An estimated 45 million Americans experience chronic headaches. For at least half of these people, the problem is severe and sometimes disabling. It can also be costly: headache sufferers make over 8 million visits a year to doctor's offices. Migraine victims alone lose over 157 million workdays because of headache pain.

Several areas of the head can hurt, including a network of nerves which extends over the scalp and certain nerves in the face, mouth, and throat. Also sensitive to pain, because they contain delicate nerve fibers, are the muscles of the head and blood vessels found along the surface and at the base of the brain.

The most important cause of occasional sever headache in the modern world are probably two Stress and muscle tension account for the majority of headaches, although your diet can also contribute to headaches. Food such as caffeine, chocolate, cheeses, and nuts can cause headaches in some people. There are two types of headaches: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Primary headaches are not associated with (caused by) other diseases.

Examples of primary headaches are migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by associated disease. The associated disease may be minor or serious and life threatening.

Another important cause that needs to be considered in older children and adult for recurrent severe throbbing headaches is migraine. Signs of a migraine include one-sided headache, throbbing, sensitivity to light or sound, and nausea or vomiting. Some people who get migraines have a sensory or visual change (called an aura) before the headache develops. One very important point is that many of these patients will have a positive family history of migraine. Another thing to remember is that children may have a slightly different presentation with a generalized headache (not unilateral) and a lack of aura. They may be unable to talk about the type of headache that they are suffering from too. However in cases of recurrent headaches in kids Migraine needs to be considered as a differential diagnosis too.

Other common causes of headaches that can be missed include a Sinus Headache, TMJ dysfunction, and even caries in the tooth.

Headaches need to be taken seriously. If they persist, seek medical advice from experts in order to rule out any physical cause. Modern medical studies conclude that headaches have many different causes and that their intensity and frequency is based on the sufferer's individual make-up, gender, age and even heredity.

Not all headaches require medical attention. Some result from missed meals or occasional muscle tension and are easily remedied. But some types of headache are signals of more serious disorders, and call for prompt medical care. These include headaches that are very severe and sudden, associated with drowsiness and convulsions, neck stiffness, high fever, after a head injury or those with severe vomits, which awake a person from their sleep etc. For these, an early medical opinion is a must to rule out a serious cause like tumors, meningitis and bleeds etc.