Tension Headaches? Migraines?

Question

am having the WORST headaches (over the past week or so). They extend from the crown of my head down my forehead and into my eyebrows (and do not feel like sinus headaches). My head feels like there is a HUGE weigh pushing on it. I assume they are migraines, or tension headaches from stress.

I have been trying to get enough sleep (8 hrs a night), and trying to relax (which doesn't happen much). I also try to eat right, but working so much doesn't give me much to cook.

Let me add that right now I am working about 8-12hrs a day 7 days/week, and don't have a day off until October 20th. So taking a day off is not an option. (And the upcoming days I have off are for a wedding I am in, so it's not like I can just lay and relax.)

I have taken Excedrin. Doesn't work.

I have two questions:

1) What's the difference between a tension headache and a migraine? Which do you think mine are?

2) Any suggestions to alleviate them? (And no, I cannot take time off work. So that's not an option.)

If it matters, the headaches hurt worse when I cough or bend over.

Answer 1

It sounds like sinusitis. An infection in the sinuses. You would actually be surprised at how the symptoms can vary. DO NOT TAKE a bunch of OTC medications, they can cause you to have rebound headaches that are worse than the real thing. I have suffered from a hideous infection in my sinuses, got surgery to repair them, only to find out that I have Cluster migraines. Lucky me. I sympathize with you, truly. Go see your doctor and an ENT, they will give you something for the pain and some antibiotics to kill the infection. Go to the link below and check it out, it will help you further diagnose the problem. And Blood pressure is a major factor. The added stress in your routine compounds the problem. Get well!

Answer 2

I'm not sure if it is tension or migraine, but I have had similar headaches in the past that last for more than a day, I am sensitive to light and my eyes water. Mine seem to be caused by changes in my caffeine intake. If I normally have a coffee in the morning and then one day I don't, I usually get a headache one or two days after the caffeine change. Also watch for it in medicine! Excedrin Migraine has caffeine in it. For awhile I was taking that when I had a headache, but then when I stopped taking it I would crash from the lack of caffeine; so then I took Excedrin again. It was a never-ending cycle. So, maybe that is a possible cause of your headaches. Hope you get better soon!

Answer 3

I get headaches all the time, I get migraines often. Excedrin didnt work for me either. I had a persciption for Imitrex that did NOT help at all.
Ive learned that a lot of different foods you eat can trigger these headaches, especially any processed food.
I finally found a pill that works, MIGRAINE RELIEF, made by American Fare. I found it at Kmart. Sometimes this works too, an ice pack on the back of your neck for a few minutes.

Answer 4

Another thing it could be.
High Blood Pressure.
I use to get nasty headaches that I thought were migraines.
Turned out to be HBP. Since you are working alot of hours and not alot of time to cook. I suspect you are consuming more sodium than you use to. If you have access to a blood pressure monitor. Take yur blood pressure. If it's high. You might wanna consult a doctor.

Answer 5

Tension headaches are typically occipital-nuchal, and migraine are one sided. This sound like a frontal sinus headache.

Answer 6

sometimes these can be a symtoms of something else.g high blood pressure. Both can be trigger by stress.You have to live to work

Answer 7

if it hurts more when you bend over it's definately sinus headache

Answer 8

see a doctor and try Ibuprofen