6 Types of Common Headache You Should Never Ignore
A doctor, Holt wrote about one of the most common ailments in the world: a headache. If you’re like most people, you've probably heard of the three major types of headaches. The good news about these headaches, says Dr. Holt, is that most of them are completely harmless. However, not every aching head is a simple headache.
Below are 6 types of common headaches you should never ignore. Read!
1. Tension headache
This is your garden-variety headache, with diffuse pain wrapping across the top of your head. These headaches often result from stress or lack of sleep. They’re not usually disabling, typically fade overnight, and can be easily relieved with ibuprofen, acetaminophen, or aspirin.
2. Migraine headache
Migraines tend to hit one side of the head and can last from several hours to several days. They’re usually marked by sensitivity to sound and light. When a migraine strikes, you can manage it with Advil Migraine or Motrin Migraine Pain (both ibuprofen medications) or Excedrin Migraine (a combination of aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine).
3. Cluster headache
This one is an excruciating attack that explodes behind one eye, reaches a crescendo after about an hour, and then vanishes—only to return in a day or so. This goes on for a few weeks and then stops for months. Numerous drugs target clusters, including some of the migraine medications.
4. Thunderclap Headache
If head pain hits you like a bolt out of nowhere, intensifying in a few minutes into the worst headache you've ever had, call 911. The list of causes for this kind of a headache isn't long (an aneurysm, stroke, meningitis) but almost everything on it can be very quickly fatal, says Dr. Holt.
5. Exercise Headache
If your headache comes on quickly and furiously with violent physical exertion, see a doctor right away. Chances are, the cause is benign, says Dr. Holt. But it also could be a subarachnoid hemorrhage.
6. A headache that Spreads to Your Neck
Benign headaches stay in your head, says Dr. Holt. Headaches that don’t can be meningitis or a hemorrhage. So yes, call 911, especially if you have a fever, are just getting over a bacterial infection, have a rash, or can’t think clearly.
Other forms of Headaches are listed below:
A headache that Won’t End
A headache that comes and goes for days—with a low-grade fever, visual disturbances, and aching in one or both of your temples—often signals an inflammation of the arteries that can leave you blind if not treated. See your doctor right away, says Dr. Holt.
A Contagious Headache
Your family is all at home on a cold, rainy Saturday. As the day goes on you develop a headache that grows steadily worse. If anyone else has the same headache, move everyone outdoors immediately. There’s a malfunction in your heating system and its spewing carbon monoxide. Once you’re out of the house, call the fire department. Your headache should clear up in a few hours.
A headache that Wakes You Up
You should also be concerned if your headache has been worsening for weeks, says Dr. Holt, or if it’s present every morning when you wake up. This is the classic pattern for a slowly expanding mass. It may not warrant a 911 call, but you should see your doctor and schedule an MRI right away.
Source: Bill Phillips/Editors of Men’s Health
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