headache

A tension-type headache is the most common type of primary headache. Many people have 1 or 2 headaches of this type every month. Sometimes they develop more frequently, typically during times of stress. Approximately 3% of people have a tension-type headache on most days. When this happens, the headaches are called chronic tension-type headaches.

Tension-type headaches usually last only a few hours, but some people may have more persistent headaches that last for several days. They are more frequent in women compared to men. Typically the symptoms include a constant ache, which affects both sides of the head with tightening of the neck muscles and a feeling of pressure behind the eyes.

Cluster headaches, on the other hand, begin quickly and are one-sided, short-lived, excruciatingly painful headaches.

They can recur frequently for several weeks and then subside, but another bout may develop some months, or up to a year, later. Sleep is often disrupted, with the headache causing you to wake up at the same time each night. The eye on the side of the headache often becomes inflamed and watery and you might have a blocked nose on the affected side.

Approximately 80% of people who have cluster headaches are men. It is fairly rare, affecting around 1 in 1000 people.

We have covered information on migraines separately. They are different from tension-type and cluster headaches, and usually cause symptoms of sickness or nausea in addition to a severe, one-sided, throbbing headache. However, some people experience both migraines and tension-type headaches.