4 minute read
what kind do you have?
Coffee, tea or Coffee, tea or headache? headache?
BY SHESHE GIDDENS
If you typically start your morning with a caramel macchiato or grab an iced café mocha in the afternoon, you may want to reconsider. Rituals like these can lead not only to your favorite coffee house but also to chronic headaches.
Almost everyone has an occasional headache. They can range from a mild ache or throbbing sensation to pain so severe that sufferers report that they feel like their head is going to explode.
The National Headache Foundation estimates that more than 45 million Americans have chronic, recurring headaches. Just the daily stress from trying to balance home and work or even diet can trigger one. Headaches have become such a fixture in our culture that now the word is commonly used to mean a problem.
Certain foods and external sources are known to trigger headaches in some people. Although caffeine, which is a stimulant, is thought to trigger headaches, it is not the caffeine itself but the withdrawal from it that is the trigger. In fact, caffeine is commonly found in many headache medications. Sources of caffeine include coffee, tea and chocolate.
Most of the time, sufferers find ways to cope. Many take over-thecounter medication or turn to triedand-true home remedies. But when none of these options work, it’s time to see a doctor.
“Patients should seek medical attention when they have their first or worst headache, and also if there is weakness, numbness, tingling or convulsions accompanying the headache,” said Dr. Howard S. Derman, a neurologist and director of the Headache Clinic at the Methodist Neurological Institute.
It is important to heed warning signs that indicate a more serious
SAMPLE WEEKLY HEADACHE DIARY
DAY OF WEEK SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY Dates Symptoms prior to onset of pain Time of pain onset Severity of worst pain (0 = no pain 10 = severe pain) Headache symptoms (nausea,throbbing,disability) Type of headache Time of treatment 1 (dose) Type of medication Dose Time of dose Time of treatment 2 (dose) Type of medication Dose Time of dose Time to headache relief Triggers (stress,caffeine,sleep deprivation,etc.)
condition, said Derman, an associate professor at Weill Medical College of Cornell University. Headaches that change in pattern, frequency and/or severity also should be brought to a doctor’s attention, he added.
“Patients have to ask themselves, ‘do my headaches interfere with my daily activities?’ If they do, then they need to see a doctor,” Methodist neurologist Dr. Greg McLauchlin said. “Patients assume that their headaches are caused by high blood pressure, eye strain or sinus disease, which are almost always not the cause.”
What kind is it?
Headaches differ in type, duration, symptoms, triggers and severity. And knowing which type of headache you have is the first step in effectively treating it. A migraine sufferer, for example, may see auras (flashing lights or zigzag lines) and/or experience nausea and debilitating pain.
Migraines tend to run in families and affect women more often than men. The cause is not clearly understood, but it is thought to be a result of the opening and narrowing of blood vessels and the release of certain chemicals that cause an imbalance of brain chemicals.
Often people with migraines are sensitive to light and noise and will seek out a dark, quiet room. Hormonal variations also play a role; and women with migraines will often experience headaches around their menstrual cycle.
A cluster headache — a variant of the migraine — occurs in cycles or clusters over a period of time and is more common in men. It usually comes on as a sudden, severe headache but like a migraine, only affects one side of the head. A tension headache is often triggered by stress and is the most common form of headache. It can last for less than an hour or as long as a week.
A person with a tension headache may experience pressure that feels like a vise is squeezing his or her head. Fortunately, even the most severe headache usually isn’t a harbinger of another underlying condition.
Recurrent migraines, tension or cluster headaches are known as primary headache disorders because these types are not caused by other medical conditions. According to the National Institutes of Health, the exact causes of these types of headaches are unknown. The majority of headaches fall into this category. And some people are able to successfully manage these headaches without consulting a physician.
On the other hand, secondary headaches can result from a wide range of conditions including sudden onset of severe high blood pressure, brain tumor, sinusitis, stroke, subdural hematomas or infections such as meningitis.
