You feel sick, nauseous, and as if you are light or noisy and painful as a result of this headache. Most people underestimate the complexity of headaches. Different types of headaches have different symptoms, different causes, and require different treatments. Some common types of headache and their triggering factors by Dr. Meher Thej of AIIMS.
Types of Headaches:
According to Dr. Meher Thej of AIIMS, There are over 150 different types of headaches, but the most common are as follows:
Common Type of Headaches:
Dr. Meher Thej of AIIMS says the most common types of headaches that cause people to seek medical care are tension headaches, migraine headaches, and cluster headaches.
1) Tension Headache
Tension-type headache is the most common type of headache. A tension headache is a dull ache, tightness, moderate, or intense pain behind your eyes and in your head and neck. It is often described as feeling like a tight band around the head: episodic tension headaches and chronic tension headaches. Episodic tension headaches happen less than 15 days per month. Chronic tension headaches happen more than 15 days a month. According to Dr. Meher Thej of AIIMS, Tension headaches occur at any age but are most common in adults and older adolescents. It is slightly more common in women and tends to run in families. It occurs when the muscles of the neck and scalp become tense or contract. Muscle contractions can be a response to stress, depression, a head injury, or anxiety.
2) Migraine Headache
Migraine headaches cause moderate to severe pain. The pain is often described as throbbing or trembling and usually starts on one side of the head. Migraine headaches are aggravated by physical activity, light, sound, or physical activity. Migraines are related to the dilation, or widening, of the blood vessels that supply blood to your brain and face, and they are often triggered by environmental or weather changes, stress, or lack of sleep. They can last as little as 30 minutes or as long as several days.

Trigger factors for Migraine Headache by Dr. Meher Thej of AIIMS

Cigarettes – Both smoking and secondhand smoke can trigger headaches. Nicotine is a vasoactive substance in cigarettes. This means it changes the shape of the blood vessels in your brain, and this can lead to headaches.

Weather – Changes in the weather can cause an imbalance in brain chemicals, including serotonin, which can lead to headaches.

Crying - The stress that the body releases, which causes crying, can also lead to a headache in a person suffering from it. Mostly emotional crying can trigger a headache.

Odour - Strong or unusual smells trigger their headaches. Clinical studies suggest that anywhere between 25 and 50 percent of sufferers have an increased sensitivity to smell during their headache.

Eye strain - When your eyes work too hard, your eye muscles can contract significantly. These contractions can trigger an eye tension headache. Often these headaches cause pain and discomfort behind your eyes. After concentrating on something for a long time, you may have a headache.

Not eating – Fasting, eating high-sugar foods, eating too much, and skipping meals can all be trigger factors, or make people more likely to get headaches.

Noise - Very loud or long sounds can trigger a headache. Any loud sound such as rock concerts, parties can relieve headaches.

Sleep - Lack of sleep, too much sleep can cause headache. Insufficient sleep is often cited as a trigger for acute headache attacks. Excessive sleepiness is also an often reported trigger. Researchers have reported that 20 percent of people say that stress triggers their headaches.

Stress - Physical or physical stress at work and at home can cause headaches. Researchers have reported that 50 to 80 percent of people say that stress triggers their headaches.

Some Tips to Prevent Migraine Headaches By Dr. Meher Thej of AIIMS: You may be able to prevent Migraine headaches by avoiding the following:
Alcohol
Tobacco
Cocaine
high altitudes
strenuous act
Yoga, Meditation, Lifestyle modifications prove useful for preventing Migraine attacks.
3) Cluster Headache

Cluster headaches are a kind of Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalgias which are characterized by short-lasting attacks of head pain with cranial autonomic symptoms like red eyes, tears, stuffy nose, aural fullness etc. Cluster headache often appears suddenly, lasts about 1 hour, then disappears. Cluster headaches usually affect one side of the head and the area around the eyes. Patients are perfectly normal between episodes. Attacks occur during night time in 50% of patients. Men are affected more than women in this type of headache.
Less Common Headache:
1) Hemicrania Continua
Hemicrania continua is also a kind of Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalgias(TAC). It causes pain on one side of your face or head and occurs more often in women than in men. People with hemicrania continua describe a dull ache or throbbing that is interrupted by pain that is jerking, sharp and stabbing. There are two types of hemicrania: chronic and remitting. Chronic hemicrania involves having daily headaches that last indefinitely. Remitting hemicrania refers to persistent headaches that can last for 6 months.

2) Hormone Headache
Hormone headaches or Menstrual Migraine or PMS Headache are caused by fluctuating hormone levels. They can happen due to changes in estrogen levels. Menstrual Migraine occurs 2 -3 days before to 3 days after the start of menstruation. PMS headaches happen before the period begins. To relieve headaches, a variety of medications and other treatments are used. Women who suffer from hormonal headaches often find relief during later part of pregnancy or after they reach menopause. Hormone levels change for a variety of reasons, such as the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, perimenopause, menopause, oral contraceptives, hormone replacement therapy, and so on.

Rare Headache:
1) Ice Pick Headache
Ice pick headache, also called Primary Stabbing Headache/ Ophthalmodynia Periodica, is a unique headache type characterized by ultra-brief stabbing pain( like from an ice-pick), most usually in the frontal or temporal region. Ice pick headaches can occur at any time during the day. They can occur several times a day and affect different parts of your head.


2) Post Spinal / Low CSF pressure Headache
Post Spinal headache is a very intense headache. This occurs when cerebrospinal fluid leaks out of the meninges. Post Spinal headaches usually last from a few hours to a few days. These headaches get better when a person is lying down and get worse when sitting or standing.

Symptoms of a Post spinal headache include:

Headache pain that increases when sitting or standing
Headache pain worsens when coughing, sneezing or straining
Neck pain
Stiff neck
vomiting


About Dr Meher Thej AIIMS
Dr. Meher Thej of AIIMS is a neurosurgeon. He trained at AIIMS, New Delhi. He has experience in Neuro Oncology, Skull-Based Vascular Neurosurgery, Pediatric Neurosurgery, Functional-Epileptic Surgery, Spine Surgery, and Neurotrauma. The mission of Dr. Meher Tej AIIMS in life is to build a successful neurosurgical career encompassing all aspects of neurosurgery, serving people, and growing himself.