as Osteopaths and some information to help you know more about knowing how to differentiate between these headaches.
Tension Headache
Anyone can get tension headaches, even without a history of headaches or migraines. They are most commonly triggered by stress, even a stressful or busy day at work can bring on a tension headache. Dehydration, poor sleep, loud noise, prolonged exposure to bright lights and bad posture can also be contributing factors.
Tension headaches can be felt as dull, aching sensation all over the head or through the forehead. They are felt on both sides of the head and normally last up to a few hours. People often describe a constant, tight, heavy or pressing sensation on or around the head. Sensitivity or soreness through the neck, face, scalp or shoulder muscles also commonly accompany a tension headache.
Cervicogenic Headache
Cervicogenic headaches are caused by disorders affecting the neck, such as tight muscles and bony or disc somatic dysfunctions. They are often accompanied by neck pain and decreased neck range of motion due to tense tissues or discomfort. Most commonly they present on one side of the neck and refer up through one side of the head and face.
Treating the cause of the headache by addressing the underlying factors present in the neck will mostly resolve the headache.
Sinus Headache
Headaches can sometimes occur as a result of an allergic reaction, an infection or blockage in your sinuses or sinusitis (a swelling of the sinuses). People who suffer chronic sinusitis or seasonal allergies are more prone to these types of headaches.
The pain from sinus headaches is most often focused in your sinus area and in the front of your head. A dull, throbbing ache around the eyes, cheeks and forehead accompanies these headaches, with pain sometimes worsening with movement or straining. Other symptoms include nasal discharge, blocked nose, fever, nausea, light or sound sensitivity and can sometimes spread to your teeth and jaw.
In the absence of sinus or nasal symptoms, a headache presenting like this is likely to be a migraine. In fact, majority of sinus headaches are actually misdiagnosed migraines.
Hormonal Headache
Headaches can also be linked to hormonal changes that occur within the body. Women can suffer hormonal headaches around the time of their period or ovulation, due to a change in estrogen levels. Some women will experience hormonal headaches if they’re taking birth control pills, while others can suffer them during pregnancy.
Symptoms are similar to a migraine but don’t have the aura. They can actually last longer and be even more debilitating. It is thought that up to 60 percent of women who experience migraines will also experience menstrual or hormonal migraines.
Cluster Headache
Cluster headaches are severe and recurrent headaches that occur in groups, typically happening for several weeks or months once or twice a year. During a cluster headache attack or ‘cluster period’, people will experience up to 8 attacks per day with each headache lasting between 15 minutes and 3 hours. In between cluster periods, people are mostly symptom free with onsets being quite sudden and without warning. They are up to six times more likely to develop in men than women, with some studies showing a link to cigarette smoking.
Cluster headaches are extremely painful, causing excruciating drilling pain localised around one eye. The pain can spread to the forehead, cheek, temple and upper gym of the affected side. People may also experience bloodshot and irritated eyes, swollen eyelids on the affected side, nasal congestion, sweating, agitation and restlessness.
Other common factors that can play a role in headaches are dehydration, medication overuse or withdrawal, caffeine intake, overexertion and head injuries.
If you’re after some more advice or are in need of some hands on help, we’d love to help you at Collective Motion! Collective Motion offers Osteopathy and Pilates and is conveniently located to service our Bentleigh community as well as its surrounding suburbs including Bentleigh East, McKinnon, Ormond, Glenhuntly, Murrumbeena, Carnegie, Oakleigh, Gardenvale, Brighton East and Hampton East. Click below to book an appointment and let us help you get moving again.