Is Chronic Pain Ruining Your Sleep? Discover Personalized Relief in Medford
Pain and poor sleep create a frustrating cycle that drains your energy throughout the day. Discover a few pain relief options with Pain Management of Long Island.
How Different Types of Headaches Signal Underlying Problems
About 65% of people suffer from headaches each year. While many headaches are harmless and manageable, certain patterns, symptoms, or sudden changes can signal an underlying medical condition worth paying attention to.
If headaches and migraines are part of your regular routine, see our pain management experts at Pain Management of Long Island in Medford, New York, for an evaluation and treatment plan.
Here are 20 different types of headaches, how to tell the difference, and when pain in your head deserves more than an ibuprofen and a quiet room.
1. Cervicogenic headaches
A cervicogenic headache can cause pain on one side of your face or head, pain around your eyes, a stiff neck, and shoulder, neck, and/or arm pain. You might notice blurred vision or sound and light sensitivity. It’s caused by neck injuries, malformations of the upper vertebrae, or upper spine arthritis. Treatments with a pain specialist can reduce the discomfort.
2. Caffeine-withdrawal headaches
A caffeine withdrawal headache might feel like pulsating, bilateral head pain occurring within 24 hours of not having caffeine (after consuming it regularly). Prevention measures include avoiding large amounts of caffeine, especially all at once.
3. Aneurysm/subarachnoid hemorrhage headaches
A headache caused by an aneurysm or subarachnoid hemorrhage is a medical emergency. Symptoms may include a sudden, unbearable headache with neurological symptoms. You might experience a rigid neck or double vision. Some people become unconscious. This condition requires immediate medical intervention.
4. Cluster headaches
Cluster headaches are severe headaches that appear rapidly, often causing pain around the eyes, tearing, eye redness, nasal congestion, and/or a flushed face. The pain could last 15 minutes to three hours and return daily for weeks at a time. Alcohol could trigger cluster headaches. Your pain specialist offers preventive options to help eliminate them.
5. Chronic migraines
Chronic (ongoing) migraines are severe headaches occurring more than 15 days a month for more than three months. The experts at Pain Management of Long Island can help you find the root cause and offer treatments providing lasting relief for chronic migraines.
6. Exertional headaches
Exertional headaches may be caused by intense exercise and appear abruptly with generalized head pain. Coughing, sneezing, or straining during bowel movements are other potential causes of exertional headaches.
7. Headaches caused by an infection
An infection can lead to headaches warranting an evaluation by a medical professional. These headaches might be moderate to severe and appear with fever. Treatment, including antibiotics when necessary, can help treat the infection.
8. Hypertension headaches
Extreme hypertension (high blood pressure) can cause headaches that are most severe in the morning, often diminishing later in the day. Immediate treatment can help prevent serious complications related to high blood pressure.
9. Menstrual migraines
Some women experience migraine headaches shortly before, during, or right after menstruation — or when they ovulate. Treatment helps prevent or treat these migraines to ease debilitating discomfort.
10. Fasting/hunger headaches
A fasting headache might appear because of not eating for more than 16 hours. It may develop in the front part of your head and have a mild to moderate intensity. Eating food should help resolve this type of headache.
11. Hangover headaches
Drinking too much alcohol the night before could cause a headache with migraine-like symptoms, throbbing pain on both sides of your head, and/or nausea. Treatment includes drinking fluids and reducing alcohol intake. You might take medications.
12. Thunderclap headaches
Thunderclap headaches are characterized by severe, sudden pain, often with vomiting, nausea, speech changes, fever, confusion, weakness, or vision changes. Sometimes they’re caused by a serious medical condition, which is why it’s important to see a specialist right away.
Other types of headaches
In addition to the headaches listed above, other types include:
- Hemiplegic migraine causing stroke-like symptoms and severe, throbbing pain
- Sinus headache caused by nasal drainage and/or a fever
- Temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMD) headache caused by jaw problems
- Tension-type headache caused by tension/stress
- Giant cell arteritis, an inflammatory vascular disease
- Trigeminal neuralgia caused by trigeminal nerve compression affecting the face
- Post-traumatic headaches caused by trauma/injuries
- Headaches caused by tumors
Headaches are common, but finding the underlying cause of severe, long-lasting, or frequent headaches is important to detect or rule out concerning and/or dangerous medical conditions.
Schedule a pain evaluation at Pain Management of Long Island by contacting us by phone or requesting an appointment online today.
You Might Also Enjoy...
Is Nerve Pain Affecting Your Sleep? Here's What to Do
A good night’s sleep can feel impossible when nerve damage sends zaps, tingles, burning sensations, or aching discomfort through your body. Yet, a lack of sleep can make the pain worse. These simple steps can help break the cycle.
5 Signs Your Joint Pain Requires Medical Attention
Soreness after a workout or a full day on your feet is normal, but joint pain that sticks around, gets worse, or interferes with everyday life is a different story. Learn when aches and pains cross the line from annoying to medically important.
Radiofrequency Ablation for Back Pain
If your back pain has overstayed its welcome, one innovative treatment may be considered: radiofrequency ablation. It sounds high-tech, but it’s a simple procedure offering reduced pain and improved function. Here’s how.
What Happens if Sciatica Pain Is Left Untreated?
If you’ve ever felt a sharp pain shooting from your lower back down your leg, you may have sciatica — a condition that’s much easier to manage early than later. Here’s what could happen when sciatica is left untreated.
3 Ways to Finally Address Your Back Pain
Whether it’s from sitting all day, sleeping weird, stress, or a disease or injury, back pain can sneak up fast — but you don’t have to just power through it. Here are three effective ways to find relief.