Mild Headache Overview
Headaches are common but usually do not represent a serious illness.
Even when headaches do not have a serious cause, they may be quite painful and disrupt daily activities.
There are many different causes of headache.
The pain in different types of headache varies in intensity, location, and duration. Another important feature that helps distinguish among different types of headache is the quality of the pain -- whether it is sharp, dull, constant, intermittent, or pounding.
Additional symptoms may accompany a headache:
Dizziness
Numbness or weakness
Changes in vision
Difficulty with balance
Eye, ear, or facial pain
Cold symptoms
Fever
Sensitivity to light or sound
Nausea with or without vomiting
All these factors help determine whether or not a headache needs emergency treatment. Ultimately, the cause of the headache is the determining factor in deciding the best treatment.
Headache can affect anyone, of any race, socioeconomic status, age, and gender.
Stress and anxiety are reported to trigger some people's headaches.
Some headaches seem to have no apparent cause.
The most common types of headache are known as tension-type, while the next most common are called migraine.
What most people consider to be a mild headache is most often tension-type headache or a mix of tension-type and migraine.
What Causes Headache?
Headache is caused by irritation or injury to pain-sensing structures of the head.
The structures that can sense pain include the scalp, forehead, top of head, the muscles of the neck and head, major arteries and veins in the head, the sinuses, and the tissues that surround the brain. The brain has no sensory nerve endings so the brain itself cannot "hurt."
Headache may occur when these structures suffer compression, spasm, tension, inflammation, or irritation.
Research into the mechanisms of various headache types is ongoing. The causes of mild tension-type headache are not yet completely understood. A common theory involves nerve endings in the head that are irritated by tight muscles in the neck, face, and scalp, along with irritation to the arteries and veins nearby.
The events that trigger mild headache vary widely among people who get headaches. Each person seems to have his or her own pattern. Common headache triggers include:
Stress
Hormonal fluctuations before, during, or after menstruation
Muscle tension in the back and neck
Exhaustion
Hunger and dehydration
Medications (Many drugs designed to relieve pain can actually cause headache when the drug is stopped after a period of prolonged use.)
Alcohol, caffeine, and sugar withdrawal
Other causes of headache include:
Household hazards such as carbon monoxide poisoning: If the headaches are recurrent or worse each morning or if more than one person in the household experiences the same type of headache, there may be an excessive level of carbon monoxide in the air. Carbon monoxide poisoning comes from faulty heaters or stoves that do not have proper exhaust to the outside of the house. If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, leave the building immediately and do not return until the levels of carbon monoxide are checked.
Headache associated with eye pain and vomiting:
These headaches may indicate an eye disease called glaucoma and warrant immediate medical attention, or vision can be permanently harmed.
Headache that occurs with neck stiffness or pain, light sensitivity, fever, and confusion:
These types of headaches could mean meningitis.
This is a medical emergency and needs immediate attention.
Temporomandibular joint disease (TMJ) can cause grinding of the teeth and muscular tightness around the head and face, leading to headaches.
What Are Headache Symptoms?
Mild headache symptoms are unlikely to need immediate medical attention. These symptoms include mild head pain that is aching, squeezing, or band-like, on both sides of the head, generally above the level of the eyebrows.
These headaches can occur often and may appear at predictable times. People who have these types of mild headache often know the triggers and symptoms of their headaches because the pattern repeats itself for each episode.
Common headache types include the following:
Tension-type headache is thought to be the most common headache type. It occurs more often in women than in men. Attacks can be occasional or more frequent. Symptoms include tight, or pressing, mild-to-moderate head pain, which may be on both sides. Pain usually radiates from the neck and the back of the head around the sides.
Migraine is the second most common headache type. These are classified according to whether or not they include an aura (a visual disturbance, weakness, or numbness that occurs 1 to 2 hours before the onset of the headache). Migraines with this aura are called classic, while those without are called common. Migraine is more common in women than men. It is often one-sided, throbbing, of moderate-to-severe intensity. The headache may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
Cluster headache is a less common headache that occurs in men more often than women. With a cluster headache, there is intense pain that is generally on one side and located around the eye or temple. A bloodshot eye, tearing, runny nose, and eyelid drooping or swelling on the same side of the face may also occur. The headaches tend to occur in "clusters," sometimes daily or every few days over a period of weeks to months. After such a "cluster" of headaches, there may be symptom-free periods of years before another cluster of headaches occurs.
What Are Different Types of Headache?
Whether a headache is perceived as mild is often subjective. In addition to tension headaches, migraine headaches, and cluster headaches, there are other types of headaches commonly experienced. Some are mild, some may be more severe. These other headache types include:
Sinus Headache: Pressure and fullness experienced in the front of the face, forehead, and behind the eyes caused by sinus inflammation or infection.
Caffeine Headache: A withdrawal headache caused by stopping chronic use of caffeine.
Cervicogenic Headache: This is like a tension headache and is caused by muscle spasm tightness that radiates from the neck. It may be associated with cervical (neck) disc disease.
