Most everyone has suffered from a headache at least once and many of us fall victim to them on a regular basis. They can range from a dull throb to severe pain. Some headache causes and triggers are unknown but some can be prevented by avoiding the triggers. Here are some common headaches, their causes and some things you can do to lessen the pain.

Cluster Headaches

The cause of cluster headaches is largely unknown but you may find that they are triggered by alcohol consumption or bright sunlight. Try cutting out drinking and wearing sunglasses during the day especially when driving. If one or both of these cuts down on your headaches then you may be able to avoid them altogether by keeping up these practices.

Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are usually caused by stress so one way to relieve them is to de-stress yourself. Get out the soft music and candles and take a nice warm bath and avoid any loud stressful situations.

Temple Headaches

The temple headache is a dull or sharp pain in the temples and is thought to be caused by trigger points particularly in the trapezius muscle. This area which is located where the shoulder meets the neck, on the side of the neck and along the collarbone may trigger a headache due to motion. Sometimes these headaches can be relieved by massaging this muscle.

Migraine Headaches

This is perhaps the worst of all headaches with sharp pain and other unpleasant symptoms including sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, dizziness and, sometimes, vomiting. These types of headaches can be debilitating. Laying quietly in the dark quiet room has been shown to reduce the length of a migraine headache.

Sinus Headaches

A sinus headache often comes along with cold and flu season and consists of pain and pressure in the sinus area. If you are experiencing pain or pressure in the backs of your eyeballs or your cheeks and have a stuffy or runny nose then you might be experiencing a sinus headache. Other symptoms include aches in the upper teeth in pain all the way up in your forehead. There are some over the counter medicines that can be effective with sinus headaches.

Cervicogenic Headaches

A Cervicogenic headache comes from the neck and upper back pain can result from many things including a whiplash injury, weak neck muscles, progressive facet joint arthritis, too much tension on the spine and neck strain. this type of headache feels like a tight band around the forehead and eyes. Relief may include physical therapy, chiropractic care, massage, acupuncture and surgery.