Today, nearly everybody suffers from head pain across the world. In the UK, a study shows that more than 10 million people (between the ages of 15 & 69) experience migraine. In case you don’t know, migraine is just one of the many types of primary headaches that people experience today. To avoid using the best migraine tablets for another form of headache, you certainly need to get familiar with the other primary headache types.
That said, apart from migraines, below are some other common primary headache types you need to know about:
- Tension headache
- Cluster headache
- Ice pick headache
In the rest of this post, you’ll better understand what these headaches are, including how to treat them the right way with the best headache tablets.
1. Tension headache
A tension-type headache (TTH) often comes with mild to moderate pain. Once this type of headache surfaces, you’ll most likely feel a dull, aching sensation around your head. The good news, however, is that TTH doesn’t come with throbbing pain, which is very common with migraine.
Although TTH affects people of all ages, it’s mostly common among adults and teenagers. This headache mostly surfaces when both the scalp and neck muscles contract or become tense. In most cases, this muscle contraction is a result of stress, injury, depression, or even anxiety.
One of the most effective ways to treat tension headaches is by using the best tablets for headaches. These tablets can either be antidepressants or over-the-counter pain relievers. Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Ibuprofen, and Naproxen sodium are common medicines your doctor may recommend.
2. Cluster headache
Cluster headache is another type of primary headache. Unlike TTH, this type of headache often comes with severe burning & piercing pain. These effects may affect one side of your face. In addition, the burning and piercing pain may also affect one of your eyes (behind or around it).
Cluster headaches often come with different symptoms, including sweating, swelling, flushing, or redness. These symptoms only affect the side of your eyes or face, where you’re experiencing the pain. Other symptoms you may also experience are eye tearing and nasal congestion.
So, what exactly are the best headache tablets for cluster headaches?
- Although oral tablets may help to address this issue, your doctor will most likely recommend acute treatment options, such as the use of pure oxygen, an injectable form of Sumatriptan, Zolmitriptan, Octreotide, local anesthetics, and dihydroergotamine.
- That’s not all; your doctor may also recommend certain preventive treatment options, such as the use of corticosteroids, calcium channel blockers, and lithium carbonate.
- Surgery is another effective solution for cluster headaches. However, you need to keep in mind that doctors rarely recommend this option.
3. Ice pick headache
Although ice pick headache is very uncommon, it’s still worth mentioning it, since it’s a primary type of headache. When this headache surfaces, the sufferer will experience sudden, sharp, and stabbing head pain. This pain may also come in a quick series, which only lasts for a few seconds.
4. Migraine
As earlier mentioned, migraine is a very common primary headache in the United Kingdom. This headache affects roughly 10 million people. A patient suffering from a migraine will most likely experience intense pulsing deep within the head.
Migraine pain and other symptoms may last for days. Some patients often experience visual disturbances before the headaches.
Irrespective of your type of migraine, the best you can do is to use the best migraine tablets, such as Sumatriptan.
In case you don’t know, Sumatriptan tablets belong to a class of drugs, which is known as selective serotonin receptor agonists. These drugs work by narrowing the head’s blood vessels. When this happens, pain signals are restricted from getting to the brain. Certain natural substances that cause pain and nausea are also prevented from being released.
