Salt lake city va headache center of excellence | veterans affairs

PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR, OR AN EFFORT TO PROVIDE, COMPLETE MEDICAL CARE. Headache disorders are characterized by repeated headache attacks and are among the most common

disorders. There are two general types of headache: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Primary headaches are headaches that happen more than once and have unknown causes. Secondary

headaches are headaches that are traced to a specific cause (like a head or neck injury), certain medications/substances, or body disorders. There are many types of headaches. We will focus

on the most common. WHAT ARE THE TYPES OF HEADACHES? The most common type of primary headaches are tension-type headache, migraine, and cluster headache. Three of the major secondary

headaches are medication overuse headache, post-traumatic headache, and cervicogenic headache. These headache types can either be episodic or chronic. Headaches that occur 1 – 14 days per

month are referred to as “episodic.” If headaches occur 15 or more days per month, they are called “chronic.” Your treatment may depend on how frequently you experience a headache. All

headache types can be improved by having a healthy lifestyle, exercising, and not smoking. TENSION-TYPE HEADACHE Tension-type headache is the most common primary headache. Patients with

tension-type headache often start getting them during their teenage years. Tension-type headache is usually not very severe and does not get in the way of everyday activity. It is also

slightly more common in women than men, may be associated with neck pain, and can feel like pressure or tightness, often like a band around the head (sometimes spreading into or from the

neck). Episodic tension-type headache is very common. Attacks usually last a few hours but can occur for several days. Chronic tension-type headache is not very common. Chronic tension-type

headache can feel endless and is much more painful than episodic tension-type headache. Tension-type headache usually responds well to over-the-counter pain medications. MIGRAINE Migraine

usually begins during puberty and is more common in women. It is caused by the release of chemicals in the brain and around the brain’s blood vessels that cause inflammation and pain.

Migraine may occur every week or even more often. Some patients experience migraine their whole life. Migraines are generally moderate to severe in intensity and may feel like throbbing on

one side of the head. Migraines can be worsened by physical activity and can last a few hours or several days. In addition to headache, patients with migraine often experience nausea and

sensitivity to light and sound. Prescription medications are available to treat migraine when over-the-counter pain medications do not work. CLUSTER HEADACHE Cluster headache is very rare

and affects men more often than women. It typically occurs in people over the age of 20. A cluster headache is typically a short but intense headache that can occur many times in one day. It

can cause severe pain focused around one eye, a runny or blocked nose on the side of the headache, or eyelid droopings during headache (even though it appears normal other times). Cluster

headache also has episodic and chronic forms.