There are many headache types. The main types of headache are the simple tension headache, which is the most common, a migraine with aura or without aura and cumulative headache. Each of these headache types has different causes and treatment. It is good to be able to identify the type of headache you may be experiencing so that you seek the proper treatment.

The headache is very common for everyone, but few are those seeking medical help. Usually they take a painkiller and give place to the pain. But this is the worst and most common response after speculation that this is something that often happens to everyone.

The headache is one of the most serious health problems that needs professional help and assistance and that is why they have created in most public hospitals and private clinics special sections called "headache centres".

The consequences of such a situation, especially when it is chronic or prolonged, although it may not have a serious impact on our health, but can change so much the quality of our life. It certainly worth’s to devote some of our time to prevent or provide treatment for the headaches. Especially if we can deal with it in simple ways, just knowing what may have caused the headache and try to avoid it, and then to go to the doctor for further investigation.

Because headache has a direct impact on the vessels and nerves of the brain, any damage to surrounding areas that support our head, i.e. the face, the neck, the vertebral column, or in connection with the nervous system, muscular or circulatory system (pressure) can cause headaches. Thus, depending on the area or body function there are different headache types.

The different headache Types

Headache Types #1: The migraine headaches

This is the «female headache» since in this case the female hormones are the major cause (shown mainly in the menstruation) and is second in frequency. The first episodes of migraine are occurring in childhood or adolescence and can be characterized as hereditary headache, because 70% of patients mention that one of their parents is also suffering from migraines.

In this case there are two sub-types of Headache: the migraine with aura and without.

Migraine with aura or classic migraine

This headache types gives warning signs starting about an hour before the crisis. These may be visual disturbances such as flashes, difficulty in speaking and some minor hallucinations.

Migraine without aura or common migraine

The characteristics of common migraine headaches are several crises during the month, which can last from several hours to several days, pain in one side of the head, the patient has a tendency to vomiting and may not withstand the light and feel that the pain comes from something that is tightening the head on the right or left side.

How to avoid migraine headaches crises?

In both cases of migraine headaches you should avoid to work, stress and try not to get very tired. Coffee and soft drinks with caffeine (such as cola or energy drinks) are strongly prohibited as well as smoked foods such as salmon, sausages, cheeses, etc. Avoid also the consumption of alcohol and do not stay in areas with strong light or sunlight.

Today's work conditions create more feelings of anxiety, tension or pressure, and as a result there is low productivity, reduced income, professional stagnation or even dismissal. According to surveys, 80% of stress is due to conditions prevailing in the workplace. To deal with stress and be able to achieve what you want in your career you should consider the advice of specialists regarding ways to manage stress. First you must determine whether you are stressed and then find the cause of stress. As regards the sources of stress in the workplace, these are varied. Some relate to the role of the employee, others are specific to certain professions and others are related to working conditions.

The poor working conditions, such as non-protective measures for workers or overtime not paid, are the most common causes of stress. The pressure on the deadlines is another factor that can cause stress to the employees. A list of potential sources of stress that may be experienced by employees is as follows:

High degree of accountability
Lack of promotions
Receiving promotions
Non-participation in decision-making
Uncertainty regarding their position
Problems with colleagues, superiors, or subordinates
Feeling that their work is not recognized or appreciated
Constant changes
No clear idea of their responsibilities
Working environment, with strict and rigid rules.

After the stress diagnostic factors i.e. if you notice that you feel stress because of your work, you should follow techniques to solve the problem. Some tips to cope with stress, according to psychologists, are:

Find what is causing you stress in your environment and observe your emotional and physical reactions. Do not ignore the problem in the hope that it will pass. Most times it gets worse.

Identify what you can change. If you cannot change your environment or to reduce stress, take care of yourself, make breaks more often, exercise, watch your diet.

Reduce the intensity of your emotional reactions. Do not try to please everyone around you. Put priorities, all the things with which you deal are not urgent. Try to see the positive side of things and not always the negative.

Use relaxation techniques and meditation to reduce tension in the muscles and breathing to help restore the normal pace. Even 10 minutes a day helps considerably in reducing physical symptoms of anxiety.

Avoid alcohol, smoking and large amounts of caffeine, because they tend to increase any physical symptoms of stress. It is important to sleep well and not disrupt the program of your sleep.

Develop friendships and relationships that support you mentally.

