Headaches can range from a dull ache to being completely debilitating. If you experienced headaches, you’re not alone. In fact, 9 out of 10 Americans suffer from headaches. While most are occasional and minor, more extreme headaches that can knock them off their feet for days or even weeks.
When a headache comes on, it can cause various symptoms that make day-to-day responsibilities a challenge. From light sensitivity, foggy thinking, and fatigue, symptoms can show up in a variety of combinations. And just like there are different symptoms, there are different types of headaches. Understanding the difference in headache types and the way they work can help you manage them better.
Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache experienced among adults. While the least severe type of headache, they can still get in the way of you performing normal daily activities and can last for hours or even days. Tension headaches differ significantly from other types of headaches because, unlike their counterparts, they don’t cause some of the more severe symptoms, including balance issues or blurred vision. They typically only bring about localized, physical discomfort.
Tension headaches are more commonly experienced among women and can have different causes, including:
- Lack of Sleep
- Hunger
- Staring at Digital Screens
- Poor Posture
- Mood
- Neck Tension
Cluster Headaches
Shorter in duration than other types of headaches, cluster headaches are typically more chronic and can be extremely painful, lasting for weeks or months at a time. One common way to identify a cluster headache is one-sided pain and watering eyes or nasal congestion on one side of the face. Cluster headaches are also seasonal in nature, experienced at particular times of the year.
Migraine Headaches
Often confused with tension headaches, migraines are a very different type of headache compared to the others on this list. The main difference is the level of pain intensity and severe symptoms that are experienced.
Symptoms of migraine headaches can be severe and debilitating. Throbbing pain on one side of the head, nausea, vomiting, vision problems, and extreme fatigue are often associated with migraine headaches.
While migraine headaches differ from tension headaches, the causes are the same: stress, sleep habits, hunger, posture, and neck tension.
Rebound Headaches
Rebound headaches can be especially dangerous because the overuse of painkillers causes them. Ironically, if you started taking over-the-counter painkillers like Tylenol or Advil to help ease the pain of a headache, you can eventually begin to get headaches from overusing them. Similar to the feelings of withdrawal, if you have been taking them consistently for an extended period of time, you’ll experience rebound headaches when you attempt to stop using. While they’re more common with overuse of standard painkillers, they can also occur from overuse of prescription drugs as well.
Chiropractic Care for Headaches
When a headache occurs, it’s easy for someone to reach for the nearest medication to take the edge off. While pain meds can help in the shorter, they don’t do anything to help the root cause of a headache. Chiropractic care at Levi Chiropractic offers an individualized approach to headache treatment. Our treatment plans consist of soft tissue release, trigger point therapy, spinal manipulation, and lifestyle changes. We offer a fully holistic approach to removing both the symptoms AND the causes of your headaches to help you get back to living your life, headache-free!