Compared with migraine, tension-type headache is generally less severe and rarely disabling. Compare your symptoms with those in this chart to see what type of headache you might be having.
| Symptom | Tension | Migraine |
|---|---|---|
| Intensity and quality of pain | ||
| Mild-to-moderate | x | x |
| Moderate-to-severe | x | |
| Intense pounding or throbbing and/or debilitating | x | |
| Distracting, but not debilitating | x | |
| Steady ache | x | x |
| Location of pain | ||
| One side of head | x | |
| Both sides of head | x | x |
| Other Symptoms | ||
| Nausea, vomiting | x | |
| Sensitivity to light and/or sounds | rare | x |
| Aura before onset of headache | x | |
Note: Rebound headache may have features of tension and/or migraine headache
Adapted from a table produced by the American Council for Headache Education
Although fatigue and stress can bring on both tension and migraine headaches, migraines can be triggered by certain foods, changes in the body’s hormone levels, and even changes in the weather.
There also are differences in how types of headaches respond to treatment with medicines. Although some over-the-counter drugs used to treat tension-type headaches sometimes help migraine headaches, the drugs used to treat migraine attacks do not work for tension-type headaches for most people.
You can't tell the difference between a migraine and a tension-type headache by how often they occur. Both can occur at irregular intervals. Also, in rare cases, both can occur daily or almost daily.
By Womenshealth
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