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For millions of individuals the headache is not an occasional problem, but a constant hassle, disabling and debilitating, which dominates their lives.

We list three categories of headaches or more common headache: tension, migraine and headaches in clusters

The headaches caused by tension (tension headache) is the most common. It usually affects both sides of the head and the patient describes the pain as “pressure” mild to moderate. It may begin in the region of the forehead, behind the eyes, on top of the head or neck region and tends to increase with movement. Its origin is attributed to the contraction of the muscles of the shoulders, the back of the neck (neck) and head (particularly the muscles of the forehead), produced by stress, fatigue, anxiety, depression, sinusitis, ear infections, problems with teeth, arthritis of the cervical spine, neck injuries, alcohol and some medications used to treat pain

Migraine or headache
Migraine or migraine headaches characterized by throbbing pain (can take up to 72 hours), usually on only one side of the head and 40% of cases, with nausea and vomiting. Once installed, the light and noise can intensify the pain. 25% of patients have an aura (usually visual symptoms), which tells them from the onset of pain.

Some of the “triggers” that can initiate a migraine include stress, hormonal changes, menstrual cycle, changes in sleep patterns, chocolate, peanuts, cheese, caffeine and chemical additives in foods (such as MSG) and nitrates.

Migraine occurs in 10% of children and is more common in women. 60% of patients with migraine had a family that suffers.

Headache in clusters (cluster) usually manifests on one side of the head (the area of the eye orbit) and is more common in men. It’s a pain, not throbbing, which can last up to 2 hours and may be accompanied by nasal congestion (rhinorrhea) and embarrassment (shame) in the face. It can occur for several weeks, with multiple episodes on the day or at night, then disappearing for months or years. It has been theorized that the origin of the disease, paroxysmal or episodic discharge of histamine from tissues.

Most patients respond well to the treatment of headache medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen and acetaminophen. However, more and more patients seek alternative treatments to avoid side effects (especially gastrointestinal) of the drugs listed above.

As the tension and anxiety are common triggers of headaches, massage, yoga, relaxation controlled, acupuncture and biofeedback, can help these patients.

It is recommended to some patients, avoiding large portions of certain foods containing tyramine (a substance that can cause pain.) Present in cheddar cheese, yogurt, alcohol, bananas and chocolate. Other common causes of headaches are caffeine and mono sodium glutamate.