Patient advocate: Mild or severe, headaches are just that
It’s safe to say that pretty much everyone has experienced a headache at one time or another. A study in Denmark showed a lifetime prevalence in men of 93%, and for women it was 99%.
After all, your head has a lot going on: thinking, breathing, hearing, seeing. And it balances on top of the spinal column, which allows us to walk upright, but may create issues with the seven vertebrae that support it.
For most people, headaches are a minor annoyance, which can be addressed with a bit of over-the-counter pain reliever and maybe a nap. For some people, however, they are debilitating.
According to Harvard Medical School, there are some 300 kinds of headaches, and causes are known for only about 10% of them. If you work too hard in the yard on a hot day, you may get a heat-related headache. If you’re stressed at work, you may get a tension headache. If your sinuses are infected, you’ll likely get a sinus headache. Hormonal fluctuation during menstruation can bring on a headache. And let’s not forget hangover headaches.
Children are affected by headaches just like adults. Their symptoms may not be as severe or last as long, but it’s still good to listen to them when they say, “Mommy, my head hurts.”
When does a headache become debilitating, and when should you seek medical advice and treatment?
Migraine
These painful headaches derive their name from the Latin term hemicrania, meaning “half-head” because most migraines are felt on one side of the head. Somewhere between 10% and 15% of the adult population experiences migraines, and they also afflict about 1% of adolescents.
People who have never had a migraine can’t really appreciate the intensity of pain. It can make sufferers sensitive to light and cause nausea and vomiting. It can last for hours or days, and the pain may interfere with daily activities.
The reasons for migraines remain something of a mystery. It appears to be some combination of genetic predisposition and environmental factors aggravated by alcohol, hormones, stress, medications and even changes in the weather. You’re seeing a lot of commercials for medications that prevent or treat migraines because it’s a competitive market with a lot of potential customers: some 40 to 50 million in the U.S. alone.
If you experience a headache that seems to be a migraine, especially if it lasts longer than 72 hours, you should tell your health care provider. It’s helpful to keep a journal of the progression of the headache: where it hurts, what preceded it (sometimes an aura), what you had been eating or drinking, what the weather was, what time of day it was, what particular stresses you were feeling, and how long the headache lasted. These factors will help your doctor diagnose your headache and offer treatment.
The incidence of migraine decreases a lot after menopause, but both women and men seem to experience fewer migraines as they age.
When to worry about a headache
Most headaches go away within a few hours or a day. But some are signs or precursors of serious conditions, including stroke, meningitis, concussion, extreme high blood pressure and aneurysm. Harvard Health says to seek treatment for these:
- Headaches that first develop after age 50;
- A major change in the pattern of your headaches;
- An unusually severe headache;
- Pain that increases with coughing or movement;
- Headaches that get steadily worse;
- Changes in personality or mental function;
- Headaches accompanied by fever, stiff neck, confusion, decreased alertness or memory, or neurological symptoms such as visual disturbances, slurred speech, weakness, numbness, or seizures;
- Headaches accompanied by a painful red eye;
- Headaches accompanied by pain and tenderness near the temples;
- Headaches after a blow to the head;
- Headaches that come on abruptly, especially if they wake you up;
- Headaches in patients with cancer or impaired immune systems.
A word of caution: Yes, take aspirin, ibuprofen or acetaminophen to treat a minor headache (caffeine can help, too), but don’t use them for too long. Overuse of ibuprofen (Motrin) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) is known to cause liver damage.
Finally, if your spouse or partner is a chronic headache sufferer, respect their need for a calming environment and rest. As migraine sufferer Lady Gaga once said, “People need to be more compassionate. Chronic pain is no joke. And it's every day waking up not knowing how you’re going to feel.”
• Teri (Dreher) Frykenberg, a registered nurse, board-certified patient advocate, is the founder of www.NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com, which trains medical professionals to become successful private patient advocates. She is the author of “How to Be a Healthcare Advocate for Yourself & Your Loved Ones,” available on Amazon. Frykenberg offers a free phone consultation to readers. Contact her at Teri@NurseAdvocateEntrepreneur.com.