What Type of Headache do I have?

I am a seasonal headache sufferer.  Usually around this time of year, I suffer from multiple headaches a week, usually triggered by the constant changing of weather where I live.   Sometimes they don’t last for very long, and sometimes it seems like multiple days before they disappear.  Rarely they seem intense enough to be migraines, but it made me wonder how many people actually struggle to identify what their headaches actually are, especially considering how many types of headaches there are.

So today I want to break down what some of the most common headache types are, how to identify them, and what you can do about them!

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Tension Headaches

Areas where tension headaches are common.  Photo credit: healthwise incorporated

Tension headaches, also called “stress headaches,” are the most common types of headaches, affecting most people at least once in their lives.  The pain from these headaches are said to be mild to moderate dull aching chronic pain that comes and goes over time.  The pain from tension headaches does not throb.  The pain can hurt all over the head, but is most common in the temples or the back of the head and neck.

Along with typical headache pain, tension headaches can also cause tenderness or sensitivity around the neck, forehead, scalp, or shoulders, though these symptoms are not always present.

The typical treatment for tension headaches is over the counter pain medications such as Tylenol, ibuprofen, or Excederin Tension Headache.

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Cluster Headaches

Whereas, tension headaches are the most common and least severe, cluster headaches are the least common but the most severe.

Area affected by cluster headaches. photo credit: Just Healthy Way

These headaches are characterized by intense burning or piercing pain usually behind the eyes and on one side of the face.  Nasal congestion, eye watering, a feeling of restlessness and inability to get comfortable accompany these types of headaches.

Cluster headaches get their name from the nature of their occurrence.  These headaches occur in groups over a period of time anywhere from a period of a couple weeks to a few months and usually with 1 to 4 headaches a day around the same time a day.  Sufferers can go then months or years before another episode.

Over the counter pain medications do not treat cluster headaches and prescription medications such as sumatriptain are often the most effective treatment.  Oxygen therapy has also been known to help with cluster headaches.

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Migraines

Migraines affect a large area of the head.  Photo Credit: Homeopathic treatment

Migraines are characterized by an intense pulsing from deep within the head that usually begins in the forehead, side of head, or around the eyes and gradually gets worse overtime.  These headaches can last a few hours to a few days.

Migraines prevent the patient from being able to perform daily activities due to the intensity of the pain and the other symptoms.  Many migraine sufferers also experience light, noise, and smell sensitivity, nauseas, vomiting, loss of appetite, upset stomach, and belly pain, although many other symptoms are known to accompany migraines.

1 in 5 people experience aura with their migraines.  This is usually characterized by flashing lights, shimmering lights, zigzag lines, stars, or blind spots, although everyone experiences auras differently.

The cause of migraines is unknown, but research thinks that genetics may play a part.  In many cases, migraines are associated with some sort of nervous system condition.

One of the most effective ways to treat a migraine is to prevent it.  This is difficult though due to the high number of potential triggers that may cause migraines.  Usually, more than one trigger is needed to cause a migraine, a few of which include, but are far from limited to, sleep disruption, dehydration, skipping meals, hormones, chemicals, and changes in weather.

Many people choose to take over the counter pain relief for their migraines along with a mix of natural remedies such as essential oils, ice packs in the head or neck, and rest in the darkness.  However, if pain cannot be managed by over the counter medications, triptains prescribed by the doctor are often effective to relieve pain.

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Sinus Headaches

Sinus headaches often “radiate.”  Photo credit: Just Healthy Way

Fun fact: 90% of “sinus headaches” are actually misdiagnoses migraines since the pain is very similar.  However, real sinus headaches are caused by inflamed sinuses, usually due to a sinus infection, thus making them a “secondary headache.”

Sinus headaches usually cause pain in the cheeks, forehead, and the bridge of the nose.  These types of headaches also almost always come with other symptoms such as fever, runny nose, pressure in the ears, and facial swelling.

Sinus headaches are treated by thinning out the mucus that builds up and causes the pressure.  Nasal sprays, decongestants, and allergy medications can all effectively treat the mucus!

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Hormone Headaches

Hormone headaches are another type of secondary headache.  These headaches affect only women and are linked to hormone fluctuations due to changes in estrogen levels due to birth control, menstruation, or pregnancy.

Over the counter pain relievers and relaxation techniques can help to treat these headaches.

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There are still many other types of headaches out there.  Especially secondary headaches.  However, these are the most common types of headaches that most people experience throughout their day to day lives.

Are you a headache sufferer?  What kind of headaches do you experience?  Let me know in the comments below what you do to help the pain!

