Short answer: migraine, tension-type and cluster headache have different common patterns, but symptoms overlap. Timing, associated symptoms and what happens during an episode are more useful to a clinician than pain location alone.

Migraine, tension and cluster headache: patterns to describe

Headache types can share symptoms. Describe the pattern for a clinician rather than choosing a diagnosis from pain location alone. Timing, associated symptoms and what you do during an episode add useful context.

Updated September 9, 2026 · Arve Tech, maker of DIM

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Three patterns, with overlap

  • Migraine: head pain often comes with nausea or sensitivity to light and sound; movement can make it worse. NHS migraine guidance.
  • Tension-type headache: commonly a pressing or tightening pain on both sides, with everyday activity generally still possible. NHS tension-headache guidance.
  • Cluster headache: severe pain usually around one eye, often with restlessness and same-side eye or nose symptoms. Individual headaches commonly last 15 minutes to 3 hours. NHS cluster-headache guidance.

These summaries do not cover every presentation. One-sided pain alone does not identify a headache type.

Four useful questions for your record

  1. When did this episode start and stop? Was that abrupt or gradual?
  2. Where was the pain, and did its location change?
  3. What other symptoms occurred at the same time?
  4. Did you want to lie still, keep moving, or stop an activity?

Record several distinct episodes separately. Combining them into an ‘average headache’ can erase the very differences you want to discuss.

Example: preserve the differences

Instead of ‘headaches all week’, create one entry for each episode, then add a weekly summary. If you cannot distinguish where one episode ended and another began, say so. Do not manufacture boundaries to make a chart look tidy.

Use the symptom worksheet and appointment questions to prepare that discussion. Your record can support an assessment without making it for you.

Do not wait to complete a diary

Seek emergency help for a sudden extreme headache or new weakness, confusion, speech difficulty or loss of vision. A first drooping eyelid or unequal pupils also needs immediate assessment under the NHS cluster-headache guidance linked above. New or worsening recurring headaches deserve medical review; a matching description on this page does not rule out another cause.

Editorial note: educational information from the maker of DIM; not an independent clinical review.

Dim is a diary, not a medical device. This article is general information, not medical advice — it does not diagnose, treat, or prevent any condition. Always consult a qualified clinician about your health.