Headaches can be a form of manifestations of other illnesses. According to the theory of TCM, headaches can be broadly categorized into either external pathogenic type or internal endogenic type.

Headache manifested by external pathogens usually comes with cold or fever, muscle aches, sinus, cough, and with lifting pulse. Treatment involved is with methods that promote sweating.

 

The internal types, however, are caused by illnesses from within the body. Its symptoms are mostly of deficiency type. The pathogens are deep and inside with pain sensation comes and goes beyond prediction.

Sometimes people with deficiency can be infected by new external pathogens and it thus triggers a headache. This is of the internal-external type and should be dealt with different principles.