Headaches

What are the different types of headaches?

There are many different types of headaches. The three most common include:

Tension headaches

Tension headaches, the most common type, are typically triggered by stress but can also occur when you're exhausted, have a sinus infection, have a cold, drink too much, or for many other reasons.

Many tension headache sufferers describe them as a painful constriction around the head. You could also experience tenderness in your scalp. Tension headaches usually don't cause nausea or other physical symptoms.

Migraines

Migraines cause a pulsing or throbbing pain in one or both sides of your head. Some migraine sufferers also experience auras, which are sensory, motor, or verbal disturbances before the migraine attack.

Many migraine sufferers have other symptoms like nausea, vomiting, light sensitivity, and sound sensitivity along with severe head pain. There are many possible migraine triggers, including stress, hormone changes, certain foods, and changes in your sleep cycle.

Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches cause intense pain on either the left or right side of your head. Cluster headaches happen in groups, for example, they can occur daily for several weeks and then stop for a long time. Cluster headaches tend to be seasonal, for example, happening each spring but not during the other seasons.

Dr. Wogensen can diagnose and treat all types of headaches effectively.

How are my headaches diagnosed?

Dr. Wogensen needs your help to accurately diagnose your headaches. Take note of your symptoms and the circumstances that surround the onset of your headaches, as this can help in diagnosis.

He can also use imaging, such as an MRI or a CT scan, to determine the root cause of your headaches and thus the type of headaches.

How are headaches treated?

Each type of headache is treated differently, and a variety of treatment options for both short-term and long-term headache management are available. They include:

• Stress management
• Over-the-counter pain medication
• Prescription medication

To bring you relief, Dr. Wogensen provides the latest and most innovative headache treatments available. To that end, he also offers Botox® injections for chronic migraine sufferers. The injections are given around your head and neck and may help reduce the frequency of your migraines. Experts aren’t certain exactly how Botox helps decrease migraine headaches, but theorize that the injections may stop the neurotransmitters that send pain signals to your brain.

Use the online booking tool or call Kenneth K. Wogensen, MD, for headache help today.