Until next time,

Kat

Sources and further reading

Dr. Axe.  14 Natural Headache Remedies for instant Relief.  https://draxe.com/natural-headache-remedies-relief/

Health. 5 Types of Headaches. https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20484672,00.html

Watson, Kathryn (2017). 10 types of Headaches and How to Treat Them.  Healthline.  https://www.healthline.com/health/headache/types-of-headaches#tension-headaches

 

Weather Changes and what it means for your head

The greatest thing about spring and summer is that when the sun is out and shinning it’s fun to be outside sitting by the pool, or laying under a tree, or even going for a walk.  But those sunny and happy days aren’t always promised and, depending on where you live, you might also experience a lot of days that include dramatic changes in humidity, temperature, and even rain.  And whereas for some people this just means a day of staying inside instead of a walk through the park, for others it means an entire day off from working lying in bed because of a severe headache.

Most of us just learn to live with this.  It happens enough when the weather changes and sometimes we can even predict when it’s going to happen.  And whereas there’s nothing we can really do to STOP this from happening (save taking medication to dull the pain), we can do some research to at least understand WHY this is happening.  So that’s what I did this week.  I did some digging around to figure out why headaches occur when the weather changes so that way even if we can’t change it, we can certainly understand it.

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Can weather actually cause Migraines?

First, let’s talk about whether or not there actually is a link between weather and headaches.  Are we all just making up the fact that we have a pounding in our heads when it’s raining out or when the temperature drops ten degrees?  Or is this really some sort of crazy act of science?

According to the American Migraine Foundation, it is hard to pinpoint exact whether or not weather patterns can affect the pain in our heads.  Some studies have shown that there is no link, while others have shown that there absolutely is a connection.

As far as migraines are concerned, there are many different types of migraine triggers, including pressure, light, and sound, which increase the chance of a person experiencing a migraine, so it is difficult to determine if the weather is the real cause of a migraine or not.  Studies also say that usually it takes more than one trigger to signal a migraine, so although weather may factor into the odds, it is not the single cause (American Migraine Foundation, 2016).

Now I know what you’re thinking, “I definitely know I get a headache from the weather changing.  I definitely did not make that up!” That may be true, but as the science suggests, that headache may not be deemed as a migraine, which is often associated with nausea or disturbed vision.  You might just end up with a really nasty headache, which is on a level of its own.  If you do have a migraine, the weather might not have been the ONLY trigger for you.

So what is causing this headache to occur?

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Temperature and Humidity play a huge factor

A study in America showed that people prone to headaches may be sensitive to changes in temperature and especially changes in humidity.  When the temperature drops from high to low or rises from low to high people often feel pressure in their heads.  Similarly when the humidity rises, people often suffer more from headaches (Hauser, 2013. American Migraine Foundation, 2016).

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Barometric Pressure is another cause

Barometric Pressure?  What is that?  It sounds like a fancy meteorology term, and that’s because it kind of is.

Scientists measure the pressure of the atmosphere and weight of the air pressing of the surface of the earth by using barometric pressure.  A barometer identifies the pressure of the air pressing against the earth and your local weathermen use that to forecast the upcoming weather.  High barometric pressure means a clear, sunny day, and low barometric pressure means clouds and moisture in the air.

This chart shows how barometric pressure affects temperature and weather.  Image taken from google images from Quiver Hunting App.

Although it isn’t exact science as to why this change causes headaches, it’s hard to ignore the science that links the two together.  According to the American Migraine Foundation, a study took place in Japan right during the time a typhoon hit and showed that 75% of people with migraines had attacks associated with the drop in barometric pressure and 20% of people with tension headaches experienced attacks associated with the change.  So when the barometric pressure changes (in either direction) our heads are at risk to start hurting.

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Other weather related incidents

So what are some other theories that relate to the change in weather and why it affects the pressure in our heads?  Some theories suggest that the change in weather causes an imbalance in the brain chemicals such as serotonin which can cause a shift in mental state and trigger a headache.  Hot and dry conditions also can trigger dehydration which can cause some seriously nasty headaches. (Remember to always drink lots of water when it’s warm and muggy outside).  And interestingly enough, storms can trigger headaches not just because rain can increase the dispersal of spores from plants and cause allergic reactions but also because lightning gives off electromagnetic waves that can trigger headaches (Migraine Relief Center, 2017).

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So can we fully prepare for the oncoming headaches that come with the change of weather?  Maybe if we pay really close attention to the weather and make sure that we have pain medications on head at all times.  But we also all know that the weatherman isn’t always 100% accurate and even watching the radar can’t give a complete accuracy on the weather.

