Everybody suffers from a headache at some time or another, as it is just one of those medical conditions that affects everyone – male and female, from young to old, thin to fat, tall to short – and, just as headaches have no boundaries as to who they affect, they also come in a huge variety of types with just as many symptoms and consequences.

The average person develops a headache for any number of reasons such as stress, strain, tiredness, eye or neck strain, not wearing sunglasses in strong sunlight, spending too long at one’s computer – the reasons and causes are endless. Fortunately, these headaches range from mild to strong and, in almost every case, respond to over the counter pain medication. They do not last that long – maybe just a few hours – and do not make the sufferer feel sick in any way. It is just that our heads hurt, and the pain spoils our concentration and makes us irritable.

It is to be noted and kept in mind that if you suffer from chronic or recurring headaches that last for longer than a few hours each episode and do not respond to simple pain medication, or even if they worsen after medication has been taken, you should immediately seek medical attention, as such headaches could indicate an underlying medical condition of which you (and your doctor) are unaware; and which may in fact be serious.

Migraines are characterised by many symptoms which are not common to each and every migraine sufferer. The specific symptoms of migraine include:

– a pounding or throbbing in the head, as opposed to the ‘ache’ in a headache

– nausea and/or vomiting, which may occur at the onset of the migraine, or when it already has taken hold after some time

– a total aversion to light, known as photophobia

– light headedness or giddiness

– acute sensitivity to certain movements of the head or to certain sounds.

Migraine sufferers also describe certain stages in the development of their migraines. Even though not every migraine sufferer goes through all these phases, there are some which are well known and which most sufferers do, in fact go through. The two stages are known as the ‘premonition stage’ which may start from a few hours to a day or two before the actual onset of the migraine, which is characterised by distinct behaviour and/or mood changes. And the ‘aura phase’, when sufferers may be subjected to variations of slurred or incoherent speech, hallucinations; flashing, prismatic and/or extremely bright spots of light, muscle weakness and/or dizziness.

The 2 major differences therefore between a headache and a migraine are:

1. Migraines are distinguishable by there being other symptoms besides pain which are involved in the episode; and

2. Migraines develop in phases, whereas headaches do not.

Those of us who are unlucky enough to suffer from migraines should be under the care of a medical professional. It should also be noted that any sudden and/or sharp head pain, whether termed a ‘headache’ or a ‘migraine’, should be checked out by a doctor as soon as possible, to rule out it being a symptom of something more serious.

Author Bio: For more information please visit our HAZWOPER Training and JCAHO Training websites.

Category: Advice
Keywords: pain medication,medical conditions ,Migraine,Headache,