Most of the times, people assume that their headaches are completely harmless and will go away with time. And while it’s true that that in most cases headaches are totally benign, there are also times when headaches may signal an underlying medical condition. No one else knows what’s best for your body other than yourself. So in case you experience pain and sensations similar to those listed below, your headache could mean something much more dangerous. If left untreated for prolonged periods of time, these headaches can even have fatal consequences for you.Of the various types of headaches, a migraine is by far one of the most complex there is. It is a neurological condition that is caused by an over-reactive switch in the brain stem, which can include symptoms like disturbed vision, sensitivity to light, nausea, blurred vision and lightheadedness. A migraine severely disrupts an individual’s daily life as the pain only intensifies with increased activity.
This is one type of headache that affects most of us at some point in our lives. High levels of stress and fatigue usually cause a dull pressure or tightness around the head among individuals. Though the pain is usually bearable, it’s certainly not a thing you want to neglect.
These headaches feel almost like you’re experiencing a sinus infection. They’re usually associated with a deep and continuous pain in the cheekbones, forehead or bridge of the nose. Symptoms include nasal discharge, feeling of fullness in the ears, a high fever, and facial swelling. Any sort of strain and sudden head movement can leave you in great agony.
This is, undoubtedly, one of the most painful types of headache. It strikes without warning and results in a sharp, penetrating and burning sensation in your head. People experiencing cluster headaches often become anxious and restless. As opposed to a migraine, people prefer to pace around rather than lie down while experiencing this painful episode.
These headaches mostly affect women who experience changes in their body’s hormone levels. The highs and lows occurring during a woman’s menstrual cycle, pregnancy and menopause often lead to crippling pain. Hormonal changes triggered by consuming birth control pills are also capable of producing hormonal headaches.
Also known as the transformed migraine, the mixed tension migraine is the combination of tension and migraine headaches. Women are more prone to experiencing these than men, though sometimes even children can experience this type of crippling pain as well. It’s believed that the people that usually go through migraines first consequently trigger a full-blown tension headache simply from the fear that a migraine might recur.
These headaches are believed to occur mostly in children. This type of headache has a sudden onset and has symptoms that recede in a relatively short period of time. Generally, the pain ends with a visit to the pediatrician’s office. In case there are no neurological symptoms found on the child, a respiratory or a sinus infection can be the primary reason for such a painful occurrence.
Also known as traction or inflammatory headaches, chronic progressive headaches only get worse with the passage of time. They are highly uncommon and are mainly the result of an untreated illness or brain disorder.
