Are their different types of headaches?

 The severity, symptoms and causes of headaches  vary. The different types include tension, migraine, cluster, organic, rebound and chronic daily headaches, as well as many others.

Tension-Type
Approximately 90 percent of all headaches are classified as tension-type headache. The pain is typically generalized all over the head.

Hormone Headache (Menstrual Migraine)
Women suffer migraines three times more frequently than do men, and, menstrual migraines affect 70 percent of these women. They occur before, during or immediately after the period, or during ovulation. Menstrual migraines are primarily caused by estrogen, the female sex hormone that specifically regulates the menstrual cycle fluctuations throughout the cycle. When the levels of estrogen and progesterone change, women will be more vulnerable to headaches. Because oral contraceptives influence estrogen levels, women on birth control pills may experience more menstrual migraines.

Migraine
More than just a “bad headache,” a migraine is a legitimate biological disease affecting 28 million Americans, equivalent to 13 percent of the population, and one in every four United States households has a migraine sufferer. Migraine is more common than asthma, diabetes and coronary heart disease combined.

Cluster
There are an estimated one million cluster headache sufferers in the United States, of whom 10 percent are afflicted with chronic cluster. Although cluster headaches produce some of the most severe pain that a health care provider will see, they can go long periods in remission.

What is a migraine and what are the symptoms?

Although the exact cause isn’t known, many experts consider migraine to be an inherited condition where the brain and its seritonin-controlled blood vessels are involved. These headaches can often be triggered by many factors, including stress, certain foods, glaring lights, physical exercise and changes in hormone levels. Migraine headaches usually occur on one side of the head, have a pulsating or throbbing quality, are moderate to severe in intensity and are worsened by physical activity.

Migraine is a characterized by throbbing head pain, usually located on one side of the head and often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and/or sound. The combination of disabling pain and associated symptoms often prevents sufferers from performing daily activities. Symptoms, incidence and severity vary by individual.

Causes and Treatment of Migraines

While there are not definite answers to the causes of migraine,  many things may trigger a migraine. Triggers are not the same for everyone and what causes a migraine in one person may relieve it in another. Triggers may include one or more of the following categories: diet, activity, environment, emotions, medications and hormones, irregular sleep cycles and skipping or delaying meals.

Migraine can be effectively managed. With the help of a healthcare provider, patients can identify and alleviate their symptoms with an appropriate treatment regime. Medications generally fall into two categories:

• Preventive - Taken on a daily basis, preventive medications can help reduce the number of attacks in patients who experience any disability from migraine.
• Abortive - Abortive therapy treats the symptoms of migraine after the attack begins. Many medications available to treat an acute attack must be taken as soon as the attack occurs, otherwise they may be less effective.

Migraine headaches are mis-diagnosed as frequently as they are diagnosed correctly. They are often confused with tension-type or sinus headaches. To aid in the diagnosis, keep a headache diary and record when the headache began and how long it lasted, possible triggers and the location and character of the pain.

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