According to Ayurveda, Headache(Shirashoola) comes under Shirorogas. Shiro means head and Shoola means pain.
Headache can be dull, sharp, pricking, throbbing,cutting, piercing or squeezing type.
Headache can be acute or chronic and sudden or gradual in onset.
Migraine headaches are usually associated with nausea and vomiting.

Common Causes of Headache

* Lack of sleep/irregular sleep pattern
* Skipping meals, irregular food habits
* Stress
* Other underlying disorders
* Nasal or Sinus infections
* Post Covid symptom
* Dehydration
* Hypertension
* Panic disorder
* Dental problems like infected teeth
* As a part of addictions or withdrawal symptoms

Common types of headaches are :

* Migraine - It is a recurrent headache at particular intervals mostly associated with aura,nausea, vomiting or disturbed vision. It occurs mostly on one side of head.
* Tension Headache - It is the pain behind the eyes,head, scalp or neck due to muscle contractions in head or neck
* Sinus Headache/ Sinusitis - Sinusitis is caused by inflammation and accumulation of plegm in sinuses(sinuses are air filled free spaces within the skull bones). Pressure around eyes, cheek and forehead are major symptoms associated with throbbing headache
* Trigeminal Neuralgia - In this condition, Trigeminal nerve is affected. It leads to excrutiating pain which aggravates even by mild stimulation in face like brushing teeth.
* Cluster headache - It occurs in cluster periods which can last from days to months followed by a remission period.
* Post-traumatic headache - It occurs as a complication of injury or trauma to the head.
* Vascular headache - caused due to dilation or swelling of blood vessels.
* Cervicogenic headaches - They are caused by irregularities of nerve, bone or muscles of neck

Treatments provided

Treatment in Ayurveda depends on the dosha involvement of the diseases. Correct diagnosis is the important and initial stage in treating headaches of various origin. Internal medication along with pathya ahara and vihara plays a vital role in curing headaches.

‘’Nasa hi shiraso dwaram’’

Nose is considered to be the route to head.
Therefore Nasyam is considered to be one of the best treatment for most of the ailments of head.
Other main treatments for headaches includes Vamanam, Shirodhara, Takradhara, Snehapanam, Virechanam, Thalam, Shiroabhyangam, Shirovasti, Dhoomapanam, Swedam, Lepam, Gandoosham, Kavalam, Mukha abhyangam etc..