There are few people in the world that can say they have never suffered from at least one or two headaches once in a while. The causes of headaches are myriad; a lack of sleep, stress, failure to drink that second cup of coffee you usually have in the morning  or excessive consumption of alcohol the night before are all common triggers.

Medical science divides headaches into three separate categories and the treatments for each may be quite different. Headaches that fall into the “primary” category include migraine, cluster and tension headaches.

Tension headaches are considered to be the most common form of primary headache, affecting up to 90% of the population at one time or another. They are usually effectively relived however by a simple aspirin or ibuprofen tablets in less than an hour.

Anybody who suffers from migraine headaches however will be able to attest to how very different the pain is to that of a tension headache. The throbbing pain, which is usually located in a single area, is not relived by regular headache medications and is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, dizziness and sensitivity to both light and sound.

However, people who suffer from migraine headaches usually experience them on a recurring basis, and can often recognize the onset before the real pain sets in. For those people there are a number of prescription medications that are specifically produced to target migraine pain that if taken quickly enough can reduce the severity of the migraine attack, if not prevent it completely.

A secondary headache are considered to be those that are a symptom of an underlying problem in the head or neck. They can be an indication of any number of conditions ranging from  ranging from bleeding in the brain, tumor, or meningitis and encephalitis.Only a medical professional and possibilt diagnostic testing can determine the cause for sure.
The last classification for headaches is those that are considered cranial neuralgias and face pain.  Neuralgias are caused by an inflammation of nerves in the head and neck and facial pain headaches can be caused by something as simple as a sensitive spot on a tooth.

Whatever type of headache a patient suffers from they need to be careful not to overmedicate themselves, especially with over the counter headache medications, which are available everywhere, even at the gas station. When a headache is in full force and the recommended dose of the OTC medicine has not done the trick many patients are tempted to take more than the recommended amount, in an effort to stop the misery.

This can however be very dangerous, resulting in serious liver, kidney and stomach problems. For a person who suffers from any kind of headache on a regular basis the wisest move is to discuss the problem with a medical professional who can help them find a treatment that is both effective and safe.