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HEADACHES & MIGRAINES - The Facts


What is a headache?

A headache is a pain or discomfort in one or more parts head or back of the neck, and is extremely common. There are many different types of headache patterns and a variety of causes. While painful and annoying, the majority of headaches do not indicate a serious disorder and, in non-chronic cases, may be relieved by medicines, a range of non-medical treatment and or lifestyle changes.

What causes headaches?

There is no single cause of headaches. The majority of headaches do not indicate that there is a serious problem.

Headaches can be categorised into:
  • primary headaches, these are not caused by an underlying condition. They can be a symptom of stress, squinting or poor posture, neck problems. Examples of primary headaches are tension-type headaches, cluster headaches and migraines, and
  • secondary headaches, which are caused by an underlying condition such as meningitis or a brain tumour .

These pages will focus on primary headache, which is the most common type. A number of causes have been identified which fall into two general categories.

Tension-type headache

  • It results from contraction of head and neck muscles.
  • It is the most common form of headache and accounts for 70 per cent of headaches.
  • It can occur in people of either sex, though more frequent in women.
  • It affects any age but it is most common in adults and adolescents.
  • It is a constant ache that affects both sides of the head, often described as a  ‘tight band around the head’. There is also tightening of the neck muscles and a feeling of pressure behind the eyes.
  • The headaches usually last for up to six hours, but for some people may have a persistent more persistent headaches for several days.



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Tension-type headache can become chronic for some people, with approximately 3% of people have a tension-type headache on most days.
Possible causes of muscle contraction associated with tension headaches include:

  • stress, emotional –tension, depression & anxiety.
  • fatigue.
  • poor posture.
  • neck and back problems
  • eye strain.
  • tobacco and alcohol use.
  • allergies, dust, food etc.
  • in women, hormonal changes occurring before and after a menstrual period.

For further information, please see Treatment for Tension Headaches.

Migraine Headaches

Migraine facts:

  • Migraine is the cause of 20 % of all headaches.
  • It affects 15% of adults in the UK.
  • They affect women more frequently than men.
  • Usually first present before 40 years of age.
  • This type of headache occurs when blood vessels of the head and neck constrict, resulting in a decrease in blood flow to the vessels, and then subsequently dilate causing pain.
  • Migraine is usually experienced as a severe throbbing pain at the front or on one side of the head. Some people also have associated feelings of sickness and sensitivity to light and sound, sweating, tummy pain, feeling very hot or cold.
  • Commonly lasts from a few hours to one or two days in some cases.

There are two types of migraine:

  • Classical migraine is when you have a warning sign, known as aura, before the migraine begins. About a third of people with migraine have this. Warning signs may include visual problems (such as flashing lights) and stiffness in the neck, shoulders or limbs, tingling sensation in the limbs, difficulty in co-ordination or speaking. 
  • Common migraine is when there is no aura.

Factors that have been identified as being associated with migraines:

  • Family history of migraine.
  • Tension and stress.
  • Alcohol use.
  • Smoking or exposure to tobacco smoke.
  • Lack of sleep and fatigue.
  • For women, menstrual periods and the use of oral contraceptives.
  • Foods such as chocolate, nuts and fermented or pickled condiments, as well as foods containing the amino acid tyramine (aged cheese, red wine, smoked fish) and foods containing preservatives and artificial sweeteners.

How is migraine diagnosed?
Your GP or therapist will ask you about history of any previous illnesses, family background, diet and lifestyle. They will ask for information about the headache, its length, duration, location, associated features, quality and causative factors.

For more information, please see Treatment for Migraines.

Further help is available in the NICE guidelines for headaches and migraines in the pdf file below.
Nice Guidelines (2015) for over 12s: Diagnosis and Management
File Size: 157 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

Content by Jane Morris - connect with me on Google+


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