No matter who you are, where you live or what you do, you almost certainly experience at
least one headache a year - 95% of women and 90% of men do. It's one of the most common
reasons that people decide not to go to work.

Headaches may occur when you have some type of disorder: a hangover, a cold, kidney or
liver disease, medication, repetition, sinus trouble, dental problems, a head injury, brain tumor,
neurologic disorder, or difficulty with your vision.

Chronic primary headaches however, are a disease all their own. They are often triggered in
normally healthy people by stress, emotional factors, foods or odors, fumes in the environment,
menstrual periods or even a change in the weather. These types of headaches affect over 50
million people in the United States. If you suffer from headaches, Lynne Carr Columbus, D.O.
may suspect that your headaches are primary she will first rule out other possible causes.
You can help her by keeping a diary of when and under what conditions your headaches
begin, where you are and what you do to relieve them. Most people think there are only
2 types of headaches . . . the normal headache and the migraine. However, there are more
than just those 2 types.

Types of Headaches:

The first and most common type of headache is the tension headache. This is by far the
most common type of headache and affects 75% of all people with headaches. Odds are,
you've probably had one of these headaches in the last year. You will feel a steady pain,
usually in the back of the head and along the sides of the neck.

The migraine headache affects around 25 million Americans - roughly 18% of all women
and 6% of all men suffer from these painful headaches every year. Vulnerability to these
headaches is usually inherited, so if any member of your immediate family suffers from
migraine headaches, odds are you might as well. Most migraines cause an extremely
painful throbbing on one side of the head. These headaches can also cause nausea and
vomiting, as well as sensitivity to noise and light. Sufferers of migraines often seek out a
dark and quiet room during an attack. Just minutes before a migraine hits, your body often
sends a warning whose symptoms vary - flashing lights, trouble speaking or an awareness
that something is wrong. Most people however, don't experience this warning signal.

The cluster headache is more of a variant of a headache than a completely different type.
They're not nearly as common as the migraine and are usually found in men who smoke or
drink heavily. They are called cluster headaches because, after the first one starts, they
keep coming back for weeks and even months. Most of the attacks don't last more than
a few hours and are associated with severe pain in one eye which may water and become
inflamed. The nose is also usually stuffy as well. During a cluster, each headache tends
to strike at the same time of day as the last. More often than not, these headaches occur
during nighttime hours.

The final type of headache is known as the rebound headache. If you have any one of the
three types of headaches listed above, you might develop what is known as a rebound
headache. If you become dependent on painkillers for stopping those painful headaches,
the medication may interfere with your body's own mechanisms for controlling pain. As
soon as the first dose of medicine wears off, the headache comes roaring back and you
need more painkillers to make the headache go away. As the painkiller is withdrawn, the
body can't cope with this and the headache bounces back, demanding relief. Similarly,
rebound headaches may also occur secondary to caffeine withdrawal.

Most people don't call the doctor because of a headache, but a headache can indicate
some other serious disease that needs immediate attention. The American Council for
Headache Education lists the following warnings that should prompt you to give
Lynne Carr Columbus, D.O. a call:

• You have three or more headaches a week.
• You need to take something every day to relieve the pain.
• Fever or a stiff neck accompanies your headache - which can be a warning sign of infection (fever) or bleeding (stiff neck) within the brain.
• If along with your headache, you're unsteady on your feet, your speech becomes slurred and your legs or weak or numb contact a doctor immediately. All of these signs suggest stroke.
• If your headaches follow a head injury and you're confused and drowsy your brain may be bleeding, so contact a doctor immediately.
• You're over the age of 50.

Most tension headaches can be treated with over the counter painkillers. Some people prefer
acetaminophen which is found in Tylenol, while others prefer Advil and Nuprin which contain
ibuprofen. Be sure to contact your doctor if your taking any of these medications daily.

Migraine headaches usually don't respond to over the counter drugs as well as tension
headaches. The most effective drug is serotonin. Specific migraine drugs might also help
you in relieving your migraine headache. It is possible to prevent migraines from ever
happening. If you know a food you eat or wine you drink gives you migraine headaches,
cut them out of your diet. Try to eliminate anything that causes you to develop migraine
headaches. Serotonin should also be effective for those who suffer from cluster headaches.
However, if you do suffer from cluster headaches, stop drinking or smoking so these painful
headaches can rest!

Rebound headaches are much harder to treat, because even if you do take painkillers, the
headache comes right back after the dose wears off. If you feel you are suffering from
rebound headaches, please consult your doctor immediately so he can change your
medication or prescribe something that will help you. Nerve blocks such as trigger point
injections, occipital nerve blocks, and sphenopalatine ganglion blocks may also be helpful
to break an acute headache and help prevent future headaches. Botulinum toxin,
otherwise know as Botulinim, has also been found to be very helpful in easing the muscular
tension associated with headaches. Ask Lynne Carr Columbus, D.O. if these therapies may
help your headaches.