What are the Different Types of Headaches?
There are a number of different types of headaches. The most common types of headaches are:
- Migraine Headaches: Migraine headaches can involve hours or days of pounding and throbbing pain. They frequently involve sensitivity to light, noise, and smells, as well as nausea and vomiting.
- Tension Headaches: Tension headaches, also known as stress headaches, are usually mildly to moderately painful and feel as if there is pressure around the head.
- Cluster Headaches: Cluster headaches usually appear with throbbing pain behind the eyes. They can appear multiple times a day for weeks to months.
- Sinus Headaches: Sinus headaches present pain in the sinus areas around your nose, cheeks, and forehead. You might also have a runny nose, clogged ears, fatigue, and a fever.
Why Do Headaches Happen?
The cause of headaches can vary widely. Some of the more common reasons for headaches include:
- Stress
- Lack of sleep
- Chemical imbalance in the brain
- Hormonal changes - either excess hormones or hormone depletion
- Hypertension
- Smoking
- Genetics - family history of headaches
Some headaches are idiopathic, which simply means that the cause can't be determined. No matter what the cause of the headache, Advanced Pain Management Center has treatments that can help.
What is the Treatment for Headaches?
Headache treatments focus on preventive care and as needed pain relief care, when the headache is already in full bloom. The most effective treatments for headaches include:
Medication
There are two types of headache medication, preventive and as needed. Preventive medications are taken daily to help reduce the number of headaches overall. These medications are designed to deal with the pain and other symptoms once they're already started.
- Lifestyle Changes: Lifestyle changes can be helpful in preventing headaches and in reducing their severity. Changes may include stopping smoking, reducing stress, eating a healthier diet, and getting more sleep.
- Botox: Botox can be used as a migraine preventive treatment in patients who haven't achieved relief with other types of treatment. It's often very effective for patients who have headaches 15 days or more each month. Botox treatments are designed to stop signal transmissions from the nerves to the muscles. This keeps the muscle from contracting and causing the pain connected to migraines. Botox has been FDA approved for use in the prevention of migraines, and it works for about three months at a time.