Is Your Headache a Tension Headache? Or is it a Migraine Headache?
Most people have experienced one headache in their time that they were not sure about and wished that there was a cure for migraine. Some headaches are easier to distinguish than others, and you need to know the signs in order to be able to tell them apart. For example, a sinus headache will present with pain and pressure around the sinus area in the front of your face. Migraine headaches and tension headaches are two types of headaches that are almost similar, but there are a few differences.
Tension headaches appear as a response to the tightening of the muscles in your neck, shoulders, and/or jaw. If you spend too much time working or you experience a lack of the proper amount of sleep, you are likely to experience tension headaches. In some cases, tension headaches can be caused by not eating properly. The best way to determine if you’re headache is a tension headache is to apply slight pressure to the back of your neck. If the throbbing in your head eases even the slightest bit, you have a tension headache, and a hot or cold compress will help you get rid of it.
Migraine headaches, on the other hand, are a bit more serious. They are also much more painful than any other kind of headache. Many people who suffer from migraine headaches will describe the pain as is someone were jabbing a sharp instrument into their head all over. Some people have actually confused their first migraine with a brain aneurysm. There are a few different causes for migraine headaches, and typical over the counter medications are usually ineffective. There are still a lot of studies being conducted to find a cure for migraine, but so far it seems that chronic migraine headaches are attributed to changes in blood vessels and nerves that affect the pain sensors in the brain.