How to tell if you have a headache, sinus pain or migraine

Headaches in all their forms can disrupt our lives, but they are not all identical.

According to experts, most people do not know the difference between different types of headaches, such as headaches to sinuses and migraines. This can aggravate a painful situation.

It is essential to know what problem you are facing. So HuffPost has contacted experts to help you understand the differences, dispel some myths, and help you learn more about what you may be experiencing. Here are the different types and what you can do for each of them:

If you are a human being living on this planet, you have probably already had this type of head pain. According to Matthew Robbins, a neurologist at Weill Cornell Medicine and at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, tension headaches are by far the most common type of headache. In fact, 80% of people have at least one at one point in their life.

When you have a headache, you will probably have feel dull pain on both sides of the head, accompanied by tension or contractions in the neck or scalp.

"The main triggers can be a cold or other illness, changes in caffeine intake and a long duration of surveillance," added Huma Sheikh, a Assistant Professor of Neurology at Mount Sinai-Icahn School of Medicine. Emotional and physical stress, hidden depression, alcohol consumption and jaw crush may also contribute.

With regard to treatment, most tension headaches go away over time or can be relieved by over-the-counter pain relievers, such as ibuprofen. You can also try drinking more water, getting a massage or sleeping, which can help relieve headaches.

Have you ever felt pain around your eyes and temple and automatically assume that you have a headache? Surprise! According to experts, many of these presumed headaches caused by sinuses are probably not sinuses.

"Many supposed sinus headaches are actually disguised migraines," said Noah Rosen, neurologist and director of Northwell Health's Headache Center in New York.

True sinus headaches occur when sinus infection is associated. the National Foundation of Headaches says that these are rare and usually involve "gnawing pain on the nasal area" which often worsens with the day. Generally, a person with sinus headaches shows signs of infection, such as redness, swelling, fever, and discolored postnasal discharge.

One of the reasons for this misconception is that the nerves in the sinus areas are often involved in migraines, Sheikh explained.

"Therefore, migraine sufferers can sometimes have pain in the sinus areas, including under or on the eyes, which can be painful with their headaches," Sheikh said. A migraine can also involve a runny nose and watery eyes, making people more likely to assume they have a sinus infection.

"Many times, patients see their [ear, nose and throat] doctor before seeing a specialist for headaches, "said Sheikh," and for many years, people with migraines can be misdiagnosed incorrectly, while they actually suffer from migraines. "

A true sinus infection usually be solved by treating the underlying infection. "If it's a true bacterial infection, antibiotics are used," Robbins said. For a viral infection, you can wait, treat the pain and eventually use decongestants, he added.

Surgical intervention may be recommended in some cases, such as when the sinuses are chronically blocked or become infected easily. But remember that true sinus headaches are not common. Therefore, if you seem to have it frequently, something else may be happening.

"People who are generally suspected of having frequent sinus headaches really need to be investigated to determine if it is a migraine," Robbins said. "And then the migraine should be treated if that's true."

One of the most remarkable and distinctive characteristics of a migraine is intense pain that makes you physically handicapped to the point of abandoning your professional and personal obligations. Experts say that if you suffer from severe and repeated headaches, you will be more likely to suffer from migraine headaches than tension or sinus headaches.

Compared to a tension headache, a migraine is much more likely to be throbbing or unilateral, explained Rosen. It will often worsen with routine physical activity. Other signs include sensitivity to light, nausea, and sensitivity to sounds and smells. Some people also experience sensory disturbances called getin which they could see zigzags or bright spots in their vision or experience tingling on one side of their body.

So, how does this type of headache occur? Migraines are essentially a "disease in which the pain pathways in the brain and the peripheral nervous system are more sensitive than in those who do not suffer from migraines," Sheikh said.

Migraines often have family ties. "A migraine sufferer has about 70% chance of having a first-degree relative who also has the disease," Rosen said.

The problem can be addressed in two main ways: acute treatments that treat the attacks themselves and preventative treatments to reduce their frequency and severity. Acute treatments may be over-the-counter medications such as anti-inflammatories and acetaminophen, or a class of medications called triptans, Says Robbins.

"Other complementary methods of treating headaches include yoga, mindfulness, and cognitive-behavioral therapy, which use non-drug techniques to decrease the excessive sensitivity of the central and peripheral nervous system." Sheikh said.

Some doctors may also recommend Botox or a more technological treatment to qualify patients.

It can be difficult to tell if your headache is bothering you. If your attacks are serious, It's a good idea to consult a doctor.

"There is a long list of scary causes of headaches that, most of the time, are not what people have, but sometimes what they are," Robbins said. "Especially if the headache is associated with other symptoms, such as a feeling of numbness or weakness, or a disturbance of vision or similar symptoms."

Other alarm signals include new headaches in a person age 50 or older, neurological symptoms such as limb weakness or numbness, fever, weight loss, lack of response to usual treatment or change in the frequency or characteristics of headaches.

Of course, there are other reasons to consult a doctor, besides the fact that your headaches can be a sign of a scary medical condition.. One of the main reasons, Robbins pointed out, is that there are many effective treatments for headaches and migraines, which allow people to find relief, proactively manage their management and to avoid that it worsens with time.

"Living with" is a guide for navigating conditions that affect your mind and body. Each month, HuffPost Life will tackle real problems by providing different stories, tips and ways to connect with others who understand what it is. In April, we cover migraines and headaches. Do you have an experience to share? Email [email protected].