Frequent Headaches

Posts Tagged ‘Frequent headaches’

What kind of Doctor should I see for Migraines? Primary Care Physicians

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

If you suffer from frequent headaches, then you need to see a doctor for migraines right away- You might have migraine headaches, or another form of chronic headaches. Knowing which kind of doctor to see for migraines depends on your migraine headache symptoms, and specific needs for migraine treatment.

What kind of Doctor should I see for Migraines?

Part I: Primary Care Physicians

Most chronic headache sufferers begin migraine headache treatment by visiting their primary care physician, or family doctor. This is because they have established a patient history with them, and because they feel comfortable visiting a doctor whose advice they already trust. If your primary care doctor is unable to treat you for migraine headaches, then he will refer you to a specialist.

Even if your family doctor has not received training in migraine illness, he does have a basic set of principles to refer to in diagnosing your condition. These 12 principles for migraine management in primary care are as follows:

Most headaches are benign, and can be treated by any competent physician.
By supplying a questionnaire, you can determine to what extent chronic headaches have affected the patient’s quality of life (daily activities, work, etc.). This information is crucial for diagnosing illness and prescribing treatment.
A physician-patient bond is necessary for providing migraine management.
Migraine management should be specific to the patient, and tailored to meet his/her needs. Patient should be able to manage migraine treatments self-sufficiently.
Physicians should routinely check up on their patient by reviewing a migraine diary in which the patient records migraine triggers, headache symptoms, foods eaten, and other relevant everyday headache information.

Schedule re-evaluation check-ups, with special attention given to frequency of migraine drug use, and relative success in providing migraine headache relief.
Migraine treatment should be adapted continuously to meet the changing needs of the migraine headache patient.
Urge patients to use prescribed acute migraine medications responsibly, as indicated.
Prescribe a pain reliever or other rescue treatment as a backup for when standard migraine treatments fail.
For patients who don’t respond well to migraine medications, or who suffer more than four migraine attacks in one month, prescribe preventative migraine medications, in addition to suggesting certain lifestyle changes that are conducive to better migraine management.
When prescribing preventative migraine treatments, take into account any comorbid conditions the patient might have.
Develop a healthy professional relationship with your patient based on trust, mutual agreement, and consideration for the patient’s lifestyle.

When is it time to switch headache doctors?

If you feel that your primary care physician is not meeting your needs, then it might be time to shop around for a doctor that specializes in the field of migraine headaches.

Parts II and III discuss headaches specialists and neurologists.

Read more about migraine treatment:

How to make your own Emergency Migraine Attack Survival Pack

Top 20 Simple Lifestyle Modifications to Prevent Migraines

Improve your Memory while taking Topamax for Migraines

20 Best Blog Sites for Migraine Information and Inspiration

Top 20 Websites for Migraine Headache Patients

35 Things you should never tell a Chronic Migraine Sufferer

Sources:

Which Doctors Provide Migraine Treatment?

Establishing principles for migraine management in primary care- PubMed NCBI

Image credits, from top:

Ambro, cohdra, photostock, scottchan

Tags: chronic headaches, constant headaches, Frequent headaches, headache relief, Headaches, Headaches everyday, Migraine, migraine headache treatment, migraine headaches, migraine medications, migraine relief, migraine symptoms, migraine treatment, Primary care physicians, what kind of doctor to see for migraines
Posted in Migraine Treatments | No Comments »

Migraine Aura and Hot Flashes- Treat that Hot Head ASAP

Monday, November 14th, 2011

Migraine aura can cause strange migraine headache symptoms like visual distortions, speech slurring, nausea…and hot flashes. With or without throbbing headaches, migraine with aura can be disconcerting. Learn about what causes migraines with aura, and how you can find headache relief.

Migraine headache symptoms

Migraine headaches strike millions of Americans, but overwhelming majorities of migraine sufferers are women, about three to one. Migraine symptoms include throbbing headaches on one side, in addition to other symptoms like sharp eye pain, neck and shoulder pain, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, extreme sensitivity to light, noise, and smells, and vertigo. Comorbid conditions of migraine illness are depression, chronic fatigue, anxiety, and sleep problems.
Also, read What are the Signs of Migraine Attack? 30 Migraine Symptoms

Migraine aura- with or without headache symptoms

A migraine aura happens about fifteen minutes before a migraine attack. Migraines with aura may or may not result in severe headache, but they are still migraines. Migraine aura symptoms include sudden distorted speech patterns (talking gibberish), distorted sense of spatial awareness, visual hallucinations, temporary partial blindness, olfactory hallucinations, temporary partial paralysis, muscular feebleness, loss of consciousness, dizziness, and nausea. Migraine aura symptoms are often confused with epileptic seizure or stroke.

