comparison of features of migraine and tension headache and cluster headache
Last reviewed 12/2022
Comparison of migraine and tension headache
| migraine | tension headache |
| often unilateral | generally bilateral |
| pain often described as 'throbbing' | pain often described as 'tight band' |
| possible associated features include nausea, vomiting, phonophobia, photophobia, may be neurological features e.g. hemiplegic migraine | generally no associated features |
| trigger factors include. specific foods such as cheese, hormonal, alchohol, stress | precipitating factors include exposure to environmental factors, psychological stress |
| responds to specific migraine therapy | non-specific response to migraine therapy |
NICE have suggested comparative features of migraine, tension headache and cluster headache in young people and adults (1):
| Headache feature | Tension-type headache | Migraine (with or without aura) | Cluster Headache |
|
Location of Pain
|
Bilateral | Bilateral or Unilateral | Unilateral (around the eye, above the eye and along the side of the head/face) |
| Quality of Pain | Pressing/tightening (nonpulsating) | Pulsating (throbbing or banging in young people aged 12-17 years) | Variable (can be sharp, boring, burning, throbbing or tightening) |
| Intensity of Pain | Mild or moderate | Moderate or severe | Severe or very severe |
| How does headache affect activities | Not aggravated by routine activities of daily living | Aggravated by, or causes avoidance of, routine activities of daily living | Restlessness or agitation |
| Other symptoms | None |
Unusual sensitivity to light and/or sound or nausea and/or vomiting Aura Symptoms can occur with or without headache and:
Typical aura symptoms include visual symptoms such as flickering lights, spots or lines and/or partial loss of vision; sensory symptoms such as numbness and/or pins and needles; and/or speech |
On the same side as the headache:
|
| Duration of headache | 30 minutes-continuous |
4-72 hours in adults 1-72 hours in young people aged 12-17 years |
15-180 minutes |
| Frequency of headache |
< 15 days per month
>= 15 days per month for more than 3 months
|
< 15 days per month
>= 15 days per month for more than 3 months
|
1 every other day to 8 per day (the frequency of recurrent headaches during a cluster headache bout), with remission (pain-free period between cluster headache bouts)> 1 month
1 every other day to 8 per day, with a continuous remission <1 month in a 12-month period
|
Reference: