A Brief Overview of Headaches and Migraines
Published: 23 March 2020
Published: 23 March 2020
Headaches are an extremely varied and common symptom of many conditions. In fact, about 15 per cent of Australians are estimated to be taking medication for a headache at any given time (ABS, cited in Better Health Channel 2015).
The term headache refers to any pain in the head, face or neck area (Healthdirect 2017).
Headaches vary in severity, frequency and length. The pain may be sharp, throbbing or dull, with gradual or sudden onset, and may last from less than an hour to several days (Mayo Clinic 2018).
Headaches are so prevalent because there are numerous causes (Better Health Channel 2015). Headache & Migraine Australia (2019) lists 37 different types of headache.
Headaches are divided into two categories:
(Mayo Clinic 2018; QLD Health 2019)
A headache can be caused by anything that stimulates the pain receptors in the head or neck (Better Health Channel 2015).
Primary headaches can be related to chemical activity in the brain, nerves or blood vessels surrounding the skull, the muscles in the head and neck, or a combination of these. Some people may have a genetic predisposition to develop primary headaches (Mayo Clinic 2018). Some common types of primary headaches include:
(Mayo Clinic 2018)
Primary headaches may be caused by:
(Mayo Clinic 2018)
When an underlying condition or external cause activates the pain-sensitive nerves of the head, the individual may experience a secondary headache (Mayo Clinic 2018). Secondary headaches can include:
(Mayo Clinic 2018; Headache Australia n.d.)
There are many possible causes of secondary headaches, varying in severity. These can include:
(Mayo Clinic 2018)
Please note this is not a complete list of possible causes.
Migraines are a common type of primary headache characterised by severe, throbbing pain on one side of the head (Better Health Channel 2014).
They can be debilitating, accounting for 5 million ER visits every year in the United States (Minen et al., cited in Jesani & Simerson 2019).
They may be recurring depending on the individual, with some people experiencing two or three per week (Better Health Channel 2014).
Migraines can last between four hours and three days. Women are more affected than men, which is thought to be related to reduced oestrogen during menstruation (Better Health Channel 2014).
According to the diagnostic criteria of migraines, symptoms include:
(Moriarty & Mallick-Searle 2016)
Also known as ‘classic migraine’, this type of migraine is characterised by recurrent migraine symptoms accompanied or preceded by visual and sensory disturbances known as aura (Mayo Clinic 2019; Jesani & Simerson 2019).
Aura symptoms most commonly begin within an hour before migraine symptoms, though sometimes they will occur without a migraine (Mayo Clinic 2019). Aura symptoms may include:
(Mayo Clinic 2019)
Headaches can be caused by a combination of factors and in some cases, a serious underlying issue. If a headache is recurring you may need to seek help from a health professional in order to determine what the cause is. Tests such as scans, eye tests and sinus x-rays may be used (Better Health Channel 2015). A health professional may consider the following factors when diagnosing a headache:
(Better Health Channel 2015)
Treatment may depend on the cause of the headache. If the headache is recurring, it may be triggered by a lifestyle factor or particular behaviour (QLD Health 2019). The following strategies may help to alleviate the pain:
(QLD Health 2019)
The following strategies may help to prevent headaches:
(QLD Health 2019; Healthy WA n.d.)
Most headaches are not serious but in rare cases can indicate a serious medical condition such as a stroke, meningitis or encephalitis (QLD Health 2019). Seek medical attention if you are experiencing:
(Mayo Clinic 2018; QLD Health 2019; Healthy WA n.d.)
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True or false? A primary headache is a side effect of an underlying condition.
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