This helps very well with headaches

What works best for headaches

05/28/2014

Millions of people in Germany suffer from headaches. The causes are often harmless, but can also be signs of a serious illness. The treatment methods for the different types of headache differ from each other.

200 to 360 types of headaches
Millions of Germans suffer from headaches every now and then. Then it thumps, roars or stings in the head. It is estimated that there are between 200 and 360 types of headache, with physicians distinguishing between primary headaches underlying no other disease and secondary ones resulting from a disease such as sinusitis or a tumor. Tension headaches and migraines are the most common. About 90 percent of headache patients suffer from these primary headache types. Prof. Hartmut Göbel of the Pain Clinic Kiel thinks that self-medication is quite responsible for an occasional tension-type headache.

Beware of side effects
However, if symptoms occur, such as a stiff neck, fever, chills, paralysis, speech problems, dizziness, and persistent headache, care should be taken. Patients should consult a doctor immediately in these cases. And even those who develop strong as well as never before experienced headaches, must see a doctor, as stressed by Susann Seddigh of the DRK Pain Center Mainz. In addition to the medical examinations, it could be helpful to keep a headache diary, as Stefanie Förderreuther of the German Migraine and Headache Society announced. If the severity and duration of the headache, symptoms and concomitants, as well as possible triggers, were recorded for a prolonged period of time, these records could provide information on when which headache occurs and which therapy may be appropriate. Circumstances that can be painful, for example, are too little exercise, stress, lack of sleep or irregular eating and drinking. Patients who use painkillers over and over again can contribute to a new type of headache, the so-called drug-induced headache, as a result of using too much medication. In some cases, home remedies for headaches can make for relief, it depends on what kind of pain.

Tension headache in first place
The number one headache type is tension headache, often associated with neck tension. According to Seddigh, mild to moderate pain is dull and oppressive. He could last for days, but better often in the fresh air. There are no concomitant symptoms and the patients could, despite the pain, usually do well in their daily activities. Pain-relieving agents such as aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen may help with an acute onset of tension-type headache. Peppermint oil is also effective, as Göbel explained. It is applied externally on forehead, temples and neck. The expert also recommends to provide preventive for a mental and muscular relaxation. A sports therapy could also have a positive effect.

Migraine affects women more often than men
Migraine attacks are in contrast to tension headaches well associated with side effects such as nausea and vomiting and sensitivity to light and noise. In migraine, the throbbing, pulsating pain becomes worse during exercise and a normal daily routine often impossible. Women are more affected than men. According to funding sources, about seven percent of the male population and twelve to 14 percent of women suffer from migraine attacks. The neurologist explained that treatment should distinguish between preventive measures and therapy for the attack.

Endurance sports and relaxation techniques for prevention
To combat the attack painkillers should be taken in conjunction with drugs for nausea, it being crucial to start taking early and to choose a sufficiently high dosage, such as in tension-type headache. Förderreuther recommends that you first take the medication for nausea, because then the painkillers showed a better effect. She also advises against regular endurance sports as well as learning relaxation techniques, such as autogenic training. In individual cases, a behavioral therapy help to reduce stress. The disease can also by a prophylactic drug administration over a limited period „calmed down“ become. This is recommended if migraine attacks occur more than three times a month, last long, and do not respond well to acute therapy. Migraines should always be medically clarified.

Drug-induced headache
A drug-induced headache may be present if the previously known pain attacks suddenly take longer or even become permanent and more and more drugs are needed to relieve the pain. Then the transition to the doctor is essential. According to Göbel, exceeding the 10-20 rule is an indication of this headache type. It states that painkillers are taken less than ten days a month and no headache medicines should be taken for at least 20 days a month. The only sustainable effective strategy is to take a break in medication, but a so-called recoil headache can occur, which affects the patients very much, as Göbel explained. Therefore, concomitant medication and, in the case of severe cases, inpatient treatment is advisable. (Sb)