“I’m sorry. I can’t go with you. I have a headache.” If you or a loved one have uttered similar words, then you are not alone. The World Health Organizations reported that 50-75% of adults between the ages of 18 and 65 years had a headache in the last year. Among those patients, 30% or more reported having migraine headaches. Approximately 2-4% of the entire world’s adult population is affected with a headache on 15 or more days every month.
Did you know that there are hundreds of types of headaches? Many people are familiar with a couple of the common types of primary headaches: migraine and tension-type headaches. The term primary headache refers to the medical condition being the headache itself. Secondary headaches are headaches that occur due to another cause like sinus headaches, medication-overuse headaches, and post-traumatic headaches. It is important to seek medical evaluation and treatment for your headache, especially if you have a headache after head injury or any trauma, or if you have any of the following “red flags:”
The red flag symptoms (adapted from BASH, 2010):
1. Thunderclap headache (intense, exploding and hyperacute onset) |
2. New-onset headache in patients >50 or <10 |
3. Persistent morning headache with nausea |
4. New onset of headache in a patient with history of cancer |
5. New onset of headache in a patient with history of HIV infection |
6. Progressive headache, worsening over weeks |
7. Headaches associated with postural changes |
8. Aura symptoms that |
• Last longer than an hour |
• Include motor weakness |
• Are different from previous aura |
• Occur for the first time on using oral contraceptive pill British Association for the Study of Headache. Guidelines for all healthcare professionals in the diagnosis and management of migraine, tension-type headache, cluster headache, medication-overuse headache. 3rd edn (1st revision). www.bash.org.uk (2010, accessed June 2012) |
Unfortunately, some patients who suffer from headaches struggle with finding effective treatment or develop side effects from mainstream medications. Integrative medicine brings mainstream and complementary treatments together for a holistic patient approach to better treat and prevent headaches. The article below found that naturopathy, acupuncture, chiropractic manipulation, and massage may be an excellentoption to augment mainstream treatments for those with headache. If you or a loved one continue to suffer from headaches, consider talking with your health care provider to implement a complementary treatment regimen to better treat and prevent your headaches.
https://headachejournal.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/head.13555
Kuruvilla, Deena, MD; Wells, Rebecca Erwin, MD, MPH, FAHS. Evidence-Based Integrative Treatments for Headache. Headache. 2019 Jun;59(6):971-972.