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Definition
By Mayo Clinic staffCough headaches are an unusual type of headache triggered by coughing and other types of straining — such as sneezing, blowing your nose, laughing, crying, singing or bending over, and straining when having a bowel movement.
Doctors divide cough headaches into two categories. Primary cough headaches are usually harmless. Secondary cough headaches are more serious, as they are caused by structural problems within the brain.
One in 100 people may experience a cough headache sometime during his or her life, but very few people have these headaches often enough that they seek medical attention.
Primary cough headaches tend to occur in limited episodes and eventually improve on their own, often within two months to two years. Secondary cough headaches sometimes require surgery to correct the underlying problem.
