If there's one medical experience most of us have in common, it's the headache. More than 45 million Americans have headaches so severe they cannot perform simple tasks, or participate in school, family and social activities, reports the National Headache Foundation. Often, the remedy is as simple as a good night's sleep. "Proper sleep hygiene is crucial," says internist Thomas Lansdale, MD, Chairman, Department of Medicine at GBMC. "Headaches are frequently aggravated by sleep disruption and, a common cause of sleep disruption is alcohol consumption." In other words, skip that nightcap. Ditto for the large meals and exercise before bed. "When you improve your sleeping pattern, you are less likely to have headaches," emphasizes Dr. Lansdale. Of course, even in the best of circumstances, headaches happen. The painful migraine is often preceded by an aura, characterized by spots, flashes of light, aheightened sense of smell or a strange feeling. A severe type of migraine is a cluster headache, usually characterized by cyclical excruciating pain around one eye or temple. Stress or tension headaches are not preceded by aura, and are usually less severe than migraines. Migraine triggers include flickering lights; weather changes; foods, such as chocolate, nuts and cheese; hormones, such as those caused by the menstrual cycle or oral contraceptives; or stress, caused by a cold or sinus infection. Unfortunately, tension headache causes are not as well understood. Migraines seem to run in families, whereas tension headaches afflict nearly everyone at some point in their life. Dr. Lansdale suggests relief with an anti-inflammatory medicine, such as ibuprofen, to lessen pain. For unresponsive migraine headaches, he prescribes one of the newer, effective triptan or ergotamine class of medications.
Beware of too much medication, which may lead to the rebound headache, when medications stop working and cause pain. When the cause of a recurring headache is a mystery, physicians suggest a headache diary to pinpoint circumstances leading to the pain. Headaches do not have to control your life. "One of the best places to find help for a headache is your family physician," advises Dr. Lansdale. "All of them have experience treating patients with headaches." Need a physician or specialist to help you diagnose your headaches? Consult GBMC's list of internists and family physicians: Call 443-849-GBMC and ask the service representative for a list of primary care providers or click on "The Source" and type in "Internal Medicine," "Family Practice," or "Neurology" for a list of physicians. For more information about headaches, call your family physician or visit: "Greater Information" or |
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