Top 10 Common Types of Headaches

Chronic headaches can occur in both adults and children. It often starts with prolonged or recurrent pain in the head. If you experience headaches for at least 15 days per month and have recurring episodes at similar times each month, you may be suffering from chronic headaches. In many cases, patients experience daily persistent headaches lasting for more than four hours. Chronic headaches often affect individuals with a history of migraines, with the pain typically throbbing and ranging from mild to severe.

Chronic headaches have a significant impact on your daily life, education, and work. Additionally, they can disrupt the nervous system and lead to other health issues such as memory loss, cognitive decline, stroke, and serotonin syndrome. While some people may dismiss headaches as harmless, chronic headaches can result in dangerous complications. Individuals experiencing daily persistent headaches are at risk of depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, and various psychological and physical issues.

Migraine headaches, also known as Migraines, involve intense, sudden pain on one side of the head, often accompanied by symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to noise and light. Migraine attacks can last for a few hours, and in severe cases, patients may experience pain for several days. This condition is typically benign and commonly occurs in individuals aged 10 to 45, significantly impacting their daily lives and activities.

Episodes of head pain on one side often occur unexpectedly and can be excruciating. The potential confusion between migraine headaches and pain resulting from a stroke can pose a significant risk, leading to subjective misinterpretation. Women are more prone to experiencing headaches than men. The headache manifests as throbbing pain from the temple area and is often accompanied by visual blurriness and nausea. This condition is caused by inflammation in the blood vessels and arteries of the brain.

This type of headache rarely occurs and is primarily found in males, often occurring at night. Symptoms of intermittent headaches manifest as intense pain on one side of the head, specifically in the temporal region. The unbearable pain on one side exerts significant pressure on the eye. Additionally, there may be swelling around the eye, watery nose, and profuse sweating on the face. This type of headache can lead to frequent sleep disturbances and is a culprit for depression.

Cluster headaches, also known as intermittent headaches, emerge rapidly without warning. Possible warning signs include nausea and seeing flashes similar to migraine headaches. Common signs and symptoms of headaches include: Intense pain typically located inside, behind, or around one eye, but it can radiate to other areas like the head and neck; Pain on one side of the body; Dizziness; Affected eye appears red; Nasal congestion or a runny nose on the affected side; Forehead or face on the affected side sweats or turns pale; Swelling around the affected eye; Drooping eyelid on the affected side...

Psychological tension, stress, primarily depends on how an individual perceives, reacts, and behaves in the face of certain issues in life situations. Stress is also categorized as an urban disease because the fast-paced and noisy lifestyle in urban areas has created favorable conditions for this condition to emerge. Symptoms of daily headaches and fatigue are becoming increasingly common as many people in large cities focus on concerns for family and work, without having time to take care of themselves.

In modern-day life, tension headaches are very common. This type of headache often occurs when stressed, anxious, experiencing low blood sugar, pressure, or prolonged stress. It is a prevalent symptom affecting 78% of the world's population, feeling like a piece of fabric tightly wrapped around the head. Sometimes, the headache lasts for hours, continuously aching throughout the head, shoulders, and neck. This symptom can make you feel tired and depressed.

Sinusitis is a condition caused by inflammation of the sinus cavity mucosa, leading to congestion and inflammation at these locations. There are various reasons for sinusitis, such as pre-existing nasal polyps, deviated nasal septum, and a history of tonsillitis, which can also cause sinus blockage leading to inflammation. Other factors may include bacteria, viruses, parasites, contributing to sinusitis through infection.

Headaches due to sinusitis are a seasonal type of headache. If you have sinus issues, you may experience headaches at the end of each winter season. Along with a runny nose and facial swelling, you may suffer from headaches and watery eyes. Headaches due to sinus issues often manifest as pain on one side of the head, with a tingling sensation when touching the forehead. Additionally, sinus headaches can cause pain in various sinus locations: frontal sinus, ethmoid sinus, sphenoid sinus,...

If you're experiencing both headaches and tooth pain simultaneously, you might be wondering if these two symptoms are related. There are various reasons behind tooth pain, such as cavities, cracks/breaks in teeth, or impacts from wisdom teeth... If these conditions aren't addressed, some individuals may also feel a half-headache – a throbbing pain often occurring on one side of the head, sometimes accompanied by symptoms like nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound.

Often, you won't know the exact cause of the headache. In some cases, headaches may be due to dental issues, such as temporomandibular joint disorders or teeth grinding during sleep, which can lead to severe headaches. Poor dental conditions can also cause pain and facial swelling.

Researchers suspect that the phenomenon of tooth pain triggering half-headaches is related to the trigeminal nerve, the fifth pair of the 12 cranial nerves. The trigeminal nerve controls sensation for most organs on the face, including the upper and lower lips, teeth, and gums. Because this nerve is believed to play a significant role in half-headache disorders, any tooth pain that stimulates the branches of the trigeminal nerve has the potential to cause half-headaches.

Watching TV excessively, working for prolonged hours in front of a computer, or reading in insufficient light can strain the eyes, leading to prolonged headaches. This is especially crucial for households with young children; they should avoid prolonged TV watching or spending too much time on electronic devices and mobile phones, as it can impact a child's brain.

Computer-related headaches can also be triggered by working in an environment with excessive light. Your eyes are exposed to too many light sources, from natural light outside the window, fluorescent lights, and desk lamps to the light emitted by your computer screen and those around you. This excessive brightness has the potential to cause various types of headaches, including half-headaches.

Noise exceeding 85 decibels and lasting for a certain period can lead to various health issues, most commonly headaches, significantly impacting daily health and activities. Exposure to environments with loud and prolonged noise is also one of the causes of headaches for you.

Loud noise is often encountered in situations such as factories, traffic noise, and the sound of music from clubs, bars, and karaoke. When exposed to these noises, you may experience headaches, especially if you have sensitive ears, feeling discomfort like a 'buzzing' sensation in your ears. This type of headache, if frequent and prolonged, can lead to fatigue.

9. Hormonal Headaches

Headaches, especially migraines, are related to the female hormone estrogen. Estrogen regulates chemicals in the brain that affect pain perception. Reducing estrogen levels can lead to headaches. Hormone levels fluctuate for various reasons.

This type of headache is common in puberty and pregnant women. Many factors trigger headaches for both men and women, including weather, genetics, diet, and lifestyle. However, in women, changes in hormone levels are the leading cause of recurrent headaches in chronic and menstrual migraines. Additionally, medications like contraceptives can cause hormonal changes, resulting in headaches.

10. Headaches after Skull Injury

Every day, the country records numerous cases of brain skull injuries due to various reasons: traffic accidents, construction workers falling from scaffolding, children suddenly falling from lofts, elderly slipping in the bathroom, and individuals being physically assaulted with blows to the head. After such incidents, individuals must pay close attention to headache symptoms because this is one of the dangerous types of headaches.

Symptoms of throbbing headaches appear along with manifestations of vomiting, seizures, or changes in vision, leading to a drowsy state, delirium, and even unconsciousness, accompanied by weakness in limbs. These signs indicate blood pooling in the skull, requiring emergency diagnosis and treatment at the hospital. Headaches after skull injuries are divided into two types based on symptom characteristics: Acute headaches after injury; Chronic headaches after injury.