Headaches are fairly common and normally treatable by medicines. There are short-term headaches and there are also long-term headaches based on the underlying condition the body in.

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However, understanding headaches is not easy. Many people are familiar with the term throbbing, intense pain, sharp pain, or tingling in the head. The location and the types of headaches pain area caused by different reasons.

While some headaches can be safely relieved with over the counter pills, there are types of headaches that require immediate medical attention. Learn more about the types of headaches and how to treat them now.

Here are the 5 most common types of headaches:

1. Migraine

Among all types of headaches, migraine might probably be the most common type. Its symptoms involve severe throbbing pain in the head & temples, severe pain around the ear, seeing spots, and vomiting.

There are 2 types of migraines that are known: migraine with an aura and migraine without an aura. An aura is described as visual abnormalities such as spots, blurred vision, or light sensitivity. The aura normally appears one or two days before the migraine hits.

Causes of migraine are not concluded yet by medical research. However, it is linked to:

  • Emotional anxiety
  • Menopause
  • Contraceptives
  • Alcohol

Normally, migraine is manageable with Over The Counter (OTC) medications and painkillers. However, if pain persists, a visit to a health professional is needed.

2. Tension Headache

As migraine is often associated with sharp, throbbing pain, tension headache is characterized by dull, tight pain around the scalp. Normally, it occurs at the forehead and the back of the skull or neck.

The cause for tension headache varies from stress, depression, to head injury. A constant lack of sleep can also lead to a tension headache. Research shows that tension headache is most common among teenagers and young adults.

There are two types of tension headaches:

  • Episodic tension headache – normally lasts around 30 minutes to 1 hour. Occurs last than 15 days in a month
  • Chronic tension headache – lasts for hours and occurs more than 15 days in a month

Episodic tension headache normally can be treated at home with bed rest and OTC painkillers. However, chronic tension headache usually requires medical professional attention as it can really disrupt your activities.

3. Cluster Headache

Cluster headache is often said to be one of the most painful headaches. The symptoms involve excruciating pain on one side of the head or eyes. It can last from weeks to months with remission period of no pain at all. Each episode of cluster headache typically lasts around 15 – 30 minutes.

However, according to research, cluster headache is a non-life-threatening condition.

4. Sinus Headache

Identifying a sinus headache is fairly easy. Sinus headache is a type of headache that is caused by allergies that build up mucus and block the channels that drain them. Additionally, sinus headache can also be associated with migraines.

When experiencing a sinus headache, you can normally feel pressure on the forehead, eyes, cheekbones, and the T bridge between the forehead and the nose.

Treatment of sinus headaches that involve allergy reactions is oral medication of antihistamines. However, if the pain persists for a long period of time, seek medical care.

5. Exercise Headache

As the name states, exercise headache is only triggered by physical activities. It can range from light physical activities to strenuous activities. Exercise headache typically lasts from minutes to a few days and is often described as pulsing or throbbing pain in both sides of the head.

An analysis explained that exercise headaches might be caused by the narrowing of blood vessels as an effect of heavy exercise. However, exercise headache might also be triggered by underlying health conditions including tumors. Seek medical attention if the pain is persistent and lasts for weeks.

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