The first step in treating a headache is to determine what kind you have.

Migraine: This type lasts from four hours to three days, with pulsing pain on one side of the head, nausea and sensitivity to light and sound

Tension: Diffuse, viselike pressure throughout the head. Attacks last from 30 minutes to a week

Cluster: Also known as suicide headaches, these are the most painful kind. They occur in groups—as often as eight times a day—and are experienced as a searing pressure in one eye

Other: Any number of medical conditions, from viral infection to brain tumor, can cause a headache. Treating the disease usually relieves the pain

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