Stress Headache: Another form of tension headache. May result from stress from any cause.
Spinal Headache: A headache that results from a spinal tap procedure (lumbar puncture). After the procedure, fluid may leak from the spinal column leading to worsening headache when standing.
Exertion Headache: This is a headache that comes on after excessive physical exertion. It may be a combination of a tension headache and mild dehydration.
Allergy Headache: Similar to a sinus headache, allergens in the environment irritate the nasal passages and sinus tissue and can cause headaches.
Thunderclap Headache: This is a sudden-onset headache, often described as "the worst headache of your life." It may be caused by bleeding in or around the brain (aneurysm) and is very serious, and can be life-threatening. If you are having the worst headache of your life, especially if it is sudden in onset (like thunder hitting you), seek medical care immediately.
When to Call the Doctor for Headache Pain
Consult a doctor about your headache and find out what can be done for pain relief in these situations:
You have a chronic medical illness such as high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack or stroke, diabetes, or liver problems.
You do not get relief with over-the-counter pain medications.
You are taking any other prescription or nonprescription medications.
There is any change in the normal pattern of your headache.
You have a new type of headache that you never had before.
You have pain in your face or eyes.
Although headaches are very common, they may be a sign of serious disease that warrants immediate medical attention. Go to an emergency department if any of the following symptoms occur:
Severe pain
Pain that develops very rapidly (sudden onset)
A change in concentration or ability to think
A change in level of alertness
Altered speech
Weakness, numbness, or difficulty walking
Changes in vision
Headache with a stiff neck or neck pain, or if light hurts your eyes
Worst headache of your life
Headache with dizziness, room spinning, or falling to one side
Headache from an injury or blow to the head
Headache with fever (over 100.4 F or 38 C when taken by mouth)
Mild Headache Diagnosis
When you have no serious symptoms, testing is not necessary with mild headaches. Blood tests are usually not helpful because the results are almost always normal unless other symptoms are present. Without injury, X-rays or CT scans are usually not necessary. Even with an injury to the head, X-rays or scans are often not needed. Physical examination in mild headache is generally normal, except for possible tenderness of the muscles of the scalp or neck.
Mild Headache Relief and Home Remedies
Treating a mild headache will usually involve over-the-counter pain medications. There are many different medications marketed for control of headache pain. The pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars each year to advertise their products. However, many "special" headache remedies are no better than simple acetaminophen (Tylenol and others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, and others), or aspirin. In addition, stress reduction and rest may be helpful.
Headaches are common but usually do not represent a serious illness.
Even when headaches do not have a serious cause, they may be quite painful and disrupt daily activities.
There are many different causes of headache.
The pain in different types of headache varies in intensity, location, and duration. Another important feature that helps distinguish among different types of headache is the quality of the pain -- whether it is sharp, dull, constant, intermittent, or pounding.
Additional symptoms may accompany a headache:
Dizziness
Numbness or weakness
Changes in vision
Difficulty with balance
Eye, ear, or facial pain
Cold symptoms
Fever
Sensitivity to light or sound
Nausea with or without vomiting
All these factors help determine whether or not a headache needs emergency treatment. Ultimately, the cause of the headache is the determining factor in deciding the best treatment.
Headache can affect anyone, of any race, socioeconomic status, age, and gender.
Stress and anxiety are reported to trigger some people's headaches.
Some headaches seem to have no apparent cause.
The most common types of headache are known as tension-type, while the next most common are called migraine.
What most people consider to be a mild headache is most often tension-type headache or a mix of tension-type and migraine.
What Causes Headache?
Headache is caused by irritation or injury to pain-sensing structures of the head.
The structures that can sense pain include the scalp, forehead, top of head, the muscles of the neck and head, major arteries and veins in the head, the sinuses, and the tissues that surround the brain. The brain has no sensory nerve endings so the brain itself cannot "hurt."
Headache may occur when these structures suffer compression, spasm, tension, inflammation, or irritation.
Research into the mechanisms of various headache types is ongoing. The causes of mild tension-type headache are not yet completely understood. A common theory involves nerve endings in the head that are irritated by tight muscles in the neck, face, and scalp, along with irritation to the arteries and veins nearby.
The events that trigger mild headache vary widely among people who get headaches. Each person seems to have his or her own pattern. Common headache triggers include:
Stress
Hormonal fluctuations before, during, or after menstruation
Muscle tension in the back and neck
Exhaustion
Hunger and dehydration
Medications (Many drugs designed to relieve pain can actually cause headache when the drug is stopped after a period of prolonged use.)
Alcohol, caffeine, and sugar withdrawal
Other causes of headache include:
Household hazards such as carbon monoxide poisoning: If the headaches are recurrent or worse each morning or if more than one person in the household experiences the same type of headache, there may be an excessive level of carbon monoxide in the air. Carbon monoxide poisoning comes from faulty heaters or stoves that do not have proper exhaust to the outside of the house. If you suspect carbon monoxide poisoning, leave the building immediately and do not return until the levels of carbon monoxide are checked.
Headache associated with eye pain and vomiting:
These headaches may indicate an eye disease called glaucoma and warrant immediate medical attention, or vision can be permanently harmed.
Headache that occurs with neck stiffness or pain, light sensitivity, fever, and confusion:
These types of headaches could mean meningitis.
This is a medical emergency and needs immediate attention.
Temporomandibular joint disease (TMJ) can cause grinding of the teeth and muscular tightness around the head and face, leading to headaches.
What Are Headache Symptoms?
Mild headache symptoms are unlikely to need immediate medical attention. These symptoms include mild head pain that is aching, squeezing, or band-like, on both sides of the head, generally above the level of the eyebrows.
These headaches can occur often and may appear at predictable times. People who have these types of mild headache often know the triggers and symptoms of their headaches because the pattern repeats itself for each episode.
Common headache types include the following:
Tension-type headache is thought to be the most common headache type. It occurs more often in women than in men. Attacks can be occasional or more frequent. Symptoms include tight, or pressing, mild-to-moderate head pain, which may be on both sides. Pain usually radiates from the neck and the back of the head around the sides.
Migraine is the second most common headache type. These are classified according to whether or not they include an aura (a visual disturbance, weakness, or numbness that occurs 1 to 2 hours before the onset of the headache). Migraines with this aura are called classic, while those without are called common. Migraine is more common in women than men. It is often one-sided, throbbing, of moderate-to-severe intensity. The headache may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
Cluster headache is a less common headache that occurs in men more often than women. With a cluster headache, there is intense pain that is generally on one side and located around the eye or temple. A bloodshot eye, tearing, runny nose, and eyelid drooping or swelling on the same side of the face may also occur. The headaches tend to occur in "clusters," sometimes daily or every few days over a period of weeks to months. After such a "cluster" of headaches, there may be symptom-free periods of years before another cluster of headaches occurs.
What Are Different Types of Headache?
Whether a headache is perceived as mild is often subjective. In addition to tension headaches, migraine headaches, and cluster headaches, there are other types of headaches commonly experienced. Some are mild, some may be more severe. These other headache types include:
Sinus Headache: Pressure and fullness experienced in the front of the face, forehead, and behind the eyes caused by sinus inflammation or infection.
Caffeine Headache: A withdrawal headache caused by stopping chronic use of caffeine.
Cervicogenic Headache: This is like a tension headache and is caused by muscle spasm tightness that radiates from the neck. It may be associated with cervical (neck) disc disease.
Stress Headache: Another form of tension headache. May result from stress from any cause.
Spinal Headache: A headache that results from a spinal tap procedure (lumbar puncture). After the procedure, fluid may leak from the spinal column leading to worsening headache when standing.
Exertion Headache: This is a headache that comes on after excessive physical exertion. It may be a combination of a tension headache and mild dehydration.
Allergy Headache: Similar to a sinus headache, allergens in the environment irritate the nasal passages and sinus tissue and can cause headaches.
Thunderclap Headache: This is a sudden-onset headache, often described as "the worst headache of your life." It may be caused by bleeding in or around the brain (aneurysm) and is very serious, and can be life-threatening. If you are having the worst headache of your life, especially if it is sudden in onset (like thunder hitting you), seek medical care immediately.
When to Call the Doctor for Headache Pain
Consult a doctor about your headache and find out what can be done for pain relief in these situations:
You have a chronic medical illness such as high blood pressure, heart disease, heart attack or stroke, diabetes, or liver problems.
You do not get relief with over-the-counter pain medications.
You are taking any other prescription or nonprescription medications.
There is any change in the normal pattern of your headache.
You have a new type of headache that you never had before.
You have pain in your face or eyes.
Although headaches are very common, they may be a sign of serious disease that warrants immediate medical attention. Go to an emergency department if any of the following symptoms occur:
Severe pain
Pain that develops very rapidly (sudden onset)
A change in concentration or ability to think
A change in level of alertness
Altered speech
Weakness, numbness, or difficulty walking
Changes in vision
Headache with a stiff neck or neck pain, or if light hurts your eyes
Worst headache of your life
Headache with dizziness, room spinning, or falling to one side
Headache from an injury or blow to the head
Headache with fever (over 100.4 F or 38 C when taken by mouth)
Mild Headache Diagnosis
When you have no serious symptoms, testing is not necessary with mild headaches. Blood tests are usually not helpful because the results are almost always normal unless other symptoms are present. Without injury, X-rays or CT scans are usually not necessary. Even with an injury to the head, X-rays or scans are often not needed. Physical examination in mild headache is generally normal, except for possible tenderness of the muscles of the scalp or neck.
Mild Headache Relief and Home Remedies
Treating a mild headache will usually involve over-the-counter pain medications. There are many different medications marketed for control of headache pain. The pharmaceutical companies spend millions of dollars each year to advertise their products. However, many "special" headache remedies are no better than simple acetaminophen (Tylenol and others), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin, and others), or aspirin. In addition, stress reduction and rest may be helpful.
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