The 11 types of headache and their characteristics

Headaches are one of the most frequent causes of medical visits, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, they are not all the same. There are pains caused by some disease, others that arise from stress, and those of a genetic type, better known as migraine.

In this article we will review the different types of headaches and their characteristics.

Primary and secondary headache

Headaches cause great suffering to the person who suffers from it, but they are not all the same and can be classified into two categories. It is possible to differentiate two main types of headache: they are primary and secondary headaches..

When we speak of primary headaches, we are referring to the fact that the headache is itself the disease. This is not the case with secondary headaches, in which the headache is caused by another illness, such as the flu or a brain tumor.

Headache types

But, going into detail, what types of headaches are there? what are their characteristics? Following the classification of the International Headache Society (ICHD-3), the types of headache are:

Primary headaches

There are several types of primary headaches; are as follows:

1. Tension headache

Tension headache is a very common type of headache, in which a person has crushing pain, that is, pressure on the head. Unlike what happens in other types of headache, the pain usually affects both halves of the head.

Its causes can be varied: stress, fatigue, anxiety, excess coffee or tobacco. It can occur at any age, but it is most common in adolescents and adults.

2. Migraine

Migraine and tension headache account for 95% of primary headaches, so if you have doubts about what is happening to you, most likely this is the phenomenon that occurs in your body, unless the symptoms are very different from what is shown here. It usually appears as recurring headache attacks on one side of the head, which can vary in frequency, intensity, and duration. In addition, they usually occur together with nausea, vomiting and discomfort towards light and noise. Migraine is genetic in origin and is both a chronic and an episodic condition.

• There are different types of migraine. If you are interested, you can meet them in this article: "The 7 types of migraine (characteristics and causes)"

3. Primary cough headache

This type of headache appears as a consequence of coughing, although it can also occur due to other valsalva maneuvers, that is, by exhaling air with the glottis closed or with the mouth and nose closed. Thus, it is the product of an action that is repeated over and over again, without our realizing it, in the case of a bad habit, or in a timely manner due to a sudden alteration in our state.

For example, from sneezing, laughing, bending over, crying, strength training with weights, etc. It usually appears suddenly right after the coughing fit and can affect one or both parts of the head. The pain can be oppressive or stabbing and the duration and intensity can vary depending on each case.

4. Primary exertional headache

This type of headache is caused by prolonged physical exertion. It seems that it is more frequent in men and neither the type of exercise nor the physical condition of the subject influence its appearance.

The person who suffers from it usually presents bilateral and throbbing pain that, sometimes, appears together with nausea and vomiting. It usually begins at the time of maximum physical effort and partially improves at the same time that physical activity stops.

5. Headache associated with sexual activity

This type of headache has its origin in intimate relationships. The symptoms appear bilaterally and the pain can vary in its form: oppressive, stabbing, throbbing. It can be accompanied by rapid heartbeat, hot flashes, nausea, facial flushing, and even dizziness. It usually lasts 30 to 60 minutes and can occur before, during, or after orgasm.

6. Primary thunder headache

Like the previous two, it can be started after making a high intensity physical effort or having intimate relationships. However, It is a type of explosive headache, which has a sudden onset and reaches its maximum intensity in the first minutes. Its intensity is moderate-severe and although it can occur anywhere on the head, it usually has an occipital location. Sometimes it occurs with sensitivity to light and sound and with nausea and vomiting.

7. Cryostimulus headache

The cause of this type of headache is coming into contact with something cold, either inhaled, ingested, or placed on the outside of the head. Therefore, it can appear, for example, after being exposed to a freezing environment or when getting into water with a very low temperature. The pain is located in the forehead, specifically in the middle area, it is stabbing and of short duration. It is usually common in patients who suffer from migraine.

8. External pressure headache

This headache appears due to uninterrupted head compression, specifically in the pericranial soft tissues. For example, by wearing a helmet, a cap or glasses.

Pain appears at the point where external compression occurs. It usually subsides within 60 minutes after the release of the compression that caused it.

9. Primary stabbing headache

Primary stabbing headache, as the name suggests, has a stabbing pain, usually intense and in a specific location (frontal or temporal), although they can also change location. It appears spontaneously by doing some maneuvers, for example, movements of the head, changes in posture, etc.

10. Nummular headache

This type of headache it is located only on the scalp and is chronic in nature. Its duration can be variable, and the pain appears with a series of characteristics: coin-shaped, with a perfect contour, a round, fixed size and 1-6 cm in diameter.

10 Hypnic headache

Appears during sleep (nocturnal and naps) and interrupts it. It generally appears in people over 50 years of age, although younger people can occasionally get it. It lasts about half an hour to 3 hours and the pain can be of many types.

11. De novo persistent daily headache

This kind of headache also it is known as chronic daily headache of recent onset and it is quite unusual. Symptoms can be similar to those of migraine or tension headache, although symptoms often resemble the latter. It appears suddenly, and the symptoms appear daily and without interruption.

Secondary headaches

As said, these headaches are secondary to another pathology. There is a lot of types:

• Headache attributed to head or neck trauma: They are the most common, and can appear after trauma or a whiplash of the neck. It occurs only with the headache or with other symptoms: dizziness, lack of concentration or motor slowdown.
• Headache attributed to cranial and / or cervical vascular disorder: It usually appears together with vascular or cervical disorders, for example, a stroke.
• Headache attributed to non-vascular intracranial disorder: The cause is other intracranial disorders that do not belong to the previous group
• Headache attributed to the administration or withdrawal of a substance: Due to the use of medications or the withdrawal of these.
• Headache attributed to infection: The cause is an infection, for example, the flu.
• Headache attributed to homeostasis disorder: This type of headache occurs together with a homeostasis disorder, for example: high-altitude headache. immersion headache or sleep apnea headache
• Headache or facial pain attributed to skull disorder, neck, eyes, ears, nose, sinuses, teeth, mouth or other facial or cranial structures.
• Headache attributed to psychiatric disorder: Psychiatric disorders can be, for example, depression or anxiety.

What to do to cope with the headache?

Since there are many types of headaches, there is no universal solution when it comes to alleviating their symptoms and, specifically, the discomfort that occurs. On the other hand, there is no "cure" for these situations, since the headache is a manifestation of an underlying problem.

Once it has appeared, there is little that can be done to make the pain go away automatically. What can be done is to intervene on the underlying problem and make the headache less likely to reappear; for example, improving the diet, resting more, resting the eyes, etc. In any case it is necessary to have medical supervision and a diagnosis of what is happening to attack at its root.