But at least now you know WHY you might get that headache and you might be able to predict better next time when you’ll be getting a headache associated with the weather.

Do you get headaches when the weather changes?  Did you learn anything knew about why that happened?  Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

Until next time,

Kat

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Sources and further reading:

American Migraine Foundation. (2016). Weather and Migraine.  https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/understanding-migraine/weather-and-migraine/

Hauser, A. (2013). Change of Season a Headache for Some.  The Weather Channel. https://weather.com/health/news/change-season-headache-some-20130927

Migraine Relief Center. (2017). Barometric Pressure and Migraines: What You Need to Know.  http://blog.themigrainereliefcenter.com/barometric-pressure-and-migraines-what-you-need-to-know

 

For Women only: Why do I get migraines before my period?

It’s our least favorite time of the month and we all dread the week that follows.  There’s always pain and a lack of energy involved with your monthly period and getting anything done is potentially impossible.  But it’s even worse when we start getting pre menstrual symptoms before our period starts.  It prolongs discomfort and makes the week seem even longer.

Recently, I’ve been experiencing more PMS symptoms than normal.  I’ve been having a lot of headaches lately, especially before my period begins.  Just the other week a family friend of mine, who has suffered from migraines the entire time I’ve known her, pointed out to me that pre menstrual cycles can actually be a trigger for migraines.  I found this very interesting and knew that I just needed to do a little research to see what was going on with that!

So today, we’re going to look at what migraines are and how menstruation can be a trigger for them.

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What is a migraine?

Migraines are severe headaches that are followed with extreme pain in the head, tingling in the arms and legs, blind spots, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. These headaches can be very severe and cause sufferes to miss out on hours or days of their lives.  Migraines can be difficult to diagnose and are often mistaken as tension headaches or sinus infections.

Migraines are actually very common and affect 1 out of 7 Americans and are especially prevalent in females during their reproductive years, something that we will discuss later (Webberley, 2015).

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A refresher on your menstrual cycle

A lot of what is happening during your menstrual cycle has to do with hormones and the constant changes they are going through during your cycle.  To understand these hormonal changes, let’s first get a refresher on what is happening during menstruation.

The first stage of the menstrual cycle is called the follicular phase.  During this cycle, growing follicles are lost and one is selected to go to full maturity while the others are discarded.  In the phase, growth is stimulated by the hormone FSH and estrogen which are secreted by the follicles.  Estrogen secretion rates decrease during this phase before finally beginning to increase as the follicle continues to grow.

In stage 2, the Luteal phase, the wall of the follicle ruptures and causes a flow of antral fluid which carries an oocyte to the ovary surface.  This follicle turns into a cell called the corpus luteum which secrets estrogen and progesterone.  This causes a rise in the hormone LH.  As the corpus luteum degenerates to a scar tissue, estrogen and progesterone levels decrease.

During the menstrual phase, estrogen and progesterone levels trigger the uterus lining to shed.  Then, during stage 4, the uterus begins to renew (Stanfield).

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Why do I get a headache before or during my period?

The headaches we get during our period are due to the changes in hormones our bodies are going through during menstruation.  Research actually shows that migraine risk increases by 25% in the five days leading up to the first day or menstruation and then increases to 71% in the first two days before bleeding.

As estrogen drops in the days before our period, the risk for migraines increases.  Research believes this is due to the fact that estrogen helps to activate parts of the brain that regulate the perception of pain.  This is why headaches are so common a couple days before our period, at the end of the Luteal phase (phase 2) (Almendrala, 2016).

Birth control pills, which change hormones within the body significantly, may also trigger migraines along with menopause.

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What should I do about my headaches?

First, you should definitely begin keeping a diary of when your pain starts compared to when your period begins so you can indentify whether or not your migraines are due to your period or may be being caused by something completely different.

Secondly, you can try different over the counter pain medications such as ibuprofen or exederin migraine.  Laying down in a dark room after taking these will help to relieve your pain.  However, if these don’t work, you may want to seek a doctor for advice.

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Do you suffer from migraines during or before your period?  Did you ever know the reason why this happened?  Let me know what you do to help relieve pain in the comments below.

Until next time,

Kat

 

Sources and further reading:

Almendrala, A. (2016). Why You Get A Throbbing Heading During Your Period.  The Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/why-do-i-get-a-headache-during-my-period_us_57118017e4b0018f9cba2a3a

Stanfield, C.L. (2013). Principles of Human Physiology.  Pearson. 5: 649-654.

Webberley, H. (2015). Migraines: Causes, Symptoms and treatment.  Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/148373.php#what_are_migraine_headaches