Headaches
by
Carlos DeCarvahlo, MD
“This one is so bad, I never had one like that before”, or “Just a normal
headache,” or “I always had sinus headaches,” is the way neurologists and
physicians who treat people with headaches frequently hear their
complaints. Then there are the ones whose pain level rose to break the
camel’s back, so to speak: People frequently live and carry on with their
daily routines until the condition goes beyond annoying and becomes
disabling. Those are the “sick headaches.”
Sometimes the way headaches are described gives clues that the condition
is so frequent that it has become an expected, “normal” part of life.
Patients may engage in a day-to-day struggle apparently under the
impression that it is not appropriate to complain or even acknowledge
their headaches. Many do not realize that there are people who do not
suffer from headaches.
Often, over-the-counter remedies such as aspirin or Tylenol, Excedrin or
Advil will take care of the problem. For a small percentage of
individuals, though, treatment, without proper diagnosis, is ineffective.
They don’t realize that there are different kinds of headaches or that
just one type, migraines, may affect as many as 30 million people in this
country.
Fortunately, most headaches are not caused by really serious conditions
such as brain tumors, or meningitis, or an accident or injury. In some
instances, we may not be able to identify a cause but we do look at
factors such as genetics and family traits, environmental conditions, and
stress. The physician becomes concerned when the frequent use of the
over-the-counter medications produces an analgesic dependence.
Happily, modern research has provided us with more tools to diagnose and
treat headaches, including pills that dampen the number of relapses of
headaches, and more sophisticated painkillers, with fewer risks. It has
also validated other less-than-traditional (in the Western world)
treatment modalities such as acupuncture and relaxation therapies. The
next time a severe headache tempts you to reach for the usual painkiller,
consider calling your doctor instead. Properly diagnosed and treated,
headaches don’t have to be a normal part of your life.
Dr. DeCarvahlo is a
member of the Academy of Medicine of Toledo and Lucas County.
