What is the difference between a tension headache and a vascular headache?

Structure involved: Tension headaches involve the muscles over the skull, and they are typically described as constant with "hat-band" like pressure. Vascular/migraine headaches involve the blood vessels in the covering over the brain, but under the skull, and they are typically on one side, throbbing, associated with light/noise intolerance, and nausea/vomiting.

Vascular headache?: A vascular headache is an outdated definition to describe certain types of headache which were thought to be related to blood vessel dilation or contraction. Tension headache is a primary headache and many patients feel as if they were wearing a tight hat or having their heads in a vice. See your PCP for evaluation and treatment.