Lately, I’ve been having headaches. Every day. I suspect it may be related to my recent sinus infection, but I’m not sure. So I thought I would dig into the topic and see what I could find out.

I was surprised to find that there are many types of headaches. So I suppose the first thing I should do is try to classify mine and then go from there to remedies.

My headaches have been occurring every day, starting mid-morning. I’m usually able to treat them with pain relievers, but it takes more than the usual dose, for example, four aspirin and four ibuprofen. The pain is located in the upper part of the sides of my head and cheekbones. I just started documenting the occurrence, so only a couple of days so far, but I will continue to document, as that seems to be a factor in diagnosis.

Here are some of the types of headaches, according to my favorite medical website, mayoclinic.org:

-Sex headaches, which are rare, and are brought on by sexual activity.

-Sinus headaches, usually symptomized by pain or pressure in the cheeks, brow, or forehead, worsening if you bend forward or lie down, a stuffy nose, fatigue, or an achy feeling in the upper teeth. Sinus headaches are often confused with migraines because they have similar symptoms.

-Tension headaches. This type causes mild to moderate pain that’s often described as feeling like a tight band around the head. This is the most common type, but its causes aren’t well understood. Symptoms include dull, aching head pain, a feeling of tightness or pressure across the forehead or on the sides and back of the head, or tenderness in the scalp, neck, and shoulder muscles. They can be episodic or chronic. Episodic tension headaches can last from 30 minutes to a week. They are classified as frequent and episodic if they occur less than 15 days a month for at least 3 months. On the other hand, if they happen 15 or more days a month, tension headaches are considered chronic. Chronic tension headaches can last hours and may be constant.

-Spinal. This type is a common complication in people who have a spinal tap procedure, spinal anesthesia, or sometimes an epidural. These usually do not require treatment unless they last 24 hours or more. They are characterized by dull, throbbing pain of variable intensity, getting worse when you sit up or stand and decreasing when you lie down. Other symptoms include dizziness, ringing ears, hearing loss, blurred or double vision, and sensitivity to light, nausea, vomiting, neck pain or stiffness, or seizures. They are caused by a leakage of spinal fluid, which decreases the pressure normally exerted by spinal fluid on the brain.

-A thunderclap headache strikes suddenly like a clap of thunder. Pain peaks within 60 seconds. You should always seek emergency medical attention if you have one of these, as they could warn of a life-threatening condition involving bleeding in the brain. Some symptoms are sudden and severe pain, peaking within 60 seconds, nausea, vomiting, altered mental state, fever, or seizures.

-Cluster headaches are rare and severe, causing intense pain in or around the eye on one side of the head. It is the most painful type. Several may occur over a short period of time, which is known as a cluster. Cluster periods can last from weeks to months, then may stop for months or years. Symptoms include extreme sharp or stabbing pain, usually in, behind, or around one eye. The pain can spread to the face, head, and neck. The pain may occur on one side or switch from one to the other. Other symptoms include restlessness, tears, forehead or facial sweating, eye redness, a stuffy or runny nose, swelling around the eye, or a drooping eyelid. Because of the severity of the pain, sufferers are likely to pace or sit and rock back and forth. During a cluster period, the attacks happen every day, often multiple times per day. Single attacks last from 15 minutes to 3 hours. They often happen the same time every day or even the same time every year. They are common at night and can wake people from sleep.

-Medication overuse headaches. Ironically, this happens when you take medications for headache relief over the long term. These are also called rebound headaches. They can also happen to people who take pain relievers regularly for arthritis or other conditions. They often go away when you stop taking the medication. They often happen at night, and other symptoms are nausea, restlessness, trouble concentrating, memory problems, or irritability. You may get temporary relief from pain relievers, with the pain returning when they wear off.

-Cough headaches. These can by triggered by coughing or other types of straining, like sneezing, blowing your nose, laughing, crying, singing, bending over or having a bowel movement. They can be brief and not require treatment, but some cough headaches, called secondary cough headaches, may be caused by brain or spine problems. In some cases, they can require surgery to correct. See a healthcare provider if you have one of these uncommon headaches.

