Most of us experience a headache at some point in our lives. Discover more about the most common types of headache and how to prevent and treat them

An estimated eight million people in the UK suffer headaches severe enough to need six to nine days sick leave per year. Although it's easy to think of a headache as just a headache, The International Headache Society have defined thirteen different types of headache and facial pain, which can be further broken down into almost a hundred different types. It helps to identify which one afflicts you so you can take appropriate action. The most common are tension headaches, migraine and cluster headaches.

Tension headaches typically produce a steady ache rather than a throbbing pain and often feel like a severe, continuous pressure or a tight, constricting band over the top of the skull, over the back of the head or above both eyes. Tension-type headaches can occur at any age and are often linked with stress, poor posture, overwork and depression. This type of headache is linked with tension in neck and scalp muscles, affecting blood flow within the skull. For instant relief, try using 4head, (#5.95 and available from Boots and pharmacies), a menthol stick that you just swipe across your forehead. The cooling sensation often helps to relieve tension headache quickly. A back massage will also help.

Migraine affects as many as one in ten adults in the UK. Migraine is worse than a headache, and is often described as a full-blown attack. Symptoms often begin at puberty and cause recurrent attacks until middle age, when they often disappear. Unlike a tension headache, which is usually felt equally on both sides of the head, migraine is generally much worse on one side. Migraine pain often centres around one eye and may be accompanied by abdominal symptoms, such as loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, dislike of food, constipation or diarrhoea. Between ten and thirty per cent of people with migraine experience a warning 'aura' up to an hour before an attack, which may include visual problems such as shimmering or flashing lights, strange zigzag shapes or blind spots, numbness or tingling on one side of the face and, sometimes, speech difficulties. The exact cause of migraine is not fully understood, but symptoms are believed to be linked to the lack of a chemical called serotonin in the brain, causing blood vessels to widen and congesting nerve tissues.

Some researchers believe that everyone has the capacity to suffer from migraine, but that those who experience symptoms have a lower threshold at which an attack is triggered. Migraine is three times more common in women than men, and symptoms often start at puberty, suggesting that sex hormones such as oestrogen are involved. Other factors linked with migraine include tiredness, fatigue, stress and certain foods such as cheese, alcohol (especially red wine), chocolate, caffeine or artificial sweeteners. If you think you may be suffering from migraines, try to work out what factors trigger your attacks and, where possible, avoid them.

Cluster headaches, which are another form of migraine, are known for the most severe type of pain - so severe that they are sometimes referred to as a suicide headache. The pain mainly occurs at night and comes on regularly for one to three weeks before disappearing. (Attacks occur in series lasting for weeks or months separated by remissions lasting for months or years - hence the name cluster headache.) One eye becomes congested and watery, and the nostril on the same side is usually blocked as well. Although sufferers are usually in good health between attacks, the pain is so severe that many live in fear of the next one occurring.

If you suffer from frequent or severe headaches, it is important to seek medical advice as, occasionally, recurrent headaches need to be investigated, in case there is an underlying cause. If you are diagnosed with tension headache or migraine, make sure you eat regularly, drink enough fluids, avoid excess stress, get enough sleep and exercise regularly. As a first line treatment, three soluble aspirins in a glass of fizzy lemonade, coke or Lucozade will help by providing fluid, glucose and pain relief. Mouth dispersible aspirin such as Disprin Direct, which can be used without a drink, are ideal for emergency use.

For those with frequent recurrent migraines, prescription-only treatments are available. These include rescue therapies for when symptoms have struck, as well as preventive treatments to help keep attacks at bay.

Several herbal remedies are effective for treating migraine. These include Feverfew and Butterbur. According to the Migraine Action Association, a complementary therapy known as the Bowen technique is also helpful.

The Bowen Technique is a non-manipulative, hands-on technique that stimulates the body's energy flow. To find Bowen therapists in your area, contact the Bowen Therapists' European Register on 07986 008384 or visit

Seek medical advice if someone has:

• three or more headaches a week
• a headache that keeps getting worse and won't go away
• other symptoms such as a stiff neck, fever, vomiting, confusion, drowsiness or unexpected symptoms affecting their eyes, ears, nose or throat
• headache plus dizziness, slurred speech, weakness, or changes in sensation (numbness and/or tingling)
• a persistent headache following a head injury
• a headache triggered by exertion, coughing, bending, or sexual activity.