When I first learned about acupuncture, I fell in love with the concept of it. I had never experienced it but knew I wanted to study it. While working in the Intensive Care Unit in my residency, I met a staff member who had just started his own acupuncture clinic. I decided to go have a session with him and learn more. On the day of my first visit with him, I had a horrible migraine! Imagine the opportunity to see how well acupuncture worked. My usual headaches would last three days, no matter what I did, so this was a great test. When I went in to see him, he told me that my liver was causing the headache and then gave me a treatment. Within three hours, the pain was all gone and I knew for sure that I had my new calling.

We all experience headaches from time to time. Changing weather, shifts in hormones, and inflammation can each cause a specific type of headache. If you suffer from frequent headaches or migraine headaches, you may be overlooking a common cause. In this article, we’ll take a look at what your headache is telling you.

Types of Headaches

There are many different types of headaches, and learning the message behind them begins with identifying the type you suffer from. When a headache first occurs, note your other symptoms, level of stress, exposure to seasonal allergens, and diet. This can help you pinpoint the type of headache, as well as potential causes or triggers. Here are a few of the most common types:

Migraine

Migraines are one of the most debilitating types of headaches. The pain is often on one side of the head and is described as piercing and throbbing. Other symptoms include nausea and sensitivity to light and loud noises. Some experiences changes in vision prior to the onset and others may have difficulty with motor and/or verbal skills. Hormones, food allergies, and stress can contribute to these horrible headaches.

Tension

These headaches are very common, and some experience them every day. Pain is usually on both sides of the head or at the back of the neck and is a constant, squeezing pressure. These often have to do with poor posture, or stress.

Sinus

Pain from a sinus headache is centered around the eyes, over the bridge of the nose, around the forehead and also over the cheekbones. Symptoms include congestion and worsening pain with leaning over.

Cluster

Cluster headaches last from 30-45 minutes, and are extremely painful. They may reoccur frequently for a period of 6-12 weeks. The pain is piercing and typically centered on one eye, though it may radiate out through the affected side of the face.

Learning to Listen to the Message Beneath the Pain

Headaches occur for many reasons, which is why simply taking an over-the-counter medication doesn’t always bring fast relief. As you begin to identify the type of headache you’re having, you have the key to what your body really needs.

Inflammation

One of the common causes of each type of headache is inflammation, whether it’s located in the sinuses or at the back of the neck. Stress, poor diet, exposure to allergens, negative thought patterns, and exposure to toxins can all drive up the inflammatory response in our bodies. Find out how to stop inflammation here.

Stress

Living a life of high anxiety and stress takes a toll on our bodies. Stress affects everything, from our emotional response to our digestion, and can even be an underlying cause for headaches. Find my cure for anxiety here.

Hormones

Hormones shift constantly throughout our lives, causing many changes to our bodies. I have created the Healing Hormones Webinar to help you bring your hormones back into balance naturally.

Join Me for The Natural Headache Solution Summit

I am honored to join Headache Neurologist Suja Johnkutty, MD for this free web event. Here, you’ll find even more tools to uncover the message behind your headaches, as well as natural solutions to reclaim your power in life. Claim your free spot now!