4 Types of Headaches

If you’ve ever suffered from chronic headaches, you know that your daily life can grind to a complete halt until symptoms subside. Before you begin a course of treatment, it’s important that you figure out what type of ailment is affecting your body, otherwise you might find your efforts wasted. You can click here to see the services offered by the North Carolina Headache Center, but here are four different types of headaches that might send you to see a migraine doctor in North Carolina or any other state.

Tension

These are the most common type of headaches that are seen in teens and adults, and they happen when muscles in the scalp and neck contract. The resulting pain affects the sides, top or front of the head in a throbbing manner, and can last anywhere from 30 minutes to several days. While there’s no definitive cause for this condition, it could be the result of stress, lack of sleep, fatigue, poor posture, hunger or overexertion. Treatment for this problem is typically handled with over-the-counter painkillers, but a doctor might prescribe a muscle relaxant to deal with more severe afflictions.

Cluster

While these are not the most common type of headaches, the severe symptoms would be cause for concern in any sufferer. It’s unknown what exterior stimuli cause this affliction to happen, but the biological mechanism that triggers these episodes is a nerve in the base of the brain that’s responsible for sensations like pain and heat. This condition is believed to be associated with the circadian rhythm, as they will typically reoccur at the same times over multiple days. Symptoms include sharp, piercing pain behind one eye that can last up to three hours, only to return like clockwork at set intervals.

Migraine

This can be one of the most frustrating conditions to treat, as there are a variety of conditions that can trigger migraines. While they can be genetic, it’s also possible for people with no familial history of the affliction to suffer, and they’re more common in women than men. Symptoms include a severe headache that’s accompanied with nausea and sensitivity to light, and they can happen more than four times per month. If you think that you might be suffering from this condition, it’s important that you consult a migraine doctor in North Carolina or any other state to develop an effective treatment routine.

Sinus

Often associated with the cold and flu season, these headaches happen when there’s inflammation, an obstruction or fluid buildup in your sinus cavities. Symptoms of this condition are constant pain in the forehead, nose or cheekbones that intensifies with straining or sudden movements. Typical treatment involves suppression of pain and medication to resolve the infection or blockage in the sinuses.

Understanding a Complex Condition

These are just four different types of headaches, but there are others that could cause discomfort as you go about your daily life. If you feel that you might be suffering with something more severe than a simple headache, you owe it to yourself to consult a migraine doctor in North Carolina or any other state to improve your quality of life. All detail at northcarolinaheadachecenter.com.