What are these headaches?

Symptoms:

You’ve got flashing lights and a splitting headache over one eye. You’re a chocoholic and love a glass of sherry.

Your face feels sore and tender over your cheekbones and forehead, you’ve had a runny cold for a few days and now you’ve got a temperature. You’re blowing yellow stuff out of your nose.

You’ve got a headache which covers most of the back of your head and runs down to your neck, it lasts all day, you’ve been really stressed out at work.

It could be:

Migraine, brought on by the food and drink you enjoy. The migraine may make you vomit. It’s always one-sided and over one eye.

Sinusitis, where the airspaces in your skull become infected after a cold. They’re above each eyebrow and on either side of the nose. Sinus infections are difficult to get rid of.

6

Tension headache,

where stress makes the tiny muscles in the scalp go into spasm. Tension headaches don’t usually go until your stress levels subside.

Stop it:

Lie down in a darkened room, take a strong painkiller and try to go to sleep. Your doctor can give you a special anti-migraine treatment so consult them as soon as the headache is over.

Use painkillers and decongestants, and see your doctor for a course of antibiotics.

Get some me-time, let things slide, stop worrying about deadlines and getting everything done. Go for a walk, share your stress with a favourite friend. Take up yoga, try meditation to de-stress.