Omaha Headache Clinic
As many as 45 million Americans suffer from headaches.
What is a headache?
A headache is the result of pain signals caused by interactions between the brain, blood vessels, and surrounding nerves. During a headache, the pain does not come from the brain contrary to what many sufferers believe. Rather, the pain comes from activated nerves surrounding the skull, blood vessels, neck and head muscles. Very small neck muscles play a huge role in contributing to headache pain. Activation of specific nerves in the head and neck send pain signals to the brain that are interpreted as a "headache."
There are two different categories for headaches: primary and secondary. Primary headache is an actual clinical condition and not a symptom of or caused by another disorder. Primary headaches include migraine, tension-type headache, and cluster headache. Secondary headaches are caused by other medical conditions, such as sinus disease, allergies, dental disorders, head injury, or brain tumors. We often find one headache can cause another headache.
