Cluster, tension, migraine…

Out of all the different types of headaches, cluster headaches are considered the most painful type by most medical professionals. People who suffer from cluster headaches describe the pain as a knife stabbing in the back of their eye, usually lasting for several weeks to months.Mayo Clinic Team, ‘Cluster headache’, Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cluster-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20352080, (URL visited on October 25, 2022). Luckily, only about 0,1% of the population suffer from this kind of headache.M. Fischera, et al., ‘The incidence and prevalence of cluster headache: a meta-analysis of population-based studies’, Cephalalgia, 28:6 (2008), 614-618.

Other types of headaches that torment many people regularly are tension-type headaches (TTH) and migraines. When someone tells you they have a headache, chances are it is a tension headache they are suffering from, since seventy percent of headache patients are mainly bothered by this type of headache. TTHs are described as a dull and aching pain, with patients often feeling as if a tight rubber band is wrapped around their heads - a feeling I think we all know all too well.Mayo Clinic Team, ‘Tension headache’, Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/tension-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20353977, (URL visited on October 25, 2022). Tension headaches are often caused by stress, lack of sleep or dehydration.

From my personal experience, I can confirm that slacking on your self care can very easily result in this annoying nagging sensation, and I bet you can too. Usually, resting a bit, popping some paracetamol, or eating or drinking something are very effective for getting rid of TTHs. If you take some time to refuel your body and destress, most people are good to go in no time.

While migraines are less common than tension headaches, one in six women and one in twelve men are regularly plagued by the severe throbbing sensations this type of headache causes.L.J. Stovner, et al., ‘The global prevalence of headache: an update, with an analysis of the influences of methodological factors on prevalence estimates’, The Journal of Headache and Pain, 23:34 (2022), 5. Migraine patients often suffer not just from a pounding head, but also from nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound during a migraine attack. These attacks usually last for several hours, but for some patients, it can take days before they are able to live their lives normally again.Mayo Clinic Team, ‘Migraine, Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/migraine-headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20360201, (URL visited on October 25, 2022).

Personally, I always get migraines when I have just survived something stressful: after meeting deadlines at the end of a semester at university, after working a whole weekend or having just resolved something stressful in my personal life. Funnily enough, friends of mine who suffer from migraines experience the exact same thing. When they can finally relax after a particularly stressful period, they can bet money on it that a migraine is under way. I’m very interested to know if this is something you experience as well if you suffer from migraines. Hit me up on my socials to let me know!

Not only are there more different types of headaches than you might initially think, the burden that headaches place on our society is also much heavier than you would probably expect - or at least, than I expected. If you want to find out more about the impact of headaches, click on the arrow on the right.