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Types of Headaches
Headaches come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and levels of intensity. From a dull throbbing ache to a sharp drilling sensation, headaches are never pleasant. Women undergoing the menopausal transition are far more likely than other groups to experience headaches, mainly due to hormonal causes.
The most intense headaches are migraines, though tension and sinus headaches may also be experienced. To learn more about these three main types of headaches as well as other ones, read the descriptions below.
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Migraine Headaches
While women may experience headaches in many forms, as the experience is never the same for every woman, there are basic standards that make them identifiable. Types of headaches may vary.
Generally speaking, a migraine headache is a recurrent, throbbing headache generally felt on one side of the head but it may possibly occur on both sides. It can last anywhere from one or two hours up to three days.
There are various types of migraines. Some women might be familiar with menstrual migraines. These migraines are hormone-related and are sparked on the first day or two of menstruation and recede once menstruation has concluded. Migraine headaches may occur with or without an aura, or strange occurrences in the visual field. |
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Less Common Migraines:
• Carotidynia, also called lower-half headache or facial migraine, produces deep, dull, aching, and sometimes piercing pain in the jaw or neck.
• Headache-free migraine is characterized by the presence of aura without headache. This occurs in patients with a history of migraines with aura.
• Ophthalmoplegic migraine comes on with pain in the eye and is accompanied by vomiting. As the pain continues, the eyelids begin to drop, a condition called ptosis, and the nerves responsible for moving the eyes can become paralyzed.
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Strange Statistics
Neurologists are more likely than any other group to experience migraines, with 57% having reported experiencing a migraine.
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Click on the following link to learn more about the varieties of migraine headaches. There are also other types of headaches besides migraines. It´s important to gain an understanding of these other types as well to eliminate any confusion about the characteristics present in a headache. Continue reading to learn the different types of headaches.
Tension Headaches
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache, affecting 64% of men and 88% of women at least some time during their lifetimes. A tension headache generally produces a diffuse, usually mild to moderate pain throughout the head. The feeling has been likened to that of having a tight band synched around the head. A tension headache may also cause pain in the back of your neck at the base of your skull.
There are different types of tension headaches that are characterized by the symptoms, duration, and intensity. |
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Tension headaches come in two varieties: episodic and chronic. The type of tension headache largely depends on the intensity, duration, and frequency of the headache. Below are the types of tension headaches and their symptoms.
Episodic Tension Headaches
• Occurs less than 15 days per month
• Pain is mild to moderate, constant band-like pain, pressure or throbbing
• Pain affects the front, top or sides of the head
• Pain usually begins gradually, and often occurs in the middle of the day
• Pain may last from 30 minutes to several days
Chronic Tension Headaches
• Occurs more than 15 days per month
• Pain may vary in intensity throughout the day, but
 it is always present
• Pain affects the front, top or sides of the head
• Pain comes and goes over a prolonged period of time
Associated Symptoms of Tension Headaches Include
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• Headache upon awakening
• Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep
• Chronic fatigue
• Irritability
• Disturbed concentration
• Mild sensitivity to light or noise
• General muscle aching |
90% of men and 95% of women have experienced at least one headache in their lives. |
There is a third type of headache that is called a sinus headache. Keep reading to learn more about sinus headaches.
Sinus Headaches
The third most frequently experienced type of headache for menopausal women is a sinus headache. To understand sinus headaches, it´s best to first start by defining what sinuses are.
Sinuses are air-filled cavities located in the cheekbones, forehead, and behind the bridge of the nose. The sinuses produce a thin mucus that drains out of the channels of the nose. When a sinus becomes inflamed, usually as the result of an allergic reaction or an infection, the inflammation will prevent the outflow of mucus and cause a pain similar to that of a headache.
A sinus headache, then, is the inflammation and blockage of the sinus cavities. This is also known as congestion or a congestion headache.
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Those who are accustomed to getting sinus headaches know all too well what the symptoms are. When experiencing a sinus headache the discomfort often takes center stage and prevents the sufferer from concentrating on anything else. Below is a list of the common sinus headache symptoms.
 • Pressure or pain around the face, forehead,
eyes, or cheeks
• Thick, discolored, foul-smelling nasal discharge
• Nasal obstruction
• Congestion
• Post-nasal drip (the drop-by-drop release of
nasal fluid into the back of the throat)
• A cold that won't go away
• Bad breath
• Fatigue
• Fever
• Redness and tenderness over the infected sinus
Other Types of Headaches
The term headache is simply an umbrella word to describe the condition of experiencing pain isolated to the head. In addition to migraine, tension or sinus headaches, there are other commonly experienced types of headaches. Below is a list of the other types of headaches.
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• Cluster headaches: Cluster headaches are relatively rare and occur in a "cluster" over a series of weeks or months. They usually materialize as short but intense headaches that can reoccur several times a day. They are far more common in men than women, especially men who smoke cigarettes. The exact cause is unknown.
• Medication-induced headache: as the name suggests, medication-induced headaches occur because of some kind of medication that is being taking for an unrelated ailment. |
• Ice cream headache: This headache, also called the ice pick headache, is common among the cold-treat sweet-toothed population who eat frothy desserts a bit too fast, in which case a sudden volt of sharp pain enters the head. Luckily the pain is fleeting... until the next series of licks.
Now that women understand the multiple types of headaches during menopause, click on the following link to explore the different causes for headaches during menopause.
Return to home page and learn more about the 34 Menopause Symptoms.
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