Migraine auras separate from the migraine prodrome phase, which occurs a few days before a migraine attack. For more info on migraine phases, read The Four Phases of Migraine Headache Attacks

Hot flashes and migraine aura- studies confirm a link

Another migraine aura symptom that sometimes shocks many migraine patients is sudden hot flashes, similar to those experienced during menopause. Migraine “vasomotor” symptoms are hot face, including cheeks, nose, and ears, sweating from the face, and red, flushed cheeks. The vasomotor reaction to migraines is part of migraine aura.

In 2009, a German study focusing on vasomotor reactivity in migraine with aura found a higher incidence of vasomotor changes among migraine with aura (MA) patients than those who did not experience aura with their migraines.
In 2008, a study conducted by an Italian university focused on increased cerebral vasomotor reactivity and cerebral blood flow among migraine with aura patients. Scientists noted a significant alteration of cerebral autoregulation, including vasomotor reaction, among migraine with aura sufferers

What to do about migraine aura hot flashes:

Women, determine that your hot flashes are not menopausal, or perimenopausal. If your hot headedness is part of migraine aura symptoms, then your best bet is to respond immediately with migraine medication, in addition to natural migraine ingredients , such as magnesium, and butterbur, and riboflavin.

Read more about migraines with aura:

Go Ask Alice: Migraine Auras in Wonderland

Why do Migraines cause Nausea and Vomiting?

Sources:

Changes in functional vasomotor reactivity in migraine with aura- PubMed NCBI

Increased cerebral vasomotor reactivity in migraine with aura: an autoregulation disorder? A transcranial Doppler and near-infrared spectroscopy study- PubMed NCBI

Migraine with aura- Mayo Clinic

Photo credits, from top:

justDONQUE.images, cohdra

Tags: Causes of migraines, chronic headaches, Complex migraine symptoms, constant headaches, Frequent headaches, Headache back of head, headache causes, headache relief, Headaches everyday, Hot flashes, Migrain, Migraine, migraine aura, migraine headache, migraine headache symptoms, migraine headache treatment, migraine headaches, Migraine headaches symptoms, migraine medications, migraine relief, migraine treatment, migraine triggers, migraine with aura, migranes, Natural Headache Remedies, prodrome, severe headache, stress headaches, Throbbing headache, Vasomotor, What causes migraines
Posted in Migraine Headache Symptoms | No Comments »

Migraines and other Types of Headaches- How many are there? Part 3

Friday, November 11th, 2011

Not all chronic headaches are migraine headaches- many types of headaches require special care beyond Excedrin for migraine headaches. With cluster headaches, specific treatment is required in order to avoid suffering rebound headaches.

Even if you suspect your headaches are not symptoms of migraines, it is still crucial to see a doctor before attempting to treat your head pain. Taking the wrong type of pain medication could make your headache symptoms worse.

Parts 1 and 2 dealt with migraine headaches and other headache types, including sinus headaches, and tension headaches. Part 3 addresses cluster headaches and rebound headaches, including symptoms and treatment.

Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches are recurring headaches that come in a set, or “cluster.” Cluster headache periods may be sporadic- you might go weeks, months, or even years without suffering even one episode of cluster headaches. When they do strike, cluster headaches are excruciatingly painful and disabling. Cluster headache patients often describe them as “the worst headaches of their life.” One cluster headache phase can last for approximately one month.

Symptoms of cluster headaches are:

Sharp, burning pain on one side of the head
Pain that emanates from the temple or eye region on either side of the head
Pain that strikes suddenly and intensifies quickly in a few minutes’ time
Pain that happens at a consistent time of day
Puffy, reddened watery eyes
Droopy, sagging eyelid
Nasal congestion

Treatments for cluster headaches are:

Oxygen inhalation therapy
Triptan medications
Octreotide
Lidocaine
Ergotamine preparations
Preventative medications include anti-seizure drugs, corticosteroids (short-term), verapamil, and lithium.

Rebound headaches

If your first reaction to headache symptoms is to reach for a bottle of OTC analgesic pain relievers, then you increase your chances of becoming addicted and experiencing rebound headaches. Particularly at risk are headache sufferers who take more pills than recommended on the package label or by their physician. You might feel temporary pain relief, but the withdrawal symptoms you experience later will include recurring headache pain, creating a cycle of addiction that is difficult to break. Prolonged usage of analgesic pain relievers causes a neurological malfunction that interrupts pain signals in the brain.

Medications that cause rebound headaches are:

Aspirin
Acetaminophen
Sinus medicine
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs)
Sleeping pills
Prescription narcotics
Codeine
OTC pain relievers that contain caffeine
Ergotamine medications
Triptan medications for migraines, if taken more than twice per week

Treatments for rebound headaches include:

Quitting “cold turkey”
Weaning off medication through supervised detoxification in a hospital setting
For prevention of rebound headache, heeding package labels on medications, limiting OTC pain relievers to the smallest possible dose, and no more than twice in one week, unless advised otherwise by your physician

Sinus headaches

Your head contains cavities, sinuses, which constantly secrete watery mucus in order to clean out your nasal cavities. Your sinuses are in three locations- behind your forehead, your cheekbones, and your nose. When you are sick, you sometimes feel severe head pain in corresponding “hot spots.” This happens when your sinuses become swollen or irritated, preventing proper drainage of mucus from your nasal cavities.

