WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE . . .

. . . between tension headaches and cluster headaches?

A tension headache is one of the most common types of headache, and can last days. The pain is often mild to moderate and is on both sides of the head, feeling like a belt is being tightened round it. Tension headaches can be triggered by postures that strain the head and neck muscles, such as hunching over a screen, or stress.

Cluster headaches are rarer. Sufferers experience sudden pain on one side of the head, often behind the eye and at the same time of day – even in the middle of the night – for several weeks. Within five to ten minutes of its onset, the pain is usually excruciating, and this can persist for up to three hours.