Every day, there are millions of people who begin their day struggling with distressing symptoms from either painful headaches or agonizing migraines. The National Headache Foundation says women are three times more likely to suffer from migraines than men. Often, people dismiss headaches as emotional responses to stress or define a migraine as a horrific headache with disturbing side effects like vomiting and light sensitivity. The reality is that headaches and migraines are specific biological disorders that involve complex signs which affect many systems of the body.
A headache is described as a pain located above the eyes, around the head, and sometimes affecting the back of the neck as well. Headaches are caused by a variety of triggers (activities or events that precipitate the onset of head pain). A limited list of triggers includes stress, foods, injury or trauma, dental problems, exposure to unusual altitudes or temperatures, high blood pressure, fever, medication and infections. Headaches do have a multiple list of categories in the medical field, as do migraines, but a headache is limited to usually only a few hours duration with less intensity or involvement of other body systems. Migraines on the other hand, are a whole new breed of “ache.”
Migraines are defined as intermittent attacks of symptoms of a headache, often recurring at intervals in a specific manner, such as one-sided or associated with an aura. An aura happens before one feels the sensation of the headache, like a forecast of the headache to come and usually is a form of visual disturbance like seeing spots or colors or wavy lines in front of your vision. Once the migraine begins other defining characteristics become apparent such as nausea and vomiting, light or sound sensitivity, a pulsating or throbbing quality, worsens with exertion and usually lasts between a few hours to a few days. It often causes the sufferer to not be able to perform typical daily activities either due to the pain, or due to the effects of the associated symptoms. Migraines are disabling to one’s livelihood and often disrupt one’s family life because of their episodic, recurring nature.
The best way to diagnose a headache or migraine is to spend time being evaluated by a provider who has knowledge about these disorders and the most up-to-date available treatment. The victim of a headache or migraine will help facilitate a diagnosis about the type of headache by keeping a diary of the activities before and during symptoms and what things made the headache better or worse along the way. Talking with one’s health provider about relevant information such as family history of headaches, home care that did or didn’t work, or recent stressors that could have triggered the event will aid in a clear diagnosis. An exam of the head and body may be necessary to verify that there are no other medical concerns that might be a factor for the symptoms being experienced. Sometimes lab work or other diagnostic tests will be needed to make sure no other body deficiencies are of concern.
Treatment of a headache or migraine is multifaceted, and often individualized. The treatments can be as simple as resting in a dark room, to as complicated as taking daily preventative medication, and regularly seeking invasive treatments for relief of associated problems like vomiting as well as the source pain. This will require patience and persistence to formulate a plan that works for the headache sufferer consistently to prevent or relieve their symptoms. Focus on knowing as much as possible to prevent and manage your symptoms during a headache or migraine; you will enhance your quality of life and oh, what a relief it will be.
