If you’ve ever had a throbbing, piercing or dull pain in the head, you’ve most likely experienced a headache just like the rest of the population. However, you might not realize that a portion of the population has to deal with headaches every day, and that there are multiple kinds of headaches.
About three out of four people who get migraines are women. June is Migraine and Headache Awareness Month, so this is the perfect time for you to find out more about this neurological condition.
Dr. Mark Khorsandi, the head doctor at Migraine Relief Center in Texas, said in an email that a migraine is actually a specific type of headache, and is considered a neurological disorder. Generally pulsating pain is felt on one side of the head, and it can last anywhere from 2-72 hours.
Some migraine patients have aura symptoms, which can include sensitivity to light and certain scents, nausea, vomiting, tingling and numbness in legs or arms, and other issues, he said.
Other types of headaches include cluster and tension. Sometimes it can be difficult to figure out what is causing headaches, but Khorsandi believes that migraines are caused by nerve compression and inflammation.
Dr. Bardia Amirlak, an assistant professor and director of the Residency Cosmetic Clinic at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, added in an email that tension headaches are considered the most common type of headache. They are characterized by dull, mild pressure.
“Cluster headaches, which are less common than migraines or tension headaches, usually bring severe stabbing pain around the eye,” he added. “Secondary headaches are usually rare but caused by more serious problems such as aneurysms and brain tumor.”
Dr. Emily Rubenstein Engel, the associate director at Dalessio Headache Center at Scripps Clinic, said in an email that oftentimes migraines are underdiagnosed because doctors and patients incorrectly think that migraines can only be characterized by pain on one side of the head, along with vomiting and “flashing lights.”
“In fact, it does not need to have any of those features if it has others ... including nausea, severe headache, light or sound sensitivity,” she said.
Another common misdiagnosis is the sinus headache.
“Patients feel migraine in the sinus region because of activation of the trigeminal nerves, which are in the sinus location,” Rubenstein Engel said.
Medication can help reduce headaches, but lifestyle modifications can also help, such as diet changes, hormonal balancing and stress reduction. For example, when women are on their periods, there tends to be swelling and pressure in the brain due to hormonal surges, Khorsandi said.
Hormones contain lots of salt, so to avoid further swelling it is best to avoid salty foods, as well as foods with nitrate, sulfates and MSG, he said.
Rubenstein Engel added that some prescription medications and over-the-counter medications can actually cause rebound headaches in some cases.
Also, women need to make sure to keep a consistent overall daily routine to avoid triggers. This includes never starving yourself or skipping meals, drinking coffee on a regular schedule if applicable, and going to bed and waking up at the same time.
It’s also important to note that weather changes as well as wine can trigger headaches, she said.
In cases where medication and lifestyle changes don’t help, migraine sufferers have the option of trying Botox, migraine surgery and other holistic health treatments, Khorsandi said.
Although people suffering from headaches often go to a neurologist for treatment, there can also be a mental health impact as a result of chronic pain.
“Migraines can cause depression, anxiety, loss of interest and lack of sleep,” Khorsandi said.
Sometimes patients will be put on antidepressants to help prevent migraines, since the medication alters blood vessels in and around the scalp, leading to some relief from migraines.
Although headaches in general are unpleasant, Khorsandi suggested that migraines are the most severe.
“The associated symptoms can leave patients laid up in bed and in a quiet dark room for days,” he said. “These are patients whose quality of life is affected by their disease process. Frequency and duration of the migraines do have a significant impact on the level of debilitation.”
How do you cope with your headaches (migraine, cluster, tension, etc.)? Please share in the Comments section.
Sources:
American Headache Society Committee on Headache Education. Migraine Awareness Month. Web. June 11, 2014.
http://www.achenet.org/resources/migraine_awareness_month
American Headache and Migraine Association. Home. Awareness Month 2014. Web. June 11, 2014.
http://ahma.memberclicks.net
Migraine.com. June is Migraine & Headache Awareness Month! Web. June 11, 2014.
http://migraine.com/blog/june-is-migraine-headache-awareness-month
Migraine.com. Change Your Avatar for Migraine Awareness! Web. June 11, 2014.
http://migraine.com/blog/change-avatar-migraine-awareness
Womenshealth.gov. Migraine fact sheet. Web. June 11, 2014.
http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/migraine.html
Khorsandi, Mark. Email interview. June 11, 2014.
http://www.themigrainereliefcenter.com/meet-our-doctors
Amirlak, Bardia. Email interview. June 11, 2014.
http://profiles.utsouthwestern.edu/profile/121998/bardia-amirlak-biography.html
Rubenstein Engel, Emily. Email interview. June 11, 2014.
http://www.scripps.org/physicians/4014-emily-rubenstein-engel-md
Reviewed June 12, 2014
by Michele Blacksberg RN
Edited by Jody Smith