Health Watch: Tension Headache or Migraine

ATLANTA (MyFOX ATLANTA) - A tension headache usually feels like this tight band of pressure wrapped around your head, like it's caught in the vice.

You also usually experience a kind of dull, steady pain on both sides of your head. Sometimes you'll have nausea.

How is that different from a migraine?

A migraine usually involves intense, throbbing or pulsing pain -- usually on one side on the head, but not the other. In rare cases, it can be on both sides.

A migraine attack can last anywhere from an hour to a couple of days.With migraines you often feel sick all over. You have nausea. You're sensitive to light, sound and even smells. Some people will also experience an aura -- a visual disturbance --- where they see spots or zigzags in their field of vision. Sometimes, people temporarily lose their vision.

With a tension headache, taking an over-the-counter painkiller like aspirin or tylenol can help. Sometimes you get a headache because you're thirsty or need to eat.

With migraines, you may need to see a doctor to get a prescripton medication totry to stop the migraines when they hit, or prevent them.

If you do develp a migraine, lie down in a dark, quiet room and drink something with caffeine in it to help reduce the pain.