-Chronic daily headaches. Everybody has a headache every once in a while. But if you have a headache more days than not, you might have chronic daily headaches. This isn’t really a type of headache, but it can be any type that happens often, 15 days or more per month for longer than three months. Chronic migraine headaches are accompanied by nausea or vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. Chronic tension headaches are not pulsing but pressing and tightening. What’s called a “new daily persistent headache” can come on suddenly and become constant within three days. Another type of chronic daily headache is called hemicrania continua, which is characterized by pain on one side of the head, is daily and continuous with no pain-free periods, and has moderate pain with spikes. Hemicrania continua can be treated with indomethacin. You will also have one of these four symptoms: tearing or redness of the eye on the affected side, nasal congestion or runny nose, drooping eyelid or pupil narrowing, or sensation of restlessness. These are all types of chronic daily headaches if they happen often and for long enough.

-Did you know exercise can cause headaches? These exercise headaches can happen during or after sustained strenuous exercise. Examples are running, rowing, tennis, swimming, and weightlifting. They can be primary or secondary. Primary exercise headaches are harmless. Secondary ones are caused by underlying, often serious problems with the brain such as bleeding or tumors, or something outside the brain like coronary artery disease. Secondary ones may require emergency medical attention. Primary exercise headaches are usually throbbing and affect both sides of the head. Secondary exercise headaches can have these additional symptoms: vomiting, loss of consciousness, double vision, and neck stiffness. The secondary type usually lasts a day and can last for several days. Some root causes include dilated blood vessels in the brain caused by exercise, bleeding called a subarachnoid hemorrhage, irregularities in a blood vessel in the brain, tumors, obstruction of cerebrospinal fluid flow, sinus infection, or structural irregularities in the head, neck, and spine.

-Migraines. I hear a lot about these, and a migraine is not just a really bad headache or one that happens often. It is a very particular type. It is characterized by pain so intense that it interferes with daily activities. Migraines are characterized by intense throbbing pain or a pulsing feeling, usually on one side of the head. They often happen with nausea, vomiting, and extreme sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine attacks can last for hours to days. Some people experience a warning symptom called an aura a-u-r-a. This can include visual changes such as flashes of light or blind spots, and can cause tingling on one side of the face or in an arm or leg and trouble speaking. There are four stages of migraines. Not all are experienced in all cases.

1. Prodrome stage – one or two days before a migraine, you may experience constipation, mood changes, food cravings, neck stiffness, increased urination, fluid retention, and frequent yawning.
2. Aura stage – I mentioned the characteristics before. These happen gradually and build up over time, from several minutes to an hour.
3. Attack – A migraine usually lasts 4 to 72 hours if not treated. Frequency varies among sufferers, from rarely to several times a month. The symptoms are pain that’s usually on one side of your head, though it can occur on both sides. Pain that throbs or pulses. Sensitivity to light, sound, and sometimes smell and touch. Nausea and vomiting.
4. And the Postdrome stage – After a migraine attack, you may feel drained, confused, and worn out for up to a day. Some people report feeling elated. Sudden head movement might briefly bring on the pain again.

There are other types as well that I won’t go into in detail. These include pseudotumor cerebri, cerebrospinal fluid leak, hydrocephalus, concussion, post-concussion syndrome, and skull base tumors.

As far as I can tell, the prognosis for headaches is pretty positive. But there are certain conditions for which you should see a health professional. Ongoing frequent headaches, 15 days out of a month for 3 months or more. Headaches that come on suddenly should be addressed quickly, especially if it’s the first time, for example, an exercise headache. These situations may indicate a serious problem like a tumor or brain hemorrhage.

I really hope my headaches stop and are none of these types. I hope it’s just an occasional one that happens to have happened more often recently. But if I experience the situations I’ve described, I’ll definitely seek help, because you know I believe in medical care and think we should use it.