Do you have frequent headaches, and are you confused if you suffer migraines or headaches? If yes, read more about the difference between headaches and migraine, their symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment.
Headache vs. Migraine
Headaches and migraine are both neurological problems and involve neurological system conditions that can cause pain in the head. However, headaches can give you intense pressure in the head, face, or upper neck and vary in frequency and intensity. On the contrary, a migraine is an intensely painful headache disorder that can usually produce more extreme and dangerous symptoms than headaches. However, some types of migraines do not directly hit the head pain but can spread pain to other parts of the body. Headache is a common problem and can be caused to everyone in their lives; however, migraine can be limited to some people. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), headaches can happen to approximately 50 percent of adults all around the world. However, migraine is said to be a lifelong neurological problem that is experienced by repeated moderate to severe headaches, generally in one side of the forehead or back side of your head.
When there’s excessive pressure or pain in your head, you might get confused if it is a migraine or headache. But it is essential to typically differentiate both of them from each other in order to get the right treatment at the right time. So here, let’s swim into detail to understand everything about headaches and migraine.
What is a Headache?
Headaches can be of two different types – primary and secondary. Primary headaches are the type that triggers your head to conditions that can enhance the pain in the head, face, or neck. It may be caused because of hypertension or even migraines. Secondary headaches are caused because of the outcome of another medical reason, like an infection, tension, or medication overuse. Some of the general factors that may cause headaches are:
- Poor appetite
- Lack of sleep
- Clenching of jaw
- Stress
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Arthritis
- Bending or straining the neck
- Poor posture
Treatment of Headache
You can quickly treat your headaches with two processes. One is medication, and the other is relaxation of your mind following are some factors that will help you get relief from a headache.
For Over-the-counter (OTC) treatments
This treatment, you can visit a neurologist and get your treatment done with proper medication and analysis. The doctor will examine your symptoms and determine your headache type. Accordingly, you will be given an appropriate remedy, which may include acetaminophen, aspirin, ibuprofen, or any other, depending on your intensity and problem.
Relaxation techniques
As stress and tension are one of the most critical factors that can enhance the rate and intensity of your headache, doctors also recommend some relaxing exercises to patients that will help them get rid of their headaches quickly. All you need to do is make a habit of following these simple steps and reduce the risk of future headaches. Following are some of the techniques such as:
- In heat therapy, you can add some warm compresses, warmers on your painful areas, or a hot water bath.
- Good head and neck massage
- Yoga or meditation
- Stretching exercises of neck, shoulders, hands, and legs.
- Eyes exercise
- Breathing exercises
What is a Migraine?
A migraine is a kind of primary headache problem that can result in intense pain and other symptoms. People with migraine are likely to experience immense pain and recurring symptoms that doctors generally name episodes or attacks. Headache is just one episode or sign of migraines, and it can increase its severity. Migraine can lead to intense, throbbing headaches that can last ranging from a few hours to several days.
The attacks of migraine are severe and generally face different symptoms in addition to head pain. Following are some of the common symptoms of migraine:
- Neck and shoulder pain
- Nausea
- Pain behind one ear
- Pain behind one eye
- Sensitivity to light and/or sound
- Vomiting
- Muscle aches
When we compare migraine with stress, anxiety, or other headache types, migraine pain can vary from mild to severe. Some of the patients may sometimes experience migraine attacks that are so painful that they seek care at an emergency room.
One of the most essential differences between migraines and headaches is the quality of pain. A migraine attack is intense pain that may make you out of control and will not allow you to do your daily tasks properly. According to a study, it was revealed that more than 15% of adults in the United States had experienced a migraine episode or a severe headache within the last three months. Following are some of the major causes or triggers of migraine:
- Emotional anxiety
- Lack of sleep
- Poor appetite
- Contraceptive pills
- Alcohol or smoking
- Hormonal changes
- Overuse of caffeine
Treatment of Migraine
In case of a migraine, the neurologist will suggest you keep specific preventive measures and medication in regular practice to reduce the intensity and impact of your problem. This may help you to reduce the amount of intensity or the time duration of your pain in the initial stage.
Prevention tips
It is often heard that prevention is better than cure. In this case, also, we need to be extra careful and prevent ourselves from reducing the impact and rate of migraine attacks. A neurologist will generally suggest the following preventive methods in your regular practice:
- Maintain the blood sugar and blood pressure of your body.
- Eat a balanced diet and try to avoid junk food items.
- Avoid alcohol and caffeine in your diet; it may trigger migraine episodes.
- Regularly intake the prescribed medication from your neurologist, including antidepressants and/or CGRP, at a fixed time every day.
- Try to remain stress-free and relaxed.
- Go for relaxing exercises like yoga or meditation.
Medications
Patients who are suffering from neurological problems like migraine is less likely to get the maximum benefit from taking medications known to reduce migraine quickly. Some of the names of these medications include:
- anti-nausea medications, like promethazine (Phenergan), chlorpromazine (Thorazine), or prochlorperazine (Compazine)
- pain relievers that are good and apt for mild to moderate pain, like acetaminophen
- nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), like aspirin, naproxen sodium, or ibuprofen
If a person consumes the mandatory pain relief migraine pills for more than ten days a month, this can result in causing medication overuse headache, also called medication adaptation headache. This can result in more problems for the sufferer and increase their headaches instead of helping them feel better.
When to see a doctor?
It is essential to speak to your doctor about your problem at the initial stage and get help from them. Your neurological health care provider can guide you perfectly to deal with your issue if you suffer from frequent headaches that interfere with your ability to function or your quality of life. It is also advised to get immediate medical care if the following symptoms follow their headaches:
- nausea
- vomiting
- vision problems
- tingling or numbness in the limbs, face, neck, or head
- difficulty speaking or understanding what other people say
- difficulty thinking
- difficulty moving one side of the body
Take AwayHeadaches can be caused due to changes in routine and stress and can significantly affect a person’s ability to function and reduce their overall quality of life. Many patients might experience and undergo a headache at one point of time in their lives. But it is essential to understand that not all headaches are the same, as they may range in terms of severity, frequency, causes, and symptoms. It takes us to the conclusion that immediate and proper diagnoses of the problem are really crucial for us. An accurate diagnosis and differentiation between headaches, types of headaches, migraine, and types of migraines can help the patient get relief from their trouble quicker and more effective treatment at the correct time.
