Headache pain is a condition in which varying degrees of pain is felt in the head, temples, behind the ears, forehead, behind the eyes, in the occipital region of the head, the neck or shoulders. There are various types of headaches than can trigger pain and each type of headache has a different cause.

Types of headaches:

Depending on their causes, headaches have been classified into two categories- primary headaches and secondary headaches.

Primary headaches: In this type of headaches, the headache pain varies in it severity and frequency. These headaches are considered to be specific aliments and are not linked with any other diseases such as brain tumors, teeth infection, flu, head trauma etc. The most common examples of primary headaches are migraines, cluster headaches, tension headaches etc.

Secondary Headaches: In this type of headaches, the pain occurs as a symptom of other ailments. In such cases, the headache is caused by other diseases which can be major or minor in character. These include headaches associated with hypertension, spinal headaches, brain tumor headaches etc.

Most common types of Headaches:

The most common types of headaches are tension or stress headaches. Almost 90% people suffering from headache pain are affected by tension type headaches which are more common among women than men.

Migraines have also become quite common in the last few years and are known to affect almost 28 million people in the United States alone. They affect people belonging to all age groups such as children, teenagers and adults. Before puberty both boys and girls are affected by migraines equally, but post-puberty women are more affected by migraines than men.

Treatment of headache pain:

Headaches might not be life threatening, but can indicate the development of a more serious ailment. Different types of headaches heave different treatments. Therefore, it is essential for you to consult a doctor before taking any medicines and get a proper diagnosis of your headache.

You can temporarily relieve your headache by taking analgesics such as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen and naproxen sodium.

Head massage is another way by means of which you can get relief

You can also pay a visit to an acupuncture specialist who will help treat your headache by applying pressure with needles on various pressure points of your body.

Certain herbs such as feverfew, ginger, goldseal and gingko biloba help provide temporary relief from headache pain.