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Saturday, November 21, 2009
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Winter Holiday GuideEnjoying the Holidays Despite Migraines and Headaches --> Info for you...

Introduction

Introduction


The pain from a headache does not start from inside the brain. (The brain itself can not feel pain.) Instead, headache pain begins in one or more of the following locations:

  • The tissues covering the brain
  • The structures at the base of the brain
  • Muscles and blood vessels around the scalp, face, and neck

Headache is generally categorized as primary or secondary.

Primary Headache. A headache is considered primary when a disease or other medical condition does not cause it.

  • Tension headache is the most common primary headache and accounts for 90% of all headaches. [For more information, see In-Depth Report # 11: Tension headaches.]
  • Neurovascular headaches are the second most common primary headaches. This type includes migraines and cluster headaches. [For more information, see In-Depth Report # 99: Cluster headaches.] Such headaches are caused by an interaction between blood vessel and nerve abnormalities.
Headache
Headaches are usually caused by muscle tension, vascular problems, or both. Migraines are vascular in origin, and may be preceded by visual disturbances, loss of peripheral vision, and fatigue. Over-the-counter pain medications can relieve most headaches.
Click the icon to see a depiction of migraine cause.

Secondary Headache. Secondary headaches are caused by other medical conditions, such as sinusitis, neck injuries or abnormalities, and stroke. About 2% of headaches are secondary headaches caused by abnormalities or infections in the nasal or sinus passages. [See Box: Causes of Secondary Headaches, in this report.]

It is not uncommon for someone to experience a combination of headache types.

Headache Click the icon to see a comparison of headache symptoms.

Migraine Headaches

Migraine is now recognized as a chronic illness, not simply as a headache. About 28 million people suffer from migraines annually. They are often classified by whether or not auras (seeing bright "spots" or "stars") accompany them:

  • Common migraines are without auras. About 75% of migraines are the common type.
  • Classic migraines are those with auras.

Review Date: 10/02/2006
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, M.D., Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).
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