What Type of Headache Do I Have?

When your head hurts, you may not think about what type of headache it is — you only want the pain to end. However, headaches come in all different forms, and knowing what type of headache you are experiencing can help you treat the symptoms more effectively and feel better. To help you, we’ve compiled a guide of the different types of headaches and their treatments.

Different Types of Headaches

Stress, illness, hormones and your environment can cause headaches. Determining what type of headache you have depends on your symptoms. Here are seven common headaches:

1. Tension Headache

Most headaches adults and teens get are tension headaches. No other symptoms are associated with them, and while they cause mild pain, they go away fairly quickly without treatment.

2. Migraine

A migraine headache may last a few hours or a few days, and it’s characterized by intense pain. A lot of migraine sufferers experience other symptoms along with the headache, including nausea, light sensitivity and stomach pain.

3. Cluster Headaches

This is the most intense type of headache pain. A cluster headache feels like a throbbing or consistent pain behind one eye. The eye may get droopy or red during a cluster headache, and the nostril on the same side of that eye may become congested. They are called cluster headaches because you will experience several of them over a short time, though eventually, they stop for months or even years.

4. Sinus Headaches

Characterized by pain in the front of your face, including the cheekbones and forehead, near where your nasal passages are. Sinus infections generally cause sinus headaches.

5. Dehydration Headaches

Becoming dehydrated, or not having enough fluid in your body, can cause a headache.

6. Altitude Headaches

When you go to a higher altitude, your body receives less oxygen, and some people experience altitude sickness. Many people get a headache when they go higher than they’re used to.

7. Hormone Headaches

Women may experience headaches when they are pregnant, going through menopause or taking birth control pills. The headaches are all linked to hormonal changes.

Treating Different Types of Headaches

The type of treatment you need depends on the type of headache you have. Here are some common remedies:

• Medication: Over-the-counter pain relievers can bring relief quickly. 
• Stress management: Reducing the stress in your life, from work or otherwise, can help alleviate tension headaches.
• Biofeedback: Using electrodes that indicate where your stress responses occur, a therapist can help you practice relaxation techniques to target where you feel the most tension. 
• Muscle relaxants: This is another way to reduce the tension that builds up in the body and manifests in a headache. 
• Finding migraine triggers: Some people get migraines after eating certain foods. 
• IV hydration: An IV for a headache gets fluid into your body to help ease a dehydration headache and lessen the symptoms of other types of headaches.
• IV Medicine: AZ IV Medics offers the same medication “cocktail” commonly given at the Emergency room. Toradol (IV Pain medicine), Zofran (IV Nausea Medicine), Benadryl, and Magnesium

Do you want to try an IV for a migraine or another type of headache? Contact Arizona IV Medics or text or call us at 623-521-5034 to learn more about our in-home IV therapy options.