When we’re talking about the statistics behind headaches, it’s one of the three most commonly reported health conditions in the world – and as much of 12% of Americans say that they have chronic and recurring migraine headaches.
The statistic is even higher when we start to include other types of headaches in this statistic – and there can be as many as twelve different types of headaches to mention.
Why is this important? Because every different type of headache and its symptoms can tell you something else about your health – and once you’ve established this, then you can work on treating the condition and the cause.
You should see your doctor if any type of headache persists: While headaches are a condition on their own, they can also present as a symptom of something.
Here are 12 of the most common types of headaches and just what they can tell you.
1. Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches are one of the worst kinds of headaches that you can experience, which is why it makes one of the top headaches on this list. It’s called cluster headaches because of the tendency to occur in a grouped “cluster” that might be hours, days, weeks or even sometimes months apart – and cluster headaches only last for a few hours to days at a time, but then they’re right back when you thought that you were fine.
The easiest way to treat cluster headaches is to find the cause: Once the cause has been treated, the headache goes away – but as long as the cause sticks around, you can expect to struggle with these.
Visit your doctor if you suspect that cluster headaches might be the problem. There are many treatment options (and sometimes just small lifestyle changes) that can help to take care of cluster headaches and make them a thing of the past.