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Show The Daily Utah Wednesday, January 20, 1999 FOR DJO L A STUDENTS BY T S U Chronicle -- 11 EL DENT Head to Toe appears every other Wednesday. The column is written by the Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC), a group of students who volunteer with the Student Health Service and encourage health on campus. Today's column is written by Fatin Qutob (From American Council for Headache Education's website achenet.orgunderstand.htm). H IB 1 Headaches may be a painful barrier preventing study material from soaking in. Some rarely get headaches and other get many. One may wonder what types of headaches they are having and if they are of concern or not. I je a f , r," aii , I wtossaw ' J ' asses. Headaches may be a symptom of 300 medical conditions, but fortunately, most headaches are not associated with underlying illness, and are classified as primary headache disorders. There are four types of primary headache disorders. They are migraine, headaches are the tension, cluster and rebound headaches. Tension-typ- e most common, affecting upwards of 75 of all headache sufferers. They tend to be a steady aqhe instead of throbbing, and they affects both sides of (and migraine) headaches in response to stressful events or a hectic day. So try to ease up that schedule headaches may also be chronic, and relax once in awhile. Tension-typ- e occurring frequently or even everyday. Psychological factors have been the head. Some people get tension-typ- e i overemphasized as causes of headaches. Migraine headaches are less common, but as many as 6 of all men and up to 8 of all women (about 12 of the population as a whole) experience a migraine headache at some time. Migraines are felt on one side of the head and the pain is typically throbbing in nature. Nausea, with or without vomiting, as well as sensitivity to light and 1 J::f k I I :i sound, often accompany migraines. Sometimes an aura occurs before the head pain begins. An aura involves a disturbance in vision that may consist of brightly colored or blinking lights in a pattern that moves across the field of vision. Usually, migraine attacks are occasional. Sometimes they occur as often as one or twice a week, but not everyday. of the The third types of headaches, cluster headaches, are rare, affecting about - 85. X. I f M 1 Cluster headaches population. Most cluster headaches sufferers are male about come in groups or clusters lasting weeks or months. The pain is extremely severe, but the attack is brief, lasting no more than an hour or two. The pain centers around one eye which may be inflamed and watery. There may also be nasal congestion on the affected side of the face. These headaches may strike in the middle of the night, and often occur I li i,fa)(Wli I f Pho,o ETR Associates. Taking care of Headaches" I at about the same time each day during the course of a cluster. A history of heavy smoking and drinking is common, and alcohol often triggers attacks. The fourth type of headache is the rebound headache, which seems to be the result taking prescription or nonprescription pain relievers daily or almost everyday, contrary to directions on the package. If prescription or nonprescription pain relievers are overused, headaches may rebound as the last dose wears off, leading one to take more and more pills. Headaches usually have triggers. A good thing to do is keep a headache diary which will help you determine whether factors such as food, change in weather andor mood , w have any relationship to your headache pattern. Even though few headaches are signs of serious medical conditions, you should call your doctor if any of these conditions apply to you: You have three or more headaches per week You must take a pain reliever everyday or almost daily Your headache is accompanied by shortness of breath, fever, andor unexpected symptoms that affect your eyes, ears, nose or throat You are dizzy, unsteady, or have slurred speech, weakness, or changes in sensation (numbness andor tingling) in addition to your headache You experience convulsions or drowsiness with your headache Your headache keeps getting worse and won' t go away Your headaches have changed in character Laura Davenport, Medical Director at Student Health Service What are some of the ways headaches can be controlled without medications?! The most important way to control headaches that are recurrent, and aren't associated with an underlying medical condition is to prevent them from occurring in the first place. The first step in control of headaches is education of the type of headache an individual has, and identifying what triggers the headache. Many factors may influence the onset or severity of the headache. Physical factors, including such things as menses, certain medications, illness, physical activity, stress, sleep disturbances, bright lights, loud noises, certain smells, and high altitude can worsen or cause headaches. Dietary factors, including alcohol, chocolate, ripened cheeses, pickled foods, nuts, beans, caffeine, and artificial sweeteners can also worsen or cause headaches. It is important for patients to know when, where, and with what activities headaches occur, and how they can avoid used to decrease the frequency Persistent or severe vomiting accompanies your headache. FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT SHAC, By these triggers. Other non medication treatment for headache disorders may include counseling, techniques. If biofeedback, relaxation training, acupuncture, and movement medications arc needed to control headaches, these therapies can also be Your headache is triggered by exertion, coughing, bending, or sexual activity K WCR. of llE.AD-.T0E- . of medication use. AND THE STUDENT HEALTH SERVICE, CALL 581 .6431 J |
