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Types of Headaches

A comparison of different types of headaches: cluster, tension, and migraine; their trigger points; and their symptoms.

Video transcript

Headaches are common at any age. There are three basic types: tension, cluster, and migraine headaches.

Tension headaches brought on by stress and emotional strain are the most common. Pain is usually felt on both sides of the head, at the temples or back of the head and neck.

Less common are cluster headaches, which are marked by severe, one-sided pain that comes back in episodes or clusters over weeks or months. They start in an area of the brain called the hypothalamus, which is more active during the headache. These debilitating headaches run in families.

Migraine headaches also run in families. They are often confused with sinus headaches but differ in the following ways. Migraines often start quickly, sometimes with visual disturbances called auras before the headache. The pain worsens rapidly and usually resolves within 72 hours. Migraines often occur more than once a month.

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