A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck . It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors . Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the pain-sensitive structures around the brain. Nine areas of the head and neck have these pain-sensitive structures, which are the cranium (the periosteum of the skull ), muscles , nerves , arteries and veins , subcutaneous tissues , eyes , ears , sinuses and mucous membranes . There are a number of different classification systems for headaches. The most well-recognized is that of the International Headache Society . Treatment of a headache depends on the underlying etiology or cause, but commonly involves analgesics .
Headaches