EXCLUSIVEDoing my head in! Pharmacist reveals the five different types of headache - and how to treat them
- George Sandhu from Well Pharmacy shared his advice with MailOnline
Headaches seem to strike at the worst possible times, often when you are required to give a task maximum concentration and focus.
Once they hit, headaches seem impossible to shake off, gnawing and gnarling away when you are just suffering, wishing and silently praying for them to vanish.
Fortunately for those looking for urgent remedies, a pharmacist has revealed the five different types of headache and how they can be treated.
George Sandhu, deputy pharmacy superintendent at Well Pharmacy, has shared the most common headaches and how to help them disappear.
Read on below to see what headache you could be suffering from and how to get rid of it effectively and stop your head from throbbing.
George Sandhu, Deputy Pharmacy Superintendent from the UK’s biggest independent pharmacist, Well Pharmacy, has shared the most common headaches and how to help them disappear (File image)
Tension headaches
First up, Mr Sandhu addressed tension headaches, which he said are very common and often caused by stress, sleep problems and caffeine.
He said that symptoms include a pain on both sides of your head, face or neck and feeling like something is pressing or being tightened around your head, adding that affected areas can often feel tender, and your head may hurt more when touched.
To treat tension headaches, George advises treatments including over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol.
The pharmacist said that staff can also advise customers to maintain good posture, manage stress through relaxation techniques, take regular breaks if working on screens and ensure to stay hydrated.
Migraines
Next up, Mr Sandhu spoke about migraines - which he said usually feel like a very bad headache with throbbing pain on one side.
The pharmacist warned that they are generally more severe than regular headaches while advising that there are two types of migraines - with and without aura.
Aura is term used to sensory or visual disturbances, which are symptoms of such a headache, and include seeing flashing lights, blind spots, numbness or tingling, difficulty speaking, followed by a headache with throbbing pain.
He said that symptoms should not last for more than an hour.
For migraines with aura, pharmacy staff can suggest OTC pain relievers and anti-nausea medications if required but some customers should be referred to their GP should they require prescription medication.
To treat tension headaches, George advises treatments including over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol (File image)
Pharmacy staff can also advise customers to keep a migraine diary to help identify and therefore avoid migraine triggers, for some people this can be certain foods.
Migraines without aura are similar to migraines with aura, and are often triggered by stress, hormonal changes, and certain foods or drinks.
Symptoms include moderate to severe headache on one side of the head, sensitivity to light, sound, and smells, nausea or vomiting.
Similar to migraine with aura, advisable treatments are OTC pain relievers and anti-nausea medications.
Pharmacy staff can advise customers to maintain regular sleep and eating habits, stay hydrated and avoid known triggers.
Cluster headaches
Cluster headaches are severe attacks of pain that can last for prolonged periods of time.
They are severe headaches that can happen multiple times a day and continue for weeks or months.
The main symptoms are a sharp, severe burning or piercing pain typically around one eye and can cause watering of the eye. You can also feel sick, and they can start and stop quickly lasting between 15 minutes and three hours.
The exact cause of these is unknown, they’re more common in men in their 30s and 40s, of if you have other suffers in the family.
Some sufferers can identify triggers like smoking, consuming alcohol, perfume and other strong smells.
If a patient suspects they have cluster headaches and painkillers like paracetamol or ibuprofen do not help, they should be referred to the GP.
There is no cure for cluster headaches, but a specialist may recommend some treatments to help ease and prevent symptoms.
Sinus headaches
Lastly, George spoke about how to deal with sinus headaches - which are caused by the swelling of sinuses, usually cause by an infection.
Cluster headaches are severe attacks of pain that can last for prolonged periods of time (File image)
He said that symptoms include pain, swelling and tenderness around your cheeks, eyes or forehead.
You may also suffer with a blocked nose, reduced sense or smell, green or yellow mucus discharge for your nose and a high fever.
Over the counter treatments include decongestants, saline nasal sprays, antihistamines if symptoms are being caused by an allergy, and OTC pain relief.
Pharmacy staff can also advise customers to stay hydrated and apply warm compresses to the affected area.
