Health encyclopaedia

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Headache

There are two main types of headache: primary and secondary:

Primary headaches include tension headaches, migraine, and cluster headaches and are not caused by other underlying medical conditions. The majority of headaches fall into this category.

Secondary headaches are caused by other serious problems such as head injuries, infection, bleeding or very serious illnesses like brain tumours.

This entry deals with primary headaches.

A tension-type headache is the most common type of primary headache. Many people have 1 or 2 tension-type headaches every month or so. Sometimes they develop more frequently, typically during times of stress. Approximately 3% of people have a tension-type headache on most days.

Tension-type headaches usually last only a few hours, but some people may have more persistent headaches that last for several days.

Tension-type headaches may result from stress, bad posture and other factors, but the underlying cause is not fully understood. Tension-type headaches are more frequent in women compared to men. Typically the symptoms include a constant ache, which affects both sides of the head with tightening of the neck muscles and a feeling of pressure behind the eyes. Tension-type headache is not usually associated with any other symptoms.

Cluster headaches begin quickly and are one-sided, short-lived, excruciating painful headaches. They recur frequently for several weeks and then subside but another bout may develop some months, or up to a year, later. Sleep is often disrupted, with the headache causing people to wake up at the same time each night. The eye on the side of the headache often becomes inflamed and watery and you might have a blocked nose on the affected side.

Approximately 80% of people who have cluster headaches are men. It is fairly rare, with approximately 1 in 1000 people being affected.

• Causes
• Diagnosis
• Symptoms
• Treatment
• Prevention

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