Almost everyone will experience a headache at some point in their life, and over 50% of people will deal with the effects of a headache each year. Here are the facts you need to know about different types of headaches.
Bottom Line:
Death, taxes, and…headaches? Almost everyone will experience a headache at some point in their life, and over 50% of people will deal with the effects of a headache each year. Fortunately, headaches are rarely life-threatening. But, for people dealing with chronic headaches, they can dramatically impact your quality of life.
Why it Matters:
The International Headache Society has classified over 150 different types of headaches. The most common are migraines, tension, and cluster headaches. Knowing what kind of headache, you are dealing with is the first step towards finding the best plan of care to find relief.
• Migraine: sensitivity to light and sound is common during migraine headaches. Approximately 1/3rd of people will experience an aura before the onset of a migraine.
• Tension: almost everyone will experience a tension headache during their life. Stress, anxiety, dehydration, and even posture can trigger a tension headache.
• Cluster: affecting more men than women, cluster headaches cause severe pain behind or around your eye and last between 15 minutes and 3 hours.
Next Steps:
Now that you've identified your headache type- it's important why it's happened. Often a few simple changes in your daily routine have the potential to reduce or eliminate chronic headaches for good. Next week we'll cover the top 3 causes of headaches so you will be able to take your first steps towards prevention.
Science Source: Mayo Clinic. Headache. 2018