Types of Headaches

Medical researchers estimate that at least 20% of the population suffers from daily or weekly headache and common migraine pain.

A headache is one of the most common medical complaints. It occurs as a result of complex interactions between the brain, blood vessels and adjacent nerves. Headaches can be caused by; trauma to the head, sinus infections, hormonal changes, emotional stress, skipping meals, excessive drugs or alcohol use, second hand smoke and other environmental pollutants, certain foods, and sometimes more serious medical conditions. The most common cause of headaches is dental related. There are many types of headaches but the most common headaches include Tension, Cluster, Sinus, Hormone, Migraine, Acute headaches and Mixed headache syndromes.

Muscular tension headaches are also called chronic daily or chronic non-progressive headaches. They occur the most in adults and adolescents and often come and go over a long period of time. This type of headache is associated with mild to moderate pain. Muscular tension headaches account for 90-95% of all headaches experienced by patients. The majority of these muscular tension headaches are caused by tooth position to jaw joint position discrepancies (occlusion problems) or more commonly known as “Bad Bites”. Many patients will awake from sleep with bite related headache issues.

Cluster headaches are the most severe but least common of primary headaches. They are so called because of the grouping of attacks during a period of time. These periods may last between two weeks and up to three months with headaches occurring about three times a day. The pain is constant and described as burning, piercing and throbbing, staying posterior to one eye area without changing position. A person with cluster headaches is restless and paces during attacks.

Sinus headaches are usually associated with sinus infections and occur over the cheek bones, forehead and bridge of the nose. This pain is constant and worsens with sudden movement or straining of the head. 

Hormone headaches are usually seen in women and are due to fluctuating hormonal levels occurring during menstruation, pregnancy or menopause. They may also occur in women taking hormonal birth control pills. 

The cause of migraines is not fully understood but recent research again points to dental relationships between the malposition of the teeth and jaw joints. Neurological research has isolated the temporalis muscle and trigeminal nerve as the primary centers of tension headache pain, and possibly common migraine pain. Unfortunately, both the temporalis muscle and trigeminal nerve are overlooked as causative factors for headaches and migraine. Recent medical research however clearly indicates that most headaches are caused by irritation to the trigeminal and facial nerves, as well as blood flow changes of the carotid artery. The trigeminal nerve is the cranial nerve related most to dentistry. Another explanation is the neurovascular theory; different signals cause abnormal brain activity which in turn causes changes in blood vessels in the brain. Genetics may also play a role in the moderate to severe throbbing pain of migraines. Common symptoms of migraines include; sensitivity to light, odors or sounds, nausea, vomiting and stomach pain. 

Acute headaches occur suddenly in children or adolescents and often subside shortly as well. They are usually due to a respiratory or sinus infection when there are no neurological signs.

Mixed headache syndromes, also called transformed headaches, occur in both children and adults and are a combination of migraines and tension headaches.

It may seem that headaches are very debilitating and indeed some are, but once evaluated and accurately diagnosed, an effective treatment plan can be started. If you have any of the above headache types, get professionally diagnosed as soon as possible. Call Dr. Rayl and his staff at the Denver Institute of Headache, TMJ and Sleep Disorders today.