Headache can have a severe influence on our life. The pain can be so intense that you are no longer capable of functioning normally.. Furthermore,t here are illnesses, which often cause headaches to occur. Headache of course does not always need to be intense and chronic in order to be exhausting.

Headache can vary both in frequency and in intensity. For example, people with migraine can experience different types of intensities and headaches. It even sometimes happens that a headache gets so intense, that people have to go to the emergency ward at the hospital.

Types of headaches?

Headache in itself can be a symptom of an underlying illness or problem. Yet, headache can still manifest itself in different ways:

  • Throbbing
  • Pounding
  • On both sides of the head
  • At one side of the head
  • Above the eye
  • On the backside of the head

The occurrence of the types of headache can already for an indication of the cause of the problem. For example, headache at one side of the head often occurs in migraine. There are four categories of headache: tension headaches, migraine, cluster headaches, and sinus headache. Below, you will find more information about each type of headache.

1. Tension headache

In most cases, people suffer from tension headaches. Tension headaches are caused by the tension in your body, such as muscular tension. Especially muscular tension in the neck can cause severe headache. Mostly, tension headaches are not very intense, and the headache occurs at both sides of the head. Yet, it can also manifest in more severe forms, because of which you sometimes are unable to continue with your activity. This type of headache is usually caused by stress.

2. Migraine

Migraine is a well-known type of headache, of which 1 out of every 5 Belgians suffers. The pain in migraine is generally described as throbbing and mainly manifests at one side of your head. Dizziness, facial issues and sensitivity to noise and light often occur during a migraine attack.

3. Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches are a type of headache, which generally occurs in a certain pattern. Usually, the headaches manifest several times during a certain period and then suddenly disappear again. The headache in cluster headaches can be very intense, and usually occurs at the front of the head. Moreover, the headache is usually experienced at one side of the head. Cluster headaches can be so intense that they even wake you up and keep you awake.

4. Sinus headache

In sinus headaches you usually suffer from a throbbing pain around the eyes or the forehead. The pain is found at the front of the face, because that is where the sinuses are located. Your face can thus become very painful and even give a swollen feeling in case of sinus headaches. This type of headache is caused by a sinus infection or wants to warn you that an infection is coming on.

The symptoms of headache?

Headache occurs as a symptom in itself for many illnesses, from the flu to migraine. Sometimes, certain symptoms come beforehand and together with headache. Examples of this are:

  • Vomiting
  • Facial issues
  • Dizziness
  • Fear of heights
  • Delirium

Causes of headache?

It remains difficult to determine what exactly it is that causes migraine. Nowadays there are several theories which speculate about the development of headache. One of these theories says that headache is caused by a disruption of the blood. In this, blood is not properly sent to the brain. Several scans support this theory, which nowadays is becoming more and more widely accepted.

Yet, there are certain specialists who do not agree with this theory. They say that headache develops because of an imbalance in the neurotransmitters. This theory is supported by science, where a disruption of serotonin is assumed to be the reason. Serotonin also is linked to the development of migraine.

Unfortunately, there is no general theory regarding the development of headache. However, we have succeeded in describing several triggers, which are linked to the development of headache. Below, you will find the most important triggers of headache.

1. Certain types of food

Some people are allergic or simply sensitive to certain types of food, such as milk. This does not always necessarily need to be an allergy. Sometimes you can also simply be sensitive to certain types of food. Your body does not digest the food like it should. This problem could cause a headache in some cases. It has already been known for some time that certain types of food could play a role in the development of migraine. What these foodstuffs are, differs from person to person.

2. The disruption of the hormonal balance

The disruption of the hormone production in your body, too, is known as a cause of both headache and migraine. Research shows that the imbalance of serotonin can lead to different types of headaches. Furthermore, women more often suffer headaches and migraine during their menstruation each month.

3. Stress

Stress can trigger many different responses in our body. For example, stress makes it so that our muscles tense up, which can later on lead to muscular tension and headache. Stress is not harmful in small doses. However, many people suffer from an unhealthily high level of stress, which can cause many complaints, including headache and migraine. It therefore is useful to preventively and on a long-term basis work on your stress level, as it can influence both your mind and your body a lot.

How do I deal with a headache?

The most natural form of treatment against headache is to treat the cause of the headache. If you are ill, it is best to see a doctor, in order to get well again as early on as possible. If it is stress that causes your headache, it is best to try to eliminate this stress. By considering what causes the headache for you personally, you can treat your headache more effectively.

"15Minutes4Me.com" developed an online program, together with doctors and psychologists, in order to help you to treat the psychological factors of headache. For example, headache caused by stress can be helped at the hand of our anti-worrying exercises or breathing exercises. It also helps you to, long-term, eliminate headache. You can apply the techniques and new knowledge for months, or even years, to your situation.

This program not only helps you with your stress, but also with get rid of pain. It learns you:

  1. Techniques to reduce pain
  2. Recognize alarm signals of pain, so you can reduce the frequency, duration and intensity of pain
  3. Relapse prevention, so you can strengthen your body and mind in the long term

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Take the free stress test!

Would you like to know to what extent your headache is caused by stress? Then take the free stress induced pain test here and learn more about how you can treat your headache.