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Headaches
Most of us have had a painful headache at some time in our lives.
They can range from regular migraines that keep people away from work to chronic daily headaches that can be induced by taking too many painkillers.听
In this week's Check Up, Barbara Myers will be putting your questions about the origins and treatments of headaches to Dr Andrew Dowson, Director of the Headache Service at Kings College, London.
There is no single cause for headaches and, while they are painful and annoying, the majority of headaches do not indicate that there is a serious problem.
The pain can be mild to severe in one or more parts of the head as well as the back of the neck. There are many different types of headache patterns and a variety of causes.
Tension headaches
A tension headache is the most common type of headache, and is found more often in men than in women.
Many people suffer from one or two tension headaches a month, but about 3% are chronic sufferers, and have one on most days.
Symptoms can include a constant ache, affecting both sides of the head with tightening of the neck muscles and a feeling of pressure behind the eyes.
The causes aren't clear, but triggers can include stress, emotional tension, poor posture, squinting to read, certain foods and changes to the weather.
Daily use of painkillers can also cause frequent headaches - the body becomes dependent on the medicine and a withdrawal headache may occur.
Cluster Headaches
Cluster headaches begin quickly and are one-sided, short-lived, excruciatingly painful.
The pain often disrupts sleep, causes the eye to become inflamed and the nose to be blocked on the affected side of the head.听
The attacks occur in clusters of one to three attacks a day, which usually go on for a few weeks or a couple of months.听 This is usually followed by a pain-free gap of months or years.
However, some people suffer from regular attacks without a long pain-free period.
It's not completely understood why cluster hedaches occur, but they can be triggered by alcohol, strong smells or extreme temperatures.
Cluster headaches don't respond to over-the-counter painkillers, but there are a number of treatments听available on prescription which can relieve symptoms or prevent an attack.听
Migraine
Migraines are different from tension or cluster headaches, and usually cause nausea in addition to a severe, one-sided, throbbing headache.听
Unlike tension headaches and cluster headaches, migraines affect more women than men, and often run in families.听
Migraine attacks usually last from a few hours to one or two days.
It's not clear what causes migraines, but they can be linked with alcohol, smoking, lack of sleep, menstrual periods or use of oral contraceptives. Some foods, such as chocolate, nuts and aged cheese, red wine, are also thought to trigger them.
If you have a question about headaches or migraine, please get in touch.听
Contact the programme:
Please contact the programme with your questions or comments on 08700-100-444 on the day of broadcast or e-mail using the Contact Check Up link.
Next week: Feet |
听30 min
