Everyone knows what a headache is. Some have it often and in a very severe form, such as migraine or cluster headache, others only have it occasionally and do not experience much discomfort from the pain. The question is how the headache arises and what it actually is.
Types of headaches
There can actually be roughly two types of headaches. The first is the ‘tension headache’ and that is the headache you get when it all becomes too much or you have slept poorly, for example. The second type of headache that is distinguished is the vascular headache. This type of headache occurs in a much more painful form and can manifest itself as a migraine or cluster headache.
Pain in your head?
To understand what a headache actually is, you must first understand that your brain itself is not sensitive to pain. So the pain must come from somewhere in your body, but not from your brain. These are often your skin, your bones, your nose or, for example, your ears. This is where the pain comes from.
Tension headache
In the case of tension headaches, the cause is often that certain muscle (groups) in your body have tensed or tensed for a long time. This pain can often be traced back to your neck or face, but can also be pain in your meninges.
Vascular headache
Within vascular headaches, there are two best-known forms of this headache: migraine and cluster headache
Migraine
This type of headache is the type of headache that people can really suffer from. These are caused by the blood supply to the part of your brain that registers pain. There are several scientific theories to explain this type of headache.
- Narrowed blood vessels to the brain, causing a shortage of oxygen
- Swollen blood vessels pressing against the nerves
Migraines can be caused by the weather, stress, poor diet and often last between 4 and 72 hours.
Women are three times more likely to get migraines than men.
Cluster headache
This is probably the most severe form of headache and can last for weeks to months. The pain is often centered on one half of the face or around the eye. Opinions on cluster headaches are even more divided as to the cause than on migraines. It is expected that, like migraines, it has something to do with blood flow to the brain. The cluster headache owes its name to the periods in which it occurs. There are often cycles in which it returns. There are several videos on the internet of people who have this cluster headache and it looks very painful. Fortunately, there is medication to make these headaches less intense and also to make them last shorter.
Consult a doctor if you have a headache
If you suffer from tension headaches, it is not necessary to contact your doctor immediately. However, if you experience a vascular headache for the first time, persistent tension headache (longer than 4 days) or if you are not familiar with it, it is always advisable to consult a doctor.
