Primary headache: Headache disorders—like migraine and tension headaches—cause primary headaches. These headaches are not dangerous and can be relieved with pain treatment or specific headache therapies.Secondary headache: Secondary headaches are caused by underlying medical issues—like a stroke, brain bleed, meningitis, encephalitis, abscess, or tumor. While pain treatment can sometimes provide relief, the underlying health issue can be life-threatening and needs to be treated., Head Pressure, Coughing, and Pain . Coughing, sneezing, bending over, and laughing all cause slight changes in the position of your body. These changes can lead to head or neck pressure that may exacerbate head pain, especially if you already have a headache. Generally, coughing or moving your head shouldn’t independently cause a headache , If a person's head hurts when they cough, they likely have a primary or secondary cough headache. Learn about the differences, causes, symptoms, and treatments..