For the 45 million Americans who suffer from chronic headaches, life can come to a screeching halt for hours, days or even months at a time. These episodes can make functioning at a normal level impossible, prompting sufferers to miss out on work, social engagements and everyday responsibilities. But living in the dark isn’t inevitable.

“Headaches don’t have to control your life,” says Donald Lussky, MD, a neurologist with Adventist GlenOaks Hospital. “We have very effective treatments available. The first step is just walking through your doctor’s door.”

Understanding headaches
According to the National Headache Foundation, four million doctor visits per year are due to headaches. Most people have one of three types – tension headaches, migraines or cluster headaches.

Tension headaches are the most common; nearly 80 percent of the adult population suffers from them occasionally. It feels like a tightening on both sides of the head or general pressure discomfort. Oftentimes people will have tension in their neck and shoulders and because those muscles are connected to the scalp, those muscles then contract and cause a headache. Common triggers include:

• Stress
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Fatigue
• Hunger
• Overexertion
• Poor posture

Migraine headaches are more severe than tension headaches, occurring in about 10 percent of the population (15 percent of women and 5 percent of men). “Women experience migraines more often because of estrogen withdrawal during their menstrual cycles,” Dr. Lussky says.

People with migraines experience a throbbing-like pain, usually only on one side of the head, nausea, blurred vision and sensitivity to light and sound. Although they can last from 30 minutes to a few days, the average migraine lasts six to eight hours. For those who’ve never experienced a migraine, words can’t describe how debilitating they are.

Cluster headaches involve a throbbing, sharp pain, usually around the eye, accompanied by excessive tearing or a stuffy nose. People will experience headaches regularly for weeks or months alternating between pain-free episodes. Doctors believe cluster headaches are related to the fluctuation of serotonin and histamine levels and can be triggered by:

• Smoking
• Bright lights
• High altitudes
• Heat
• Exertion

Finding relief from headaches
Dr. Lussky recommends seeking treatment if headaches start to interfere with your life. Cluster headaches, migraines and tension headaches tend to run in families so knowing your family history of headaches can help your doctor diagnose you, as can bringing the following information to your doctor:

• How your headaches are triggered
• The location and frequency of your headaches
• The duration of your headaches
• What, if anything, makes them go away

It’s also important to tell your doctor if you’re experiencing anything out of the ordinary. Dr. Lussky states that if you have a fever, weakness, numbness, double vision or if your headache becomes severe, frequent or awakens you from sleep, seek medical attention right away.

Treatment
Once a headache is diagnosed, a doctor may recommend the following treatments:

Tension headaches are treated with over-the-counter anti-inflammatory pain medications, such as ibuprofen and muscle relaxants. To prevent tension headaches, Dr. Lussky recommends managing stress, starting an exercise program and considering biofeedback – an alternative medicine technique for relaxation.

Migraines are treated with over-the-counter medications and prescription drugs. “Triptans (serotonin receptor agonists) are one of the most effective treatments because 80 percent of the time, the headache will completely resolve,” says Dr. Lussky. Triptans narrow the blood vessels in the brain, which helps resolve the symptoms of a migraine.

To help prevent migraines, doctors are prescribing beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, topamax^®  and depakote.^®

Cluster headaches can’t be cured, but the goal of treatment is to relieve symptoms. Treatment includes avoiding triggers, triptans, anti-inflammatory and other preventive medications. Work with your doctor to find the combination that offers the greatest relief.

At Adventist GlenOaks Hospital, patients receive care from a dedicated team of neurologists, some of whom have been practicing for more than 30 years. “The idea that headaches are something you need to live with is a thing of the past,” says Dr. Lussky.

For more information or to find a physician, call us at 866-533-7968.