For these individuals, the headache itself is the primary problem and not just a symptom of some other disease. Nine out of 10 people who get headaches have the tension-type. Also known as muscle-contraction headaches, some are caused by a tensing of muscles in the scalp and neck. With these, you ll feel a dull, achy pain, as if pressure were being applied to your head or neck. Tension-type headaches may be triggered by anxiety and stress, poor posture, muscle strain, or something out of kilter in your joints.
Migraines produce throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head.
Other symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, light and noise sensitivity, fever, chills, flulike achiness, and sweating. Migraines may last from a few hours to days. You might get migraines several times a week or as infrequently as once every few years. Cluster headaches are a relatively rare but very distinct type of headache that mainly affects men. The headaches come in series.