You can feel pain on one or both sides of the head or even in the neck and shoulders. It may be felt as a mild twinge, a dull throbbing, a sharp, stinging, stabbing or a pounding so hard that even the slightest movement would make the pain worse.
Although headaches are usually harmless we can often become concerned about their origin. Contrary to popular there are many different types of headaches, besides the usual migraine. We take a look at some of the more common ones.
Allergy
In this instance, the pain is often accompanied by a runny nose and itchy eyes, and is usually caused by allergens such as pollen, per dander and dustmites that can trigger hayfever and sinusitis.
Sex
You may notice a pressure-like headache at the back of your head and neck that builds up during sexual activity, or a sudden, severe headache just before or at the point of orgasm. The pain can last for several minutes or several hours.
Eye strain
Using computers or any other electronic devices for long periods can cause a headache and a heavy feeling around the eyes. Headache could also be a symptom of an uncorrected eye problem.
Sleep apnoea
Sufferers of this condition may be prone to headaches early in the day, basically due to their lack of or inability to sleep.
Weekends
Some people may experience headaches that occur mostly on the weekend. These are thought to be caused by sleeping in on weekend mornings, going to bed later at night, or caffeine withdrawal. Also, if your stress level is high all week, the weekend release may trigger a headache.
Hunger
This also has symptoms similar to migraine and is more common in young women. As the name suggests it may be triggered by fasting and skipping meals. It can also be caused by sleeping in and not having your first meal until much later in the day.
Dental issues
If the teeth in your upper and lower aren’t aligned and don’t meet smoothly the resulting muscle tension in your jaw can cause headache. Consult your dentist if you think this applies to you.
Text: Good Health/ Bauer/ Additional Reporting: Shenielle Aloysis