What is a headache?

Headaches are a common ailment that affect nearly everyone at some point in their lives. They can stand alone by themselves with no discernible cause or be a symptom of another condition. You can also get chronic headaches, like chronic migraine, that can cause you to miss many days of work because of the pain that comes with them. For a chronic headache diagnosis, you must experience your symptoms for 15 days out of the month for at least three months.

Headaches are characterized by pain on one or both sides of your head. You might get other symptoms with your headache, including nausea, vomiting, neck pain, or light sensitivity. Thankfully, most headaches respond to treatment and go away on their own quickly.

What are some common headache types?

There are several common types of headaches with separate characteristics. Often, they require different approaches for treatment, too. Common headache types are:

Tension headaches

Tension headaches feel like a tight band that you can’t remove is wrapped around your head. They often appear in the middle of the day and worsen as the day progresses. You can get them every once in awhile or chronically.

Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches usually cause pain on just one side of your head near one of your eyes. They last between 15 minutes and three hours at a time and come back many times within a week- or month-long period. You can go months or years without another headache after having a cluster.

Migraines

Migraines are more severe than other types of headaches and can significantly impact your life. Along with severe throbbing head pain, they come with blurred vision, trouble concentrating, light and sound sensitivity, and other debilitating symptoms. Plus, they can last for days at a time.

Thunderclap headaches

Thunderclap headaches are extremely severe headaches that set in without warning. They typically last for only a few minutes. You should get medical attention immediately after a thunderclap headache because they’re associated with aneurysms, meningitis, and other life-threatening complications.

How are headaches treated?

Your headache treatment depends on the type of headache you have and whether or not it’s a symptom of something else. If your headache is merely a symptom, the team at Morgan Hill Internal Medicine focuses on treating the underlying condition instead of just the headache.

For stand-alone headaches, your treatment might involve:

• Over-the-counter pain relievers
• Preventive medications (antidepressants, beta-blockers)
• Vitamins and other supplements
• Rest
• Small amounts of caffeine
• Hot or cold compress

Without treatment, headaches go away with time. However, if you have chronic headaches that affect your life on a daily or weekly basis, you should seek ongoing treatment at Morgan Hill Internal Medicine.

To find out more about headaches and the care they need, call Morgan Hill Internal Medicine, or book an appointment online today.