Migraines and tension headaches: Understanding the difference

While the majority of headaches pose no health threat, they are nevertheless bothersome and even debilitating at times. Let’s shed light on the two most prevalent types: tension headaches and migraines.

Tension headaches

More frequent among women than men, tension headaches are a common problem often associated with psychosomatic factors, such as stress, anxiety and fatigue. They can also be linked to depression.

Symptoms of tension headaches

This type of headache can occur at any age and causes mild to moderate pain. Sufferers experience constant, vice-like pressure on both sides of their head. They may also present tension around the eyes, temples, neck and back of the neck.

In most cases, the pain develops gradually and can persist without interruption for hours, even days. Of course, if you have had a headache for several days, talk to your doctor. He will try to identify the underlying causes of the pain and may decide to send you for some tests.

Treating tension headaches

Relaxation is an effective way to combat tension headaches. Rest should, therefore, be your top choice of treatment. If this fails, however, discuss other options with your pharmacist. He can recommend an analgesic, like ibuprofen, acetaminophen or acetylsalicylic acid (commonly called ASA or aspirin), to ease your pain. In addition, your pharmacist can recommend the optimal product for you based on your patient file.

Migraines

Also more likely to affect women, migraines are thought to be caused by dilated and inflamed blood vessels surrounding the brain. However, despite many scientific studies into this ailment, its precise origin remains unknown at this time.

Symptoms of migraines

Migraines cause moderate-to-severe pulsating or throbbing pain in the cranial area. The pain can often be felt on one side of the head only or near the eye. This type of headache is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. During an episode, most sufferers will also experience sensitivity to light, noise and smells.

Before an episode, some migraine sufferers may experience specific warning signs like a visual aura (lightning flashes, distortions, blind spots, etc.), physical changes (numbness, tingling, etc.), afeeling of weakness or difficulty talking. These indications normally allow the patient to take action before the pain sets in. It is also important to know that migraine symptoms develop gradually and that an episode can last anywhere from 4 to 72 hours.

Treating migraines

Recourse to over-the-counter medications (i.e. ibuprofen) or prescription drugs is often necessary to treat a migraine. For more information about this topic, talk to your doctor or pharmacist.

Pharmacy services

If you have additional questions about tension headaches and migraines, talk to your pharmacist. He can help!

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