A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are rare. Most people with headaches can feel much better by making lifestyle changes, learning ways to relax, and sometimes by taking medicines.
Pain - head; Rebound headaches; Medication overuse headaches; Medicine overuse headaches
Common conditions include: Cluster Headache, New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH), Tension Headache
The most common type of headache is tension headache. It is likely caused by tight muscles in your shoulders, neck, scalp, and jaw. A tension headache:
A migraine headache involves pain that is throbbing, pounding, or pulsating, and is on one side of your head. It usually occurs with other symptoms, such as vision changes, sensitivity to sound or light, or nausea. With a migraine:
Rebound headaches are headaches that keep coming back. They often occur from overuse of pain medicines for other headaches like migraine or tension headaches. For this reason, these headaches are also called medicine overuse headaches. People who take pain medicine more than 3 days a week on a regular basis can develop this type of headache.
Other types of headaches:
In rare cases, a headache can be a sign of something more serious, such as:
There are things you can do to manage headaches at home, especially migraines or tension headaches. Try to treat the symptoms right away.
When migraine symptoms begin:
A headache diary can help you identify your headache triggers. When you get a headache, write down the following:
Review your diary with your health care provider to identify triggers or a pattern to your headaches. This can help you and your provider create a treatment plan. Knowing your triggers can help you avoid them.
Your provider may have already prescribed medicine to treat your type of headache. If so, take the medicine as instructed.
For tension headaches, try acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen. Talk to your provider if you are taking pain medicines 3 or more days a week.
Some headaches may be a sign of a more serious illness. Seek medical help right away for any of the following:
Your provider will take a medical history and will examine your head, eyes, ears, nose, throat, neck, and nervous system.
Your provider will ask many questions to learn about your headaches. Diagnosis is usually based on your history of symptoms.
Tests may include:
Vincent Martin is an Internal Medicine expert in Cincinnati, Ohio. Martin has been practicing medicine for over 39 years and is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Headache. He is also highly rated in 10 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Migraine, Headache, Cluster Headache, and Tension Headache. Martin is currently accepting new patients.
Peter Goadsby is a Neurologist in Los Agneles, California. Goadsby has been practicing medicine for over 38 years and is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Headache. He is also highly rated in 12 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Migraine, Headache, Cluster Headache, New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH), and Deep Brain Stimulation.
David Dodick is a Neurologist in Scottsdale, Arizona. Dodick has been practicing medicine for over 33 years and is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Headache. He is also highly rated in 14 other conditions, according to our data. His top areas of expertise are Migraine, Headache, Cluster Headache, Migraine with Brainstem Aura, and Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).
Summary: Migraine is a neurological disease characterized by moderate or severe headache, associated with nausea, vomiting, and/or sensitivity to light and sound (ICHD 2018). Migraine can be further categorized according to the frequency of attacks as episodic migraine (EM) or chronic migraine (CM). This study will assess the effects of BOTOX in preventing migraine in adult participants with EM. BOTOX is b...
Background: Gulf War illness (GWI) affects up to 210,000 U.S. veterans who served in the Middle East during the Gulf War in 1990-1991. Symptoms include fatigue, muscle and joint pain, forgetfulness, headaches, rashes, and sleep disturbances. Routine exams cannot determine the cause of GWI. Researchers need more information to understand this disease.
Published Date: November 09, 2021
Published By: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
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