The following are common headache terms and their definitions....
"Headache"
Headache is the general term used to describe pain associated with the forehead, skull, neck, temples, and/or face. The pain can be pulsing, steady, abrupt, dull, throbbing, one-sided, or all over.
Headache pain is caused by different factors, including blood vessel dilation, muscle tension, and nerve inflammation/irritation.
Headache triggers include stress, certain foods, certain beverages, lack of sleep, medications, poor posture, bright or poor lighting, intolerable sounds, and sharp smells.
Primary headches are those which happen by themselves. Secondary headaches are symptoms of other problems.
Different types of headaches include tension, migraine, sinus, and cluster.
"Migraine"
A migraine is a specific type of headache. It is thought to be vascular, or having to do with the head's blood vessels. Blood vessels contract, or shrink, and then they dilate, or expand, causing typical migraine pain.
Migraine pain often happens on one side of the head, and it can be pulsing or throbbing. Triggers for migraine pain can include certain foods (cheese and chocolate), drinks (wine and coffee), stress, hunger, fatigue, and smells.
Some migraines have warning symptoms, called auras. These symptoms can include visual disturbances, memory fog, and tingling extremities.
Migraines are thought to be a chronic, genetic disorder. Women suffer from this type of headache more than men.
"Migraine Aura"
A migraine aura is a pre-headache warning sign, and it usually happens 15-30 minutes before the onset of a migraine headache. Not everyone who experiences migraines experiences auras beforehand. Auras are experienced by about 30% of patients. After a migraine begins, the aura generally disappears.
Aura experiences can include:
- visual abnormalities, such as wavy lines, flashing lights, tunnel vision, or blind spots in one or both eyes
- abnormal sounds, smells, or tastes
- pins-and-needles in the limbs
- difficulty understanding speech or talking
- short-term memory loss
Auras are helpful for a doctor in determining whether a patient is indeed suffering from migraines. Migraines with auras are sometimes known as "classic migraines."
"Primary Headache"
A primary headache is one which is not caused by anything else, such as disease, stroke, brain tumor(s), or infection. This type of headache is an illness unto itself.
Primary headaches are the most common type, accounting for more than 90% of all headaches.
There are three main categories of primary headaches, including tension (the most common), migraine, and cluster. Tension headaches are usually caused by muscle contractions, migraines are caused by blood vessel constrictions and dilations, and cluster headaches are mainly caused by facial nerve inflammation.
Primary headaches can be very painful and chronic, but they are generally harmless, causing no permanent damage.
*****For more information on headaches and migraines, read Headache Types and Causes, Tension Headache Overview, Migraine Overview, Migraines: Causes and Triggers, Migraine Signs and Symptoms, Migraine Diagnosis and Treatment, and Alternative Migraine Therapies.
******For related neurological information, check out the Neurological ARTICLE INDEX and Blog.
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