Also a very effective way to self manage stress is the proper use of time and your career. You must properly manage your time not only to avoid stress because you do no have enough time to finish your work, but also because, as the famous saying says, time is money. A useful guide on how to properly use your time is the following:

1. Your time schedule should be a decision making tool.

2. Your time schedule should be flexible.

3. Your time schedule should make efficient use of resources.

4. Your time schedule should have clear targets.

5. Your time schedule should clearly define priorities.

6. Your time schedule should not be over scheduled

7. You should continuously review your time schedule

When you set targets it is good to write them in a piece of paper and clearly define what is urgent, what is important and what is not, in order to determine what ahs priority. The registration of your goals may be in the following format:

As regards the time management you should consider the situations in your work in which you loose unnecessary time, precious minutes and how you can save this time. Visitors are one reason that several times forcing you to stop your work. You can deal with them by closing the door of your office, avoiding discussions that do not lead anywhere. In this case you must acquire modern equipment, to keep notes while you speak, and be prepared to tell the most important when asked. You can also loose valuable time from the lack of organization of your office. So discard the unnecessary paperwork, write to the organizer about your business or even better on a schedule that exists on computers. Leave on your office only the current work and arrange the office space by placing relevant documents and tools in the same position each time.

Generally you should know that all these solutions would perform better if you have the opinion of a professional career advisor or psychologist, because for each person the conditions of work are unique. Of course, if none of the above measures does not help reduce workplace stress, you may need to follow more drastic solutions, such as the search for job that is more satisfying. Remember that to grumble about your job and your boss constantly is equally futile to silently tolerate a situation that erodes your health and your career.

If you have a headache for more than ten or fifteen days a month, the problem falls under the category of chronic daily Headaches. This term is not a medical diagnosis but a descriptive term, since many types of headache can lead to chronic daily headaches.

Such frequent headaches require careful assessment by a specialist doctor in headaches, both to determine the headache causes, and suggest ways for the headache treatment. Whether the patient should do the diagnostic tests, this will be decided by the doctor (specialised in daily headaches), based on the clinical history and neurological examination. If the neurological examination is normal and has ruled out the existence of an underlying cause (for example, a cancer), then probably the daily headaches are due to one of the following six reasons:

1. Abuse of headache drugs
2. Chronic migraines
3. Chronic tension headache
4. Recent beginning of daily headaches
5. Cumulative headache
6. Continuous unilateral headache

See below a brief description of each of the situations that can cause daily headaches for more than ten or fifteen times a month.

1. Abuse of headache drugs

The abuse of headache drugs is a frequent cause of chronic daily headaches. This can occur in people with migraine or tension-type headache. Usually, these are people who have migraine or tension headaches for many years and, over the years, the headache crises gradually become more frequent and more powerful, and patients are receiving more and more drugs. Gradually, the headaches can occur daily, and are accompanied by the daily use of medicines. Increased use of drugs makes the headache most resistant and thus perpetuating the situation, leading to ever-greater use of medication and to frequent daily headaches. It should be noted that it is not to blame a particular medicine, but that chronic daily headaches due to drug abuse may occur with any medicine, from the simplest (eg paracetamol) to the most modern (eg triptanes). It appears that what's wrong is the misuse of drugs and the lack of limits on their use. In general, every person who takes any medicine for headaches in a dose over 10-15 pills a month, possibly he/she is making drug abuse and it is faced with the risk to switch gradually to chronic daily headaches.

Treatment of chronic daily headaches with daily drug abuse requires complex preventive therapy (at least two drugs) and is quite difficult because many patients initially improve but then relapse.

2. Chronic migraine headaches

While for most medical conditions, the term «chronic» means that the condition existed for many years, for migraine headaches the condition «chronic» means that the migraine occurs very frequently, more than 15 days a month. There are not many people who suffer from chronic daily migraine headaches. Most people with migraine headaches have only occasional crises, usually from 1 to 3 times a month or less. In some people, however, the migraine crisis may gradually become very common, and may even develop into a situation where the patient is experiencing 15 daily headaches per month or more to gradually become chronic migraine headaches. Chronic migraines may lose the typical characteristics of migraine and the headache is continuous or nearly continuous, without apparent intolerance to light and noise, without nausea and vomiting. People with chronic daily migraines are really suffering; they are constantly in a state of suffering and feel powerless. Chronic migraines require preventive treatment.