Headaches comprise a group of disorders characterised by pain in the head or upper neck, with current systems recognising far more than five distinct varieties.
Overview
Medical authorities organise headaches into primary forms, which occur independently, and secondary forms, which arise from another condition. The most widely adopted framework is the International Classification of Headache Disorders, which lists three main categories containing hundreds of subtypes.
Primary headaches
Primary headaches lack an identifiable structural cause. The principal types include migraine, tension-type headache and cluster headache. Other primary varieties encompass hemicrania continua and SUNCT syndrome. These conditions are diagnosed through symptom patterns rather than imaging or laboratory findings.
Secondary headaches
Secondary headaches result from underlying disorders such as trauma, vascular disease, infection or medication overuse. Common examples are headache attributed to giant cell arteritis, post-traumatic headache and sinusitis-related pain. Identification of the causative factor is required for accurate classification and treatment.
Popular simplifications
Some non-specialist sources reduce the list to five common presentations: tension-type, migraine, cluster, sinus and medication-overuse headache. Such summaries serve introductory purposes but omit many rarer forms recognised in clinical practice.
Diagnostic approach
Diagnosis relies on history, physical examination and, when indicated, imaging. Attribution of symptoms to a specific type follows the criteria published by the International Headache Society. Differential diagnosis excludes serious secondary causes before assigning a primary label.