Symptoms of sinus headaches are:

Strong head pain in the forehead, bridge of nose, or cheeks
Feeling of fullness in head, particularly the ears
Fever, indicating an infection
Runny nose
Swollen glands

Treatments for sinus headaches include:

Antibiotics (with signs of infection)
Antihistamines
Decongestants
Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers
Nose drops
Corticosteroids
Hot compresses
Natural alternative medicine (Read Sinus Headache Remedies from the Kitchen- Eat This, Not That)

Tension headaches

Tension headaches are caused by muscular constriction in the head, and are the most common type of headache. Still, if you suffer frequent tension headaches- about every other day for several months- then you might be experiencing chronic headaches that require medical attention.

Symptoms of tension headache are:

Painful pressure in the head and scalp
Sensation of having a tight band, or vise, wrapped around your head
Pain that spreads around the entire head, including the temples and scalp
Shoulder and neck pain

Tension headache triggers are:

Stress
Fatigue
Migraines
Prolonged sedentary activities
Sleeping in an awkward position
Alcohol usage, hangovers
Smoking
Caffeine withdrawal
Eye strain
Teeth grinding (bruxism) (Read Is it Migraine or TMJ Headache? Temporomandibular Disorder)

Treatments for tension headaches include:

OTC pain relievers
Massage, including face, scalp, neck, and shoulders
Hot or cold compress
Exercise, both aerobic and muscular strengthening workouts
Lifestyle changes, such as restrictive diet, increased sleep hours, quitting smoking or drinking
Stress management, including biofeedback, meditation, and yoga
Alternative medicine, including herbal supplements, acupuncture, and aromatherapy

Migraines- Could a headache by any other name be just as severe?

Millions of people suffer from excruciating symptoms of migraines, such as debilitating, severe headaches, extreme nausea and gagging, hypersensitivity to lights, noises, and scents, and unusual visual and olfactory hallucinations. But migraine sufferers aren’t alone in their frequent headache pain; other chronic headache patients experience everyday headaches that don’t classify as “migraine headaches.”

How long will my Migraine Headache Last? A Migraine Symptom Chart

What causes migraines?

It is unproven exactly what causes migraine attacks, but scientists understand that it has to do with blood vessel contractions, various fluctuations in the brain, and inherited brain defects. With migraine headaches, pain occurs on one side of the head, and is often so agonizing that sufferers are unable to work, drive a car, or do much of anything until the pain subsides, which could take anywhere from a couple of hours…to a couple of days.

What are the Signs of Migraine Attack? 30 Migraine Symptoms

How many types of migraines are there?

There are many kinds of migraine headaches, but most generally fall into two categories- migraines with aura, and migraines without aura. An aura is a phenomenon that occurs minutes before a migraine attacks. It serves as a 15-minute warning of an approaching migraine, but doesn’t allow much time to prepare. Occasionally, an aura may occur 24 hours in advance, but that much rarer.

4 Headaches that Require Emergency Intervention

What is a migraine aura?

Symptoms of migraine aura include visual hallucinations described as bright fairy lights, zigzag rainbow squiggles, sparkly “fireflies,” crescent-shaped glowing figures, tunnel vision, and voids- dark blind spots on the edge of one’s field of vision, sometimes causing temporary partial blindness. Other signs of a migraine aura are stroke-like in nature- muscular feebleness, sudden garbled speech behavior, loss of consciousness, and numbness or paralysis on one side of the body. It is important to note that migraines with auras don’t always lead to head pain.

Go Ask Alice: Migraine Auras in Wonderland

Migraine treatments- prescription and natural remedies

Currently, medications for migraine headaches include a variety of treatment types, sometimes prescribed in combinations. Migraine remedies include triptans, which halt an attack, abortive drugs that prevent migraine attacks, narcotic pain relievers, and anti-nausea medications. However, many of these prescription migraine drugs come with adverse side effects.

Improve your Memory while taking Topamax for Migraines

Natural ingredients and exercises for migraines include magnesium, butterbur herbs, riboflavin, acupuncture, aromatherapy, biofeedback, and exercises such as yoga and tai chi. These alternative approaches cause no side effects, and treat the body as a whole.

Read more about migraines and other types of headaches:

6 Migraine Myth-conceptions

Can Anxiety Attacks cause Migraines?

Relieve Your Headaches With Yoga: Try These Moves!

Sources:

5 Types of Headaches- Health.com

Headaches – different types of headaches – WebMD

Migraine: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia