Headache

Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. They are often caused by stress and emotional strain. Most adults have tension headaches from time to time, and everyone may feel pain in different areas.

Tension Headache Symptoms and Treatments

Tension headaches can feel like a band around your head, causing mild to moderate pain.

Tension headaches can often be treated effectively with over-the-counter pain relievers, including acetaminophen or aspirin. Your doctor may prescribe other medication for chronic tension headaches. Other treatment options include exercise and relaxation techniques.

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches are recurring headaches that can occur multiple times a day and last from 15 minutes to three hours. A “cycle” of attacks can continue from six to 12 weeks.

Cluster Headache Symptoms and Treatments

Cluster headaches appear suddenly and cause severe, debilitating pain in or around one eye, along with a watery eye and nasal congestion on the affected side of the head. Unlike other types of headaches, cluster headaches get worse when lying down.

Over-the-counter pain medicines usually don’t work for cluster headaches. However, triptans, which are commonly used to treat migraines, are an effective treatment for an acute cluster headache.

Preventive therapies may be used at the onset of the cluster episode. These include calcium channel blockers and corticosteroids.

Dealing with repeated cluster headaches can lead to stress and depression, which can continue the headache cycle. Finding ways to cope with stress (such as with regular exercise and relaxation techniques) and improve depression may reduce the severity or frequency of your cluster headaches.

Migraine Headaches

Migraine headaches can cause severe throbbing pain or a pulsing sensation, usually on just one side of the head. Warning symptoms, known as aura, may occur before or with a headache. These can include:

• Flashes of light
• Blind spots
• Tingling on one side of the face or in your arm or leg

Migraine Symptoms and Treatments