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.

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.