Nearly all of us will suffer from a headache during our lifetime; those less fortunate will suffer from migraines. In fact, followed by back pain, headaches and common colds are the two main causes of time off work for Australians. According to an Australian National Health Survey conducted in 2001, 2.2 million people reported they had headaches that had started recently, while 22,000 reported headaches on a longer-term basis. The disease of the nervous system, otherwise known as a migraine, affects around five per cent of the Australian male population and 15 per cent of the female population, and is most common in people between 35 and 44 years.

According to Aled Francis, a manipulative physiotherapist from the Sydney Headache Clinic, a headache pain that is one-sided, lasts between four and 72 hours and is of moderate to severe intensity is diagnosed as a "migraine without aura". Similarly, a headache that occurs on both sides of the head, lasts from 30 minutes to seven days and is of a mild to moderate intensity is diagnosed as a "tension headache". While migraines tend to occur now and again -- that is, we can anticipate when they will occur; for example, if they are hormonal they will occur once a month with the menstrual cycle -- tension headaches tend to be more constant. Headaches are usually considered less severe than migraines with a lower intensity of pain and headaches are not usually associated with the extreme visual or sensory disturbances, nausea, vomiting, irritability and intolerance of light that often accompany migraines.

Causes

There are virtually no investigative techniques that can detect the existence of an abnormality that's causing the migraine or tension-type headache symptoms. There are many different theories about what could be causing a migraine. Migraines often have similar causes to headaches, and many patients suffer both. In many cases, a number of causes might combine to produce a migraine. It's commonly believed that headaches are the result of irritation to nerves and pain-sensitive structures in the head and neck, but any of the following may cause a headache:

• Poor dietary habits and irregular eating habits: Eating food low in nutrients and eating irregularly can be potent headache triggers.
• Food: Foods that have been known to trigger headaches include alcohol, chocolate, citrus fruits and dairy products, especially cheese.
• Nervousness: Noisy, polluted environments, a hectic lifestyle, over-activity, accumulated fatigue and excessive worrying can cause nervous headaches. Headaches of this origin are often experienced by people who try to do too much.
• Constipation: Mild constipation often gives rise to dullness or heaviness in the head, but when constipation becomes more chronic, with it comes a more persistent headache.
• Stress: Stress is associated with a number of different types of headaches and is often an aggravating factor in headache attacks.
• Blocked nostrils: According to Ayurveda, ignoring the problem of a blocked nose may lead to more serious health problems, headaches, migraines or pain in the jaw, ear or shoulders.
• Menstruation: Women tend to suffer from headaches and migraines more than men do, which has often been connected with menstruation. Poor postural or sleeping habits: Headaches can occur as a result of poor postural or sleeping habits. For example, not standing in a neutral alignment, lying on the stomach while sleeping or sitting or standing for long periods.
• In addition, headaches may be caused by extreme hot or cold weather, neck stiffness, lack of physical exercise, muscle tension, sinus problems, problems with the jaw and eyestrain.