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HEADACHES
Although
headaches can be due to a wide variety of
causes, such as drug reactions,
temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ),
tightness in the neck muscles, low blood
sugar, high blood pressure, stress and
fatigue, the majority of recurrent headaches
are of two types: tension headaches (also
called cervicogenic headaches) and migraine
headaches. There is a third, less common,
type of headaches called a cluster headache
that is a cousin to the migraine.
Tension
Headaches Tension type headaches are the
most common, affecting upwards of 75% of all
headache sufferers. Most people describe a
tension headache as a constant dull, achy
feeling either on one side or both sides of
the head, often described as a feeling of a
tight band or dull ache around the head or
behind the eyes. These headaches usually
begin slowly and gradually and can last for
minutes or days, and tend to begin in the
middle or toward the end of the day. Tension
headaches are often the result of stress or
bad posture, which stresses the spine and
muscles in the upper back and neck.
Migraine
Headaches Migraine sufferers usually have
their first attack before age 30 and they
tend to run in families, supporting the
notion that there is a genetic component to
them. Some people have attacks several times
a month; others have less than one a year.
Most people find that migraine attacks occur
less frequently and become less severe as
they get older.
Cluster
Headaches Cluster headaches are typically
very short-duration, excrutiating headaches,
usually felt on one side of the head behind
the eyes. Cluster headaches affect about 1
million people in the United States and,
unlike migraines, are much more common in
men. |
