Patients often mix up headaches and migraines, however, they differ from one another. While a headache can be a dull pain, a migraine is an intense, throbbing headache that may be accompanied by nausea or dizziness that can last from hours to days.
Our pain management experts in Somerset, Monroe, Ewing, Englewood Cliffs, Jersey City, Hoboken, Bloomfield, Freehold, Clark, and Elizabeth, New Jersey; and Bayridge, Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Hempstead, New York, are committed to helping patients find relief and regain control of their everyday lives.
While many people experience an occasional headache, those with migraines or other chronic headaches may be missing out on a fulfilling lifestyle. Our pain management experts in Somerset, Monroe, Ewing, Englewood Cliffs, Jersey City, Hoboken, Bloomfield, Freehold, Clark, and Elizabeth, New Jersey; and Bayridge, Manhattan, The Bronx, Brooklyn, and Hempstead, New York, are committed to helping patients find relief and regain control of their everyday lives.
Available treatments include:
Migraines may be treated with pain-relieving medications and with rest in a darkened room. People who experience migraines regularly may also take medications such as beta blockers or antihistamines. These can reduce the frequency and severity of the headaches
A headache describes discomfort or pain in your head. This pain can also radiate into your neck and scalp and range from mild to intense.
There are a number of health and environmental factors that can increase your risk for a headache. In a primary headache, your pain may relate to dysfunction in the processes of your brain.
Types of primary headaches include:
Another secondary headache cause could be degeneration of the discs in your spine due to aging or trauma. This can cause cervicogenic headaches when the discs press on your spinal column.
It is very common to confuse a headache or a migraine with Occipital Neuralgia. Because the two greater occipital nerves transmit most feeling in the back and top of the head to the brain, when they become irritated they can cause a shooting, zapping, electric, or tingling pain with symptoms on one side of the scalp. This pain is often taken as a headache or migraine.
To determine the root cause and type of headache you’re having, the team at the University Pain Medicine Center takes time to review your medical history, your job, and other aspects of your life. Often, they can determine the type of headache pain you’re experiencing based on your symptoms and the location of pain, such as:
| Cluster Headaches | Migraine Headaches | Tension Headaches | Thunderclap Headaches |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cluster headaches cause intense, burning pain in one side of your head or behind your eye. They can also cause a runny nose or nasal congestion and potentially last for weeks at a time. | Migraine headaches cause severe, throbbing pain usually on one side of your head. Migraines can be chronic if you experience 15 or more headache days a month. | Tension headaches are the most common type of headache that causes you to feel a tightening around your head. This kind of headache occurs when the muscles in your scalp and neck are overly tight, often due to stress and poor posture. | Thunderclap headaches are a warning sign that may indicate you have an underlying blood vessel issue. These headaches are serious and come on suddenly and severely, lasting up to five minutes. |
If you experience a thunderclap headache, you need to get immediate medical attention at the nearest emergency room or by calling 911 to prevent serious health complications. When you experience persistent head pain or chronic headaches that aren’t treatable with over-the-counter medicines, don’t delay an evaluation at the University Pain Medicine Center.
Your treatment plan for recurrent or debilitating headaches depends on the type of headache you have and its cause. The team at the University Pain and Spine Center customizes your treatment plan and may recommend a combination of treatments to address existing pain and prevent additional headaches and migraines. To find out which headache treatment is right for you, call the University Pain and Spine Center office nearest you or request an appointment online today.
