The pain is of mild to moderate intensity and generally doesn't interfere with functioning. There may also be soreness or tightness in the neck and shoulders. Tension headache pain can last for as little as an hour or two or as long as several days. Yet migraine is not just a headache but an entire syndrome, which may include dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, nervousness, heightened sensitivity to light, depression. These begin with an aura, consisting of hallucination-like visual disturbances, perhaps accompanied by facial numbness and tingling, sweating, drowsiness, and other symptoms.
Mixed headaches combine tension headaches and migraines.
In cluster headaches, the pain usually begins in a temple, cheek, or eye, becomes concentrated in one eye and progressively worsens. It may last from 20 minutes to three hours. These headaches are considered the most painful of all headaches. Afflicted Population Health authorities say headache is the leading cause of chronic pain, afflicting as many as 45 million Americans, nearly one of every five adults. Causes of Chronic Headaches On the surface, tension headaches are the result of muscle contraction in the head and neck, while migraines are due to changes in blood flow in the head.