Pounding, Throbbing, Sharp Or Dull? What Your Headache Is Trying To Tell You

So, your head hurts. What do you do?

When it comes to headache treatment, it all depends on what type of headache you have to begin with. And although some headache types are vastly different -- migraine is the only type of headache accompanied by the sensory symptoms known as aura, for example -- others share common symptoms and triggers and are frequently misdiagnosed.

At least at home. All too often, says Robert Cowan, M.D., professor of neurology and director of the headache program at Stanford University, a patient comes in claiming sinus headache, without any of the congestion, fever or other symptoms of a true infection. Most likely, it's actually a migraine, he says, and "all the antibiotics in the world aren't going to help it."

The most common type of headache is tension-type, says Cowan, brought on by stress, anxiety, alcohol, eye strain as well as other triggers. Cluster headaches and medication overuse headaches (formerly known as rebound headaches) are also relatively common. Sinus headaches are much rarer, he says, but not as rare as more troubling syndromes Cowan has treated, including SUNCT headaches, in which patients experience brief stabbing pains as many as hundreds of times a day that require IV medication to treat, he says. Of course, your head might hurt because of direct trauma, says Dawn C. Buse, Ph.D., associate professor of neurology at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University and the director of behavioral medicine at Montefiore Headache Center, like a car or sports-related accident. Others experience what are known as exertion headaches, she says, which can occur after coughing, exercise or even sex.

While a headache specialist may be your best bet at an accurate diagnosis, knowing the answers to a few key questions can help you and your doctor arrive at the right treatment plan. "It's really helpful to have your headache history organized," says Cowan. Knowing how long your headaches last, how severe they are, how frequent they are and what triggers them can paint a picture for your doctor when you're not currently experiencing pain. "You have to pay attention to your life," he says, just like a person with asthma has to pay attention to the weather when exercising outside, he says.

Below are some of the crucial questions you should keep track of when it comes to your headaches -- and a basic picture of what the answers might mean.

Sources: Johns Hopkins Medical Center, National Institutes of Health, WebMD, ProMyHealth, Stanford Medicine, Montefiore Headache Center