She Strengthens

The Lowdown on Headaches and Migraines

If you’re one of the millions of people who’ve experienced a headache, you know how debilitating it can be. But did you know that not all headaches are created equal? From mild annoyances to severe, debilitating migraines, understanding the differences between these two conditions is crucial for effective treatment and relief.

Headaches 101

A headache is pain in your head, scalp, neck, or face, usually felt in the nerve network on the scalp, muscles in the head, shoulders, or neck, nerves on the face, mouth, and throat, or blood vessels on the surface of and base of the brain. But here’s the thing: your brain tissue itself doesn’t feel pain. Instead, the pain is caused by irritation or inflammation of these sensitive areas.

Primary Headaches: The Usual Suspects

Primary headaches are not caused by an underlying medical condition. They’re categorized into several types, each with its own set of triggers and symptoms.

• Tension or Stress Headache: The most common type, characterized by dull, aching pain on both sides of the head, often triggered by stress, noise, lack of physical activity, bad posture, or missed meals.
• Cluster Headache: Rare and extremely painful, with sudden onset and symptoms like sharp piercing or burning sensation on one side of the head, droopy eyelids, watery eyes, and runny nose.
• New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH): A condition where a person with no past history of headaches suddenly starts having daily headaches for 3 months or more, with constant pain on both sides of the head and mild to moderate pain, light or noise sensitivity, and nausea.

Secondary Headaches: The Underlying Culprits

Secondary headaches are caused by an underlying medical condition or injury. These need to be treated by a doctor to ease the headache pain.

• Medication Overuse Headache (MOH): Caused by frequent use of painkillers, with symptoms like headaches after taking meds, occurring more than 15 days a month, and no longer taking the medications.
• Cervicogenic Headache: Caused by injury to the neck, malformations of vertebrae in the neck, or arthritis of the upper spine, with symptoms like stiff neck, pain on one side of the head or face, blurred vision, and sensitivity to light and noise.
• Sinus/Allergy Headache: Caused by sinus congestion, with symptoms like pain in the nasal area, severe nasal congestion, fever, and possible sinus infection.
• Thunderclap Headache: A sudden and severe headache, often with no apparent trigger, with symptoms like severe head pain, reaching full intensity in less than a minute, and lasting at least 5 minutes.

Migraines: The Neurological Disorder

Migraines are a type of primary headache, but they’re also a neurological disorder that can be unpredictable and debilitating. They’re often triggered by stress, hormonal fluctuations, food, and alcohol, among other things.

• Hemiplegic Migraine: A rare type, characterized by weakness on one side of the body, in addition to the headache, with symptoms like numbing, tingling, or paralysis on one side of the body, fever, impaired vision, nausea, vomiting, confusion, and difficulty speaking.
• Silent Migraine: A type that doesn’t cause pain, but instead, you experience an aura – temporary visual, sensory, and/or speech/language symptoms that can be debilitating.
• Common Migraine: The most common type, affecting about 75% of patients, with symptoms like moderate to severe throbbing pain on one side of the head, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, and possible aura.
• Vestibular Migraine: A rare type, characterized by dizziness, balance problems, and vertigo, often accompanied by a headache.

Treatment and Prevention

Treatment depends on the specific type of headache or migraine. For primary headaches, OTC pain relievers, massage, meditation, and lifestyle changes may help. For secondary headaches, treating the underlying medical condition or injury is key. For migraines, oral triptans, nasal triptans, yoga, and stress reduction may provide relief. Preventative treatments like Aimovig, daily medications, and botox injections may also be effective.

When to Seek Help

See a healthcare provider immediately if you experience a sudden, severe headache. If you typically experience headaches or migraines, consult a doctor if you experience new, unusual symptoms, including vision loss or double vision, weakness, confusion, fever, or if your headaches cause moderate to severe pain, occur daily, or interrupt your work/sleep, education, or social life.

Remember, understanding the differences between headaches and migraines is crucial for effective treatment and relief. By recognizing the signs and symptoms, you can take control of your pain and find sweet relief.