Migraine vs Headache: Which is More Painful?

Headache: What’s the cause?
Headache pain can be mild to moderate, but constant. It is usually perceived by the patient as pressure or tightness on both sides of the head, on the forehead and/or on the nape, and is generally not accompanied by other symptoms. Pain can also occur when touching the muscles of the scalp, neck, and shoulders. It can appear at any age, but it is more common in older teens and adults. It is slightly more common among women than men.

It almost always has its origin in a specific situation of depression, stress or anxiety, and it usually remits by itself once this situation is controlled. Only if the headache changes its pattern, intensifying or becoming chronic or very frequent, you should see a doctor rule out any medical problem that requires more urgent or specific treatment.

There are basically two types of tension headaches:

●     Episodic. They usually last 30 minutes to a week. They are frequent episodic when they arise less than 15 days a month in a period of at least three months. They can become chronic or improve.

●     Chronic. They usually last for hours and can be continuous. If headaches appear 15 days or more per month for at least three months, they are considered chronic.

Migraine: What’s the cause?
Migraine or migraine is a disorder that usually has a hereditary basis. It is characterized by recurrent episodes (the frequency varies in each person) of headaches, which have the following characteristics:

●     It can be located in a part of the head (hemicranial) or in the whole of it.

●     It has a pulsating or vibrating character, with a throbbing sensation and is defined as moderate or severe.

●     It is common to appear together with nausea and occasionally vomiting, general malaise, photophobia and phonophobia.

●     It can get worse with exercise.

Women are three times more likely than men to have migraines. In addition, it is more common in patients with a family history of this problem and who have other medical problems or illnesses such as anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, sleep problems and epilepsy.

Migraine with aura: what characteristics does it have?
There is a type of migraine that has a special character, since before the pain appears or at the same time it manifests, certain sensory alterations related to vision appear, known as “aura”. These eye symptoms are usually temporary, can affect the quality of life, and can include:

●     Blind spots in the visual field of patients: scotomas that may resemble geometric figures.

●     Flashes of light.

●     Zigzag lines or lightning bolts that float, usually outward from the centre of the visual field.

●     Shining dots or stars. 

The differences between headache and migraine and which one is more painful?
Although there are differences between the two, we can basically say that headache is not hereditary in nature, nor does it occur in recurrent episodes as marked as migraine. In both cases, the crises can be triggered by situations such as stress or anxiety, certain drugs, inadequate nutrition or skipping a meal, taking too much caffeine, weather changes, fatigue, physical or mental efforts.

The prevention of the aforementioned situations and rest usually make these annoying headaches subside notably.

Unlike most migraines, tension headaches do not usually have symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or visual problems. On the other hand, tension headaches can appear associated with greater sensitivity to light or certain sounds, but these are not common symptoms of this health problem.

Also, migraines can be aggravated by physical activity, although physical activity does not usually make tension headaches worse. Now when figuring out which is more painful, it honestly all depends on the person, however, on average, a migraine is more painful.

Vision problems and headaches
Not seeing well can also be the reason for headaches. When there is a refractive error, even a small one, it is no longer possible to see with complete clarity from all distances. This forces you to constantly strain your eyes, and headaches may appear that, sometimes, also radiate to the eyes. These complaints are usually given a generic name: visual fatigue or eyestrain. You can buy the perfect migraine medication such as Rizatriptan Tablets, Zolmitriptan Tablets or SumatriptanTablets online in the UK at Pharmacy Planet.