Headache & Migraine

For 2 years, Jim suffered the excruciating pain of cluster headaches. Night after night he paced the floor, the pain driving him to constant motion. He was only 48 years old when the clusters forced him to quit his job as a systems analyst. One year later, his headaches are controlled. The credit for Jim's recovery belongs to the medical staff of a headache clinic. Physicians there applied the latest research findings on headache, and prescribed for Jim a combination of new drugs.

Migraine

A migraine is a very painful type of headache. People who get migraines often describe the pain as pulsing or throbbing in one area of the head. During migraines, people are very sensitive to light and sound. They may also become nauseated and vomit.

Migraine is three times more common in women than in men. Some people can tell when they are about to have a migraine because they see flashing lights or zigzag lines or they temporarily lose their vision.

National Headache Foundation
www.headaches.org

General Information
Migraines are not ‘extreme’ headaches. Many myths surround what a migraine is, or even the type of person who has migraines. Migraines are sometimes mislabeled cluster or sinus headaches (even though headache specialists indicate that sinus headaches are rare). . Migraine is not a ‘vascular’ headache either. Instead, there are very specific neurological processes which occur when a person experiences a migraine.

The National Headache Foundation's resource page contains links to informative materials about headache and migraine, including articles especially for women and children.

Just click the link bel

Follow the link below to Children's Headaches: An Informative Guide for Young Sufferers, Their Parents, and School Health Professionals, created by The National Headache Foundation.

Follow this link to a comprehensive page of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about Migraines and Headaches, from the National Headache Foundation.

This site also contains links to patient forms for improving headache treatment at hospital emergency rooms.

There are four types of headache: vascular, muscle contraction (tension), traction, and inflammatory. The most common type of vascular headache is migraine. Migraine headaches are usually characterized by severe pain on one or both sides of the head, an upset stomach, and, at times, disturbed vision. Women are more likely than men to have migraine headaches.

The number of active-duty soldiers in Iraq experiencing migraines is higher than in the general US population. That should not be a surprise, because migraines are linked to physical exhaustion, dehydration, abnormal meal patterns, exposure to fumes, extreme heat, and other factors common in battle zones.

There is evidence for a complex relationship between sexual activity and headache, particularly migraine. The current headache diagnostic criteria even distinguish between several types of primary headaches associated with sexual activity.

Indoor air quality in health care settings is under scrutiny by numerous environmental health and nursing organizations because patients, nurses and others have experienced health problems in those settings. Some individuals and groups of individuals are especially affected by fragrance exposure.

Infants and children with immature immune systems and elders with weakened immune systems are particularly susceptible to harmful chemicals. In addition, people with asthma, allergies, migraines, compromised immune systems, and those who have been chemically injured are particularly vulnerable.  Some patients are expressing frustration because their right to access health care is affected by toxic chemicals in health care environments. Sometimes they even have to choose between not getting health care and being exposed to harmful chemicals.