And at times they can be debilitating. The most common headaches are the muscle-contraction headache, or as they are popularly referred to as the tension headache. These types of headaches generally take a while to develop, even though they may feel as if they suddenly appear. Some people, however, have extremely painful tension headaches that seem stronger than what could be accounted for by simple muscle contractions. Over the counter remedies, such as some type of pain analgesic as aspirin, generally works for most people to relieve pain.
Migraines create pain on a scale from bad to needing to be hospitalized.
Most people cannot do anything but take care of their headache when they have a migraine. Many sufferers experience nausea, and unfortunately, the headache can last several days in a row. Some unlucky people have migraine attacks every month. Migraines are caused by a swelling of blood vessels in the head which press up against sensitive nerves. About the only thing that sufferers can do is to rest quietly in a dark place, and take something for the pain.