The 11 Types Of Headache And Their Characteristics
Headaches are one of the most frequent reasons for visiting a doctor according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, not all of them are the same. There are pains caused by a disease, others that arise from stress, and those of a genetic type, better known as migraines.
In this article We will review the different types of headaches and their characteristics.
Headaches cause great suffering to the person who suffers from them, but not all of them are the same and can be classified into two categories. It is possible to differentiate two main types of headaches: primary and secondary headaches.
When we talk about primary headaches we are referring to the fact that the headache is itself the disease. The same is not true for secondary headaches, in which the headache is a consequence of another illness, for example, the flu or a brain tumor.
Types of headache
But, going into detail, what types of headaches are there? what are its characteristics? Following the classification of the International Headache Society (ICHD-3), the types of headache are :
Primary headaches
There are several types of primary headaches; are the following:
1. Tension headache
Tension headache is a very common type of headache, in which a person experiences oppressive pain, that is, pressure in the head. Unlike what happens in other types of headache, the pain It usually affects both halves of the head.
Its causes can be varied: stress, fatigue, anxiety, excess coffee or tobacco. It can occur at any age, but is more common in adolescents and adults.
2. Migraine
Migraine and tension headaches account for 95% of primary headaches. so if you have doubts about what is happening to you, this is most likely the phenomenon that is taking place in your body, unless the symptoms are very different from what is listed here. It usually appears as recurrent attacks of headache on one side of the head, which can vary in frequency, intensity and duration. In addition, they usually occur along with nausea, vomiting and discomfort towards light and noise. Migraine is genetic in origin and is both a chronic and episodic condition.
3. Primary cough headache
This type of headache appears as a consequence of coughing, although it can also occur due to other valsalva maneuvers, that is, by exhaling air with the glottis closed or with the mouth and nose closed. Thus, it is the product of an action that is repeated over and over again, without us realizing it, in the case of a bad habit, or occasionally due to a sudden alteration in our state.
For example, by sneezing, laughing, bending over, crying, when strength training with weights, etc. It usually appears suddenly just after a cough and can affect one or both parts of the head. The pain can be pressing or stabbing and the duration and intensity can vary depending on each case.
4. Primary headache due to physical exertion
This type of headache It is caused by prolonged physical effort. It seems to be more common in men and neither the type of exercise nor the physical condition of the subject influences its appearance.
The person who suffers from it usually presents bilateral and throbbing pain that sometimes appears along with nausea and vomiting. It usually begins at the moment of maximum physical effort and partially improves at the same time that physical activity ceases.
This type of headache It has its origin in intimate relationships. The symptoms appear bilaterally and the pain can vary in form: oppressive, stabbing, throbbing. It may be accompanied by tachycardia, hot flushes, nausea, facial flushing and even dizziness. It usually lasts 30 to 60 minutes and can occur before orgasm, during orgasm or after it.
6. Primary thunderclap headache
Like the previous two, it can begin after performing high-intensity physical effort or having intimate relationships. Now, It is a type of explosive headache, which has a sudden onset and reaches its maximum intensity in the first minutes. Its intensity is moderate-severe and although it can occur anywhere on the head, it usually has an occipital location. Sometimes it occurs with sensitivity to light and sound and with nausea and vomiting.
7. Cryostimulus headache
The cause of this type of headache is coming into contact with something cold. whether inhaled, ingested or placed on the outside of the head. Therefore, it can appear, for example, after exposure to a cold environment or when entering water with a very low temperature. The pain is located in the forehead, specifically in the middle area, it is stabbing and short-lived. It is usually common in patients who suffer from migraine.
8. Headache due to external pressure
This headache appears due to uninterrupted head understanding specifically in the pericranial soft tissues. For example, by wearing a helmet, a cap or glasses.
The pain appears at the point where external compression occurs. It usually subsides within 60 minutes following the release of the compression that caused it.
9. Primary stabbing headache
Primary stabbing headache, as its name suggests, presents a stabbing pain, generally intense and in a specific location (frontal or temporal), although they can also change location. It appears spontaneously by performing some maneuvers, for example, head movements, changes in posture, etc.
This type of headache It is located only on the scalp and is chronic in nature. Its duration can be variable, and the pain appears with a series of characteristics: coin-shaped, with a perfect contour, a round, fixed size and 1-6 cm in diameter.
10 Hypnic headache
Appears during sleep (night and naps) and interrupts it. It generally appears in people over 50 years of age, although occasionally younger people can suffer from it. It lasts approximately between half an hour and 3 hours and the pain can be of many types.
11. De novo persistent daily headache
This type of headache also It is known as chronic daily headache of recent onset. and it is quite unusual. The symptoms may be similar to those of a migraine or tension headache, although the symptoms often resemble the latter. It appears suddenly, and the symptoms manifest daily and uninterruptedly.
Secondary headaches
As has been said, these headaches are secondary to another pathology. There are several types:
What to do to cope with a headache?
Given that there are many types of headaches, there is no universal solution when it comes to alleviating their symptoms and, specifically, the discomfort that occurs. On the other hand, there is no “cure” for these situations, since the headache is a manifestation of an underlying problem.
Once it has appeared, there is little that can be done to automatically make the pain go away. What you can do is intervene on the underlying problem and make the headache less likely to reappear; For example, improving your diet, resting more, resting your eyesight, etc. In any case It is necessary to have medical supervision and diagnosis of what is happening to attack its root.
