Migraine Headache

If you have a stable pattern of recurring headaches accompanied by nausea at least some of the time, you probably have migraine. Migraines may sometimes cause extreme nausea, vomiting and altered vision. Symptoms may include tiredness or moodiness as early as 12- 18 hours before onset of the headache.

Migraine tends to recur periodically but what really causes migraines is not well understood. Migraine headaches can do more than ruin your day - they can interfere with your life. Headaches are of different variations.

Migraine headaches are usually described as a one-sided, throbbing pain of the temple, forehead, or eye. Once the pain of a migraine sets in, it is sheer agony. How bad are your headaches? The most important symptom you will probably have with your migraine headache is pain, and as you know, the pain can be very severe and last many hours.

Migraine headache resulted from the expansion (or dilation) of blood vessels in the brain and scalp. It is possible for people to have migraine even when nobody in the family has it. Though it has been seen that migraine does run in families, it is not necessary that children of migraine patients will also have it. Stress is one of the major factors that can contribute to the onset of a migraine.

Tension headache

Tension headaches are also common in many people. Stress and anxiety are causes for tension headaches. Tension headaches often start in the middle of the day. Tension headaches usually begin slowly and gradually. Tension headaches commonly come on in the middle of the day. If you have tension headaches almost every day or over-the-counter medicines don't help your pain, you should see a medical practitioner.

For a person who is prompt to tension headache, the moment the person gets tense about something, the person will develop a tension headache. People with tension headaches may also suffer from pain, throbbing or a sensation of tightness in the head. Contrary to popular belief, tension headache is not necessarily the result of emotional stress, but rather, like migraine, probably as a result of a neurochemical process inherent in the brain of the headache sufferer. Most tension-type headaches respond to simple analgesics like acetaminophen or ibuprofen, but some can be somewhat disabling.

Tests are not usually required to diagnose a tension headache. If you only have tension headaches occasionally, an over-the-counter (available without a prescription) pain reliever can probably help. These headaches come on slowly, and gradually increase in intensity. Some people report that their tension headaches are worse than a migraine headache.

Common Headache Treatment Options

There are a lot of treatment options presently available for your migraine and tension headaches. Some of you will get spectacular results with one or more of these treatments and others will not. Sometimes a separate visit to your physician to discuss your headaches specifically may be necessary. Migraine can be triggered in susceptible individuals by tyramine-containing foods, some food additives and sugar substitutes, as well as by skipping meals.

Selective serotonin-agonist drugs like sumatriptan have revolutionized treatment of migraines and dramatically changed the lives of millions of people. Most commonly used drugs for migraine headaches are regular analgesics available over the counter like Tylenol, Aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil). There are several natural solutions that can help you fight headaches, but the first thing you need to do is work out what sort of headaches you're actually suffering from.

There are many natural remedies for tension headaches. These include stress and tension reduction, ice therapy (used at the base of the skull), eliminating food triggers, getting the proper amount of rest, biofeedback, headache pillows or cushions, exercise and many others. Sunglasses can often even prevent the headaches.

All treatments for migraine and tension headaches have the same treatment goals in common. They are designed to take away your headache symptoms. There is no need to endure the pain when you really have an option. Follow the tips given here and you will be amazed to find that the prevention is actually in your hands.