How you treat your headachedepends on where the pain is coming from.
Tension
How it feels: A steady ache, pressure ortightness in a band around the head or neck. Pain on both sides.
Who gets it: Roughly 78 percent of adultshave a tension-type headache at some point. Most headaches aretension-type.
Causes: Tense muscles in the shoulders,neck, scalp and jaw; anxiety or depression; biochemical fluctuations inthe brain; overuse of pain medications.
Treatment: For daily headaches, a doctorcan prescribe tricyclic antidepressants, anti-seizure drugs orbeta-blockers to prevent attacks. Intermittent headaches respond toover-the-counter pain relievers and lifestyle adjustments. "You have tolisten to your body and not ignore the signals, what is setting offthis headache," said Dr. Daniel Hurley, a physiatrist.
Migraine
How it feels: Throbbing pain, usually onone side of the head, often with sensitivity to light and sound. Somepeople vomit. About 30 percent have an aura, a set of neurologicalsymptoms including visual disturbances.
Who gets it: About 13 percent of Americanssuffer migraines. Afflicts three times more women than men.
Causes: Imbalances in brain chemicalsaffecting nerves in the brain; blood vessels that dilate and becomeinflamed.
Treatment: Avoid triggers like certainfoods, stress or odors. Prescription triptans can reverse a migraine iftaken early. Other drugs include beta-blockers, calcium-channelblockers, antidepressants or anti-seizure drugs. Doctors areexperimenting with Botox. "It is effective in some people with dailyheadaches, but the studies have not been 100 percent," said headachespecialist Dr. Seymour Diamond. SinusHow it feels: Dull pain over the foreheador face, often on both sides. Who gets it: Fewer than you'd think. "A lotof things are called sinus headaches that are not sinus headaches,"said Dr. Seymour Diamond. "It usually is migraine or tension headache."Causes: Pressure changes caused by a sinusinfection; a narrowed or blocked sinus opening. Treatment: Antibiotics can clear a sinusinfection. Surgery can open a blocked sinus. ClusterHow it feels: Intense, stabbing painusually behind one eye, lasting one to four hours and recurring in acyclical pattern. It may involve tearing of the eye and a stuffy nose. Who gets it: About 90 percent of sufferersare male. Causes: May be related to abnormal levelsof hormones released by the hypothalamus; smoking and alcohol cantrigger an attack. Treatment: Over-the-counter, oralpainkillers take too long to work. Oxygen therapy and drugs used formigraines, including triptans, can help.
CervicogenicHow it feels: Mimics a migraine or tensionheadache, often with pain around the eyes or face. Who gets it: People with neck or shouldertension, whiplash or other injuries, or degenerative disease. "I thinkit's underreported," said Dr. Daniel Hurleys. Causes: Chronic tension; injury; discdisease; arthritis or spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spine thatpresses on nerves. Treatment: Anti-inflammatory injections,muscle relaxants and painkillers. A doctor may also recommend physicaltherapy or chiropractic manipulation. Surgery can be an option. OrganicHow it feels: The "worst" headache you'veever had; headache pattern that is different than normal; headacheassociated with neurological symptoms like loss of consciousness orconfusion. Who gets it: These headaches are lesscommon than primary headaches. Causes: Tumors, infection, high bloodpressure, blood clots, aneurysm, diseases of the brain, eye, ear ornose. Treatment: A physician will treat theunderlying condition causing headache symptoms. Sources: Dr. Seymour Diamond is founder of theDiamond Headache Clinic in Chicago and executive chairman of theNational Headache Foundation. Dr. Daniel Hurley is a specialist inphysical medicine and rehabilitation at the Chicago Institute ofNeurosurgery and Neuroresearch. Susan Stevens can be reached at sstevens@dailyherald.com.Source: Daily Herald;Arlington Heights, Ill. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning.Powered by YellowBrix.
