Family Doctor 2007 - (Page 127) common conditions HEADACHES Taking the ache out of headaches SENSE IT MAKES Occasionally, a headache might signal something more serious. Seek medical help right away for a headache that: ■ Is sudden and very severe. ■ Persists and keeps getting worse. ■ Occurs several times a week. ■ Comes with a convulsion. ■ Is accompanied by confusion, dizziness or drowsiness. ■ Comes with slurred speech, weakness or numbness. ■ Follows a blow to the head. ■ Occurs with eye or ear pain. ■ Is accompanied by fever and/or a stiff neck. ■ Is accompanied by vomiting. Is the pounding in your head spoiling your evening or sending you into a darkened room for days? You’re not alone. More than 45 million Americans suffer from recurring headaches. But with proper diagnosis and treatment, you can tame the pain. It just takes a little detective work. By Roberta Friedman, Ph.D. quick look at common types. If you’re a woman, pay attention. You’re at higher risk. Not always just tension Most of us know about tension-type headaches. It’s that “band” or “vise-like” tightening all over the head that can also produce soreness in the temples or a stiffening of neck muscles. Since 8 out of 10 headaches fall into this category, chances are the pain you’re feeling is one of them. Most tension-type headaches are temporary occurrences tied to stress or fatigue associated with tension. They can be zapped with over-the-counter pain medicine. But chronic headaches — those that occur often and last days — may require stronger prescription painkillers or other medications. In this case, the term “tension-type” can be a misnomer since other physical and psychological problems may be at play. So treatment needs to include addressing the underlying issues. properly? By getting the right diagnosis and learning more about what’s really causing the pounding inside your head. Here’s a H eadaches come in several varieties — some that respond to a simple aspirin and others that require daily medication. How can you make sure you’re treating your pain familydoctor 2007 127
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.