Five Types of Headaches Explained – Chiropractor in Centurion
Headaches are common occurrences to all of us. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 50% of the population has experienced a symptomatic headache at least once a year. 50% to 75% of the adult population, people between the ages of 18 and 65, experience headaches regularly. We will discuss the Five Types of Headaches in this article.
When talking about headaches, it is important to know the differences between the five different types of headaches:
Five Types of Headaches Explained – Chiropractor in Centurion
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. This is the type of headache that comes at the end of a stressful day. It is estimated that 80% to 90% of the population suffers from tension headaches. This headache typically feels like a tight band around your head. Muscles play a big role with these headaches as myofascial trigger points (muscle spasms) and other myofascial pain syndromes may be the cause of the tension headache. Tension headaches can last anything from 30 minutes to 7 days.
Cervicogenic headaches are a type of headache that originates in one or more of the structures of the cervical spine. These structures can include facet joints, nerves, muscles or ligaments. Pain is usually felt in the neck and at the base of the skull, but may radiate to the forehead, temples, orbital region or ears. The pain is usually brought on or aggravated by specific neck movements or sustained postures.
Migraines are usually triggered by a specific factor such as certain smells, medications, foods, hormonal changes or blood glucose levels. This type of headache can be quite debilitating and lasts for several hours. Migraines can occur with or without the presence of an aura (visual or olfactory disturbance that precede the migraine). A throbbing pain is usually felt along with nausea, vomiting or light and sound sensitivity.
Cluster headaches are usually uncommon headaches. You experience frequently recurring and brief episodes of an extremely severe headache. The pain is usually felt in or around one of your eyes with tearing and redness in that eye. You may also experience a blocked nose and well as a drooping eyelid on the side where the headache is present. These headaches can last between 4 to 8 weeks.
Pathologic headaches are headaches occurring from a potentially life threatening cause. These are the headaches that come up first with Dr. Google, however 99.5% of headaches are benign. Pathological headaches can be caused by infections, brain tumors, an arterial cause, strokes, trauma or brain swelling. These headaches are extremely dangerous and if it is suspected by your medical professional, immediate medical attention is required.
Chiropractic can help with almost all of the different headache types and are trained to know when to refer you to another specialist.
Give us a call today to help get relieve from your headache
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