Many people suffer from headaches. In fact, research suggests that almost 50 million people experience chronic headaches, of that, close to 30 million are migraine suffers. So what about the other 20 million? After reading the descriptions for migraines and tension headaches, many of those 20 million people are walking away thinking—“no, my headache is quite different than that!”

Well that could very well be true. While most people describe headaches as being of the migraine or tension type, the range is actually quite wider. Over 150 categories of headaches have been diagnosed. And what about the people that just claim to have migraines or “headaches” because that’s what they feel and it’s what they’ve been told? Chronic headache sufferers need to dig a little deeper and find the real source, and type of headache that plagues them.

Beyond migraine and tension headaches, some common headache types worthy of discussion are:

• Cluster Headaches
• Sinus Headaches
• Rebound Headaches

Described as having pain so intense that the person under attack can not even sit or lay still, Cluster Headaches are named because of the way the headache occurs—as a group of smaller headaches taking place upwards of three times in a single day. The clusters can take place over a period of a few weeks to a few months then disappear. The pain associated with a cluster headache is typically located in the eye area and is described as being constant and burning. If the pain is behind one eye it usually does not flip-flop from eye to eye.

Sinus Headaches occur when the sinus passages become congested. Sinus headaches deliver pain and pressure to the face, especially the eyes, forehead, cheekbones and bridge of the nose. Pain is often felt when bending over. Allergy flare-ups and cold viruses can play apart in the development of a sinus headache. Some doctors actually believe that what are believed to be sinus headaches are actually migraine headaches. It is important to discuss all headache symptoms with your doctor instead of trying to self-diagnose. While taking a decongestant medication may relieve a sinus headache, it will do nothing for a migraine and the patient may end up feeling worse.

All too often, chronic headache sufferers are caught in a vicious cycle of pain and medication, pain and medication. Rebound headaches are those that occur as a result of frequent (typically daily) use of pain medications. Quite simply, when medicine is taken too often dependence is reached and the patient begins to experience withdrawal symptoms between doses, the major withdrawal symptom being a really bad headache. More medication is taken to relieve the headache and the cycle continues.

As previously mentioned, it is always best to discuss headache symptoms with a doctor. Although many headaches are similar, there could be small differences that signal big problems. People who have been known to suffer from one type of headache may develop a different type. Headaches are sometimes clues to major neurological problems such as brain tumors and other undiagnosed head trauma. Rather than go to your doctor and say “I have a headache, can you give me something for it?” be diligent in getting to the bottom of the symptoms even if that means seeing a specialist and possibly having MRI’s, X-rays, blood tests and other laboratory work completed. It is always best to be on the safe side when it comes to your health.