Headache

What Is Headache?

A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. While most headaches are not dangerous and can be managed at home, certain symptoms can signal a more serious condition.

Common Symptoms

Tension Headaches

Migraines

Cluster Headaches

• The most common type, tension headaches are characterized by a dull, aching sensation.

  • Pain location: Pain is often felt on both sides of the head, sometimes spreading to the back of the head, neck, and shoulders.

  • Pain sensation: Feels like a tight band or vice squeezing the head.

  • Severity: Pain is usually mild to moderate and constant.

  • Other symptoms: Unlike migraines, they typically do not cause severe sensitivity to light or sound, nausea, or vomiting.

• Migraines are a neurological condition that causes more intense and debilitating symptoms than tension headaches.

  • Pain location: Throbbing or pulsing pain, typically on one side of the head, though it can affect both.

  • Severity: The pain can be severe enough to disrupt daily activities.

  • Other symptoms:

    • Nausea and vomiting.

    • Extreme sensitivity to light, sound, and sometimes smell and touch.

    • Dizziness and fatigue.

• Cluster headaches are rare but are considered one of the most painful types of headaches.

  • Pain location: Intense, sharp, or stabbing pain is centered around one eye, temple, or on one side of the head.

  • Pattern: Headaches occur in "clusters" or groups, with daily attacks for weeks or months, followed by periods of remission.

Prevalence and Age Distribution

• In 2018, the age-adjusted prevalence of migraine and severe headache in the US was 15.9% across all adults.

• Women are twice as likely to be affected by migraine as men, with 21% of women and 10.7% of men affected in 2018.

• Migraine most commonly affects people aged 35 to 45 but can impact younger individuals.

The above is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional.