Watch television anytime and I am sure that you will see hundreds of commercials for headache relief and various preparations to help get rid of your headaches. The choices can be many and confusing, at times. And because of these complex choices, it is important to define what constitutes a headache and how to differentiate one headache type from another.



Essentially, a headache is defined as pain in the head, neck or scalp. Headaches that are of a very serious nature are actually quite rare.

Now that we have given the definition of what is a headache, we must further divide headaches into four main groups. The first is called tension headache. This type is characterized by contracted, tight muscles in the neck, shoulders, scalp and jaw. Many times they are thought to be related to other problems such as anxiety, depression, or stress.

The next type of headache is called cluster headache. These headaches are often pronounced and very painful headaches. Often occurring several times per day for months and then stop for the same amount of time. This type is not really that common of an occurrence for the average headache sufferer.

Now, we move on to the migraine headache. This problem is punctuated by severe headaches that are often accompanied by nausea,vomiting and sensitivity to light. Within migraine headaches, you have those with an aura and those without out one. The ones with an aura or early warning that a migraine is about to start. Usually it will be a throbbing or pulsating pain that proceeds the event. Those without an aura, of course, offer no warning.

Sinus headaches round out the list of headaches in our group of headache-types. The affected areas are usually the front of your face and head. This is due to the inflammation of your nasal passages that are causing the pain that you are experiencing, especially your around your eyes and cheeks.

One type of headache that affects people over age 50 is called temporal arteritis. This disease can lead to blindness, if not treated quickly. Difficulty chewing (painful) and vision problems highlight this problem.

Elevated blood pressure symptoms can be that of a moderate to severe headache or pounding in your head. There are other rare causes of headaches such as tumor,aneurysm, stroke or tia. These are very serious conditions, and in reality, your headache-related symptoms should not be ignored. Instead, the prudent course of action is to schedule an appointment with your doctor and have him properly evaluate you.

Next time you get ready to reach for that aspirin or ibuprofen, remember that sometimes the headache that you are experiencing may be a message that your body is trying to tell you something is wrong. Ignore that message and the consequences could be lethal.

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