Headache is the most common disorder of the nervous system. It is the symptom of pain in the head or the upper neck. At least 47% of the adult population suffered from headache within last year, affecting the quality of their lives. It is underestimated and undertreated throughout the world. A headache can affect any part of the head, and pain may be present in one or several locations. Frequent or severe headaches can affect a person’s quality of life.
Headaches can sometimes be mild, but in many cases, they can cause severe pain that makes it difficult to concentrate at work and perform other daily activities. In fact, approximately 45 million Americans frequently have severe headaches that can be disabling. Headaches range in severity and type.
Headaches can either be primary or secondary. Primary headaches include but not limited to:
A mild to moderate pain often described as feeling like a tight band around the head, typically caused by stress, inadequate sleep, and poor posture.
A migraine is a medical condition that involves severe, recurring headaches, and often includes other symptoms. Before a migraine, there may be sensory changes that are known as an aura. A migraine episode is different from a headache. It usually occurs in stages and can last for several days. It can affect a person’s daily life, including their ability to work or study.
Headaches that occur in patterns or clusters. These headaches come in bouts of frequent attacks , known as cluster periods that may last from weeks to months, usually followed by long periods of relief.
A chronic pain condition affecting the trigeminal nerve in the face, often triggered by chewing, speaking or brushing teeth.
Secondary headaches are caused by another problem in the head or neck like cervicogenic headaches, medications overuse, temporal arteritis, glaucoma, intracranial hemorrhage, brain tumors or meningitis.
Physical examination and brain imaging are often part of the diagnosis work up.