Tension-type headaches are the most common primary headaches, refers to head pain associated with “stress and muscle contractions.” These types of headaches can occur occasionally in response to stressful life events or more chronically and more frequently. Some tension-type headache patients experience daily or near daily pain.

Multiple factors may contribute to tension-type headaches and include:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Eye-strain
• Poor posture
• Neck injuries or Arthritis
• TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disease)
• Teeth grinding
• Insomnia
• Sleep Apnea
• Diet and fluid intake
• Excess caffeine

Tension-type headaches usually begin with mild pain and build in severity. The symptoms can include:

• Constant-steady pain/pressure
• Dull, achy pain (rather than throbbing pain)
• Pain felt on both sides of the head in forehead, temples, and back of head and neck.
• Tight pressure around the head

Intensity ranges from mild, moderate, or severe. As the pain increases, the ability to concentrate may decrease. Tension-type headaches rarely interfere with normal daily activity or sleep.

Migraines are intense, throbbing headaches that often come with other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. They can be debilitating, and their exact cause is not fully understood. Migraines can be triggered by various factors, including hormonal changes, certain foods, and stress.

Commonly Reported Symptoms:

• Head pain – mild, moderate, or severe
• Fatigue
• Cognitive or thinking difficulty
• Heightened sensory awareness
• Muscle pains and aches
• Food craving
• Fluid retention
• Changes in mood
• Anorexia or loss of appetite
• Nasal congestion/Sinus congestion
• Visual disturbance
• Numbness or tingling – face, arms, legs, head
• Weakness
• Vertigo and dizziness
• Ringing in ears
• Difficulty speaking
• Pressure-like sensation of the head, face, sinuses, or jaw
• Nausea, queasiness, or vomiting
• Light sensitivity
• Sound sensitivity
• Sensitivity to smells
• Runny eyes or nose
• Poor concentration

Cluster headaches are excruciatingly painful headaches that occur in clusters or patterns. They typically affect one side of the head, often around the eye. The exact cause of cluster headaches is still under investigation, but they are known to be one of the most severe types of headaches.

There are two main categories of cluster headaches which are episodic cluster and chronic cluster.

An episodic cluster headache occurs in 90% of patients. It occurs one or more times daily for several months, and the patient enters a period of remission for months or years.

Chronic cluster headaches occur daily or almost daily with rare headache-free periods.

Cause:

Although the exact cause is unknown, it is assumed to be related to disturbances in normal body rhythms and an imbalance of brain chemicals. A cluster headache is much less common than tension or migraine. A cluster affects less than 0.1% of the population.

Risk factors:

• Sex: Males are 3 times more likely than females
• Age: 20 – 50 year olds
• Prior injury or surgery to the head

Symptoms of Cluster Headaches include:

• Stabbing, penetrating, burning or explosive head pain that is always on the side of the head and often starts in or around the eye.
• Occurs daily or almost daily for 4 – 12 weeks
• Can occur 1-6 times per day
• Occurs at approximately the same time every day/night
• May awaken you from sleep
• Usually lasts 30 – 45 minutes.

During the headache, secondary symptoms may occur including:

• Facial flushes/swelling
• Stuffy or runny nose
• Droopy eye lids
• Constriction of the pupil

Secondary headaches are caused by underlying medical problems and are much less common than primary headache syndrome. More serious causes of secondary headache syndromes include, but are not limited to:

• Brain trumors
• Bleeding in the brain
• Aneurysms or vascular abnormalties and infections.

Less serious causes include

• Sinus infections
• Allergies
• Neck or jaw problems
• Eye problems
• Dental problems and TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome).

In contrast to primary headaches, secondary headaches are symptoms of an underlying medical condition. They can be caused by various factors, such as head injury, infections, or vascular issues. Understanding the underlying condition is crucial for proper diagnosis and treatment of secondary headaches.