To learn more, please visit the National Headache Foundation at, My Cleveland Clinic at and the American Migraine Foundation at. Headaches can be chronic, but with a healthy lifestyle and close medical follow-up, headaches can be tolerable and less frequent or severe. You should see your healthcare provider if your headaches worsen in frequency or severity, or if you experience new side effects from medications. You should call 911 or go to emergency room right away if you experience the “worst headache of my life,” or if you have any neurologic symptoms that you have never had before, such as difficulty speaking, acute vision changes, balance difficulty, confusion, seizures, positional changes that make the headache worse, fever with neck stiffness, numbness or tingling sensations, or if headaches wake you from sleep. Primary headaches have no confirmed causes, but secondary headaches can be due to underlying vascular abnormalities, such as arterial tears, blood clots, brain aneurysms or arteriovenous malformations and infections, such as sinus infections, meningitis, trauma, brain tumor and carbon monoxide poisoning.įurther testing includes brain scans and neurological exams. Some studies support the use of vitamin or herbal supplements, such as vitamin B2, feverfew, magnesium, vitamin B complex and butterbur.Īs always, it is important to consult with your healthcare provider before taking any medication, including herbal supplements. Treatment also includes managing stress, avoiding alcohol and caffeine, eating healthy meals, exercising, getting adequate sleep, reducing stress and avoiding food triggers.Īlternative therapies include cognitive behavioral therapy, acupuncture, biofeedback and massages.įor frequent migraines, medications can be prescribed to prevent headaches, such as anti-epilepsy medication or antidepressants. You can also place an ice pack or cool cloth on your forehead or neck and rest in a dark room. You can treat migraines by taking pain medication, anti-nausea medication and drinking a lot of water (or a small sports drink) at the onset of the headache. Keeping a calendar will help to track potential triggers. Some foods can trigger migraines, including: aged cheeses nuts peanut butter artificial sweeteners some fruits, such as bananas, citrus, figs and avocados chocolate monosodium glutamate (MSG) fermented foods sardines processed meats with nitrates and foods with tyramine. Many feel fatigue in the period following the headache for about a day.Ĭommon triggers for migraines include caffeine withdrawal, too much pain medication, weather changes, dehydration, flashing lights, sunlight, sleep deprivation, excessive sleep, hormonal changes, loud noises, low blood sugar from skipping meals, stress, perfumes and over-exertion. Headaches are often made better with sleep. More complicated migraines can have visual changes, tingling or weakness on one side of the body. The pain is usually moderate to severe, and headache can last anywhere from four hours to more than three days.Īssociated migraine symptoms can be light sensitivity, sound sensitivity, nausea or vomiting. Then, symptoms progress to a throbbing pain, often on one side of the head. The aura occurs about 30 to 60 minutes before the headache starts. Sometimes, people will have an aura or a sense that the migraine is coming, such as seeing a flashy light, or they may have changes in smell or taste. Migraines are believed to be caused by sudden changes in the body or environment leading to changes in brain activity and inflammation of blood vessels around the brain. Women have more migraines than men, and over 70 to 80% of migraine sufferers have a family history of migraines, per the National Institute of Neurology and Stroke. Migraines, the most severe type of headaches, affect up to 12% of the population, according to the Migraine Research Foundation. Associated symptoms include watery eyes, a stuffy nose or a droopy eyelid.Ĭluster headaches can be severe and usually peak after 15 minutes and last two hours. Cluster headaches can be treated with high flow Oxygen and sumatriptan nasally. Cluster: sudden and severe headachesĬluster headaches can suddenly appear as a burning pain on one side of the head. Tension headaches can be caused by anxiety, stress and depression, as well as alcohol, teeth grinding, caffeine withdrawal, eye strain, lack of sleep and staying in one position for too long. Pain is usually mild to moderate and can last anywhere from a half an hour to a week. Symptoms include a dull pressure on both sides of the head, or a band-like feeling around the head, and some muscle tightness in the neck or shoulders. Tension-type headaches make up 70 to 80% of all headaches.
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