Migraines are not just headaches (though headaches can be bad too). People with migraines experience debilitating, pulsating pain in their head. It can get so bad that they are unable to work or do simple activities, like climb stairs. Migraines come with other symptoms too, such as nausea, blurry or spotty vision, sleeplessness, light sensitivity and more. Each ‘attack’ can last up to 72 hours, and they can happen 15 days out of the month, or more. If you have excruciating, chronic head pain, you will probably have already seen your doctor about this issue. It’s not something you bypass as ‘no big deal.’ However, people may get frequent, non-migraine headaches and not realize they have a diagnosable problem. Usually, these episodic, but semi-regular headaches can be solved, somehow. For that reason, it’s good to know what the common classifications are for other types of headaches. While there are too many to name them all here, the ones you’ll hear most about are: Tension headaches These are mild to moderate headaches that feel like pressure points in one or more areas of your head. They can happen occasionally, or as often as migraines (more than 15 days per month). However, they are usually treatable with over-the-counter pain medications. Some may experience success with alternative modes of healing, such as acupuncture, massage or physical therapy exercises. Cluster headaches These types of headaches are severe. They happen irregularly, but for weeks at a time, and usually on one side of the head. They can go ‘on and off’ like this for months, and can be associated with nasal issues. The best way to find out what type of headaches you have, is to see your family doctor. A diagnosis can help to hone in on your treatment options. Please see more on our website.