What Various Types of Headaches Can Say About Your Health

Content medically reviewed by Vanessa Coulter, APRN, CNP

Headaches can be more than a pain. They can also reveal valuable information about your health. Why? Because headaches can happen for a variety of reasons. Learn about different types of headaches and what they may signal.

Understanding Headaches

Practically everyone develops a headache at some point. Headache symptoms vary widely, ranging from mild discomfort to severe pain. Headaches can happen only occasionally and resolve quickly, or they may occur frequently and persist for days or longer.

Some types of headaches, such as tension headaches, are extremely common. Tension headaches occur when the muscles in your head or neck are tight.

Other types of headaches are rare. These include cluster headaches, which cause pain on one side of the head and can happen several times a day. Why these headaches occur is unclear, although the body’s release of certain chemicals, such as histamine, may be involved. Hypertensive headaches, another uncommon type, can occur due to extremely high blood pressure, causing a throbbing pain on the sides of your head.

“The causes and triggers of headaches are as varied as the headaches themselves,” said Vanessa Coulter, certified nurse practitioner at Essentia Health. “Some of the top ones include stress and poor posture, which can make the muscles in your shoulders and neck tight. Lack of sleep, alcohol, processed foods, hunger, and sensitivity to light also lead to headaches for many people.”

3 Common Types of Headaches

1. Tension Headaches

The condition: The most common type of headache, tension headaches (sometimes called tension-type headaches) often start at the back of your head. The pain then spreads along both sides, sometimes feeling like your head’s being squeezed by an invisible band.

The potential health message: Stress, mental well-being, or physical strain may be contributing.

“If you’re under a lot of stress or dealing with anxiety or depression, tension headaches may be your body’s way of signaling something’s wrong,” Coulter said. “Stress and mental health concerns can lead to muscle tightness in your shoulders, neck, or scalp. That tightness, in turn, can cause head or neck pain.”

However, tension headaches don’t always point to emotional strain or mental health concerns. They may also be related to physical factors. These may include sleeping in a position that strains your neck, like lying on your stomach, or holding your head in an awkward position during the day, such as when working at a computer.

2. Migraines

The condition: Migraine is a neurological condition that can cause intense, throbbing headaches, often in the temples or behind an eye or ear. Along with headaches, some people with migraines experience sensitivity to light, visual disturbances (known as aura), vomiting, and other symptoms. Women account for around 75% of people with migraines, according to the Office on Women’s Health.

The potential health message: Your lifestyle or environment may be contributing to symptoms.

Why people develop migraines isn’t entirely clear. Inflammation in the brain and genetic changes that affect how certain brain cells work may play a role. Factors known as triggers can set off migraine. Common triggers include –

• Alcohol
• Bright lights
• Caffeine
• Hormone changes related to women’s periods
• Loud noises
• Processed foods
• Skipped meals
• Stress
• Strong odors
• Too much or not enough sleep
• Weather changes

What Are the 5 Dietary C’s That Prompt Migraine Attacks?

You may have heard about the 5 dietary C’s that may prompt migraine attacks: cheese, chocolate, citrus fruits, coffee, and cola. Migraine triggers vary, but little evidence suggests that avoiding the 5 C’s can help prevent migraines. However, tracking and avoiding your triggers may help you manage this condition.

3. Sinus Headaches

The condition: This “common” type of headache isn’t actually all that common. True sinus headaches typically occur due to a sinus infection, which inflames the sinuses. This inflammation causes pressure and pain in the face and forehead. However, most people who think they have a sinus infection actually have a different condition.

The potential health message: You may have a migraine.

“Researchers have found that the vast majority of ‘sinus headache’ cases are actually migraines,” Coulter said. “The two conditions can cause similar symptoms, making them difficult for most people to tell apart. Sinus headaches, however, aren’t triggered by things like lack of sleep or bright lights, and they usually last longer than migraine headaches.”

When to Seek Medical Help

Most headaches aren’t emergencies. However, you should call 911 or go to the nearest emergency department if you have a new, severe headache that prevents you from functioning normally, or if it is the worst headache you’ve ever had.

Otherwise, see your primary care provider (PCP) if you have frequent or severe headaches that interfere with your life. You may be able to tell different types of headaches apart by their symptoms. Migraines, for example, are more likely than other headaches to cause pain on one side of the head and may be accompanied by other symptoms, such as vomiting. Your PCP can determine the type of headache you have and recommend the most appropriate treatment options.

Fortunately, there are many to choose from. Treatments range from over-the-counter or prescription medicines, such as pain relievers, to alternative therapies like acupuncture. Lifestyle changes may also help. For example, you could avoid migraine triggers, such as caffeine. If you get tension headaches, you could improve your posture while working at your desk or choose a better sleep position. Sleeping on your side or back is best for avoiding headaches.

In Conclusion

Headaches offer clues about your health. Here’s what three common headaches may signal –

1. Tension headaches may indicate a problem with stress, mental health, or your sitting or sleeping position.
2. Migraines can signal that certain factors, events, or behaviors, like poor sleep or too much caffeine, are contributing to headaches that occur for unknown reasons.
3. Sinus headaches may actually be migraines since the two conditions cause similar symptoms, and true headaches due to sinus inflammation are relatively rare.