Good Health Myths

by Dr. Robert Swain

I always ask my patients if they have headaches. Most of the time they answer: nothing bad just the normal one or two a month. Or just one every couple of months.

First of all, any headache is not normal. Headache pain is a sign that something is just not right.

Headaches can be caused by many different factors. The most common headache is the "stress / tension" headache.

These headaches often feel like a tight band around your head, usually cause mild to moderate pain on both sides of the head, may be triggered by stress, neck strain, missed meals, depression, anxiety or lack of sleep, may occur occasionally or more than 15 days a month (chronic), and can last from 30 minutes to an entire week.

Are the headaches throbbing and severe?

Migraines affect three times more women than men and are often accompanied by nausea, vomiting, or increased sensitivity to light or sound.

They may affect only one side of your head and may include pain that worsens with routine activity. Untreated, they typically last from four to 72 hours.

Do your headaches recur for weeks at a time? Cluster headaches, which are rare, occur off and on for weeks at a time. At least one episode usually occurs at the same time of day or night.

During a cluster period, which can last for several months, you may experience one or more cluster headaches a day. These headaches, which occur more often in men than in women and more often in smokers:

• Typically begin quickly without warning and reach maximum intensity within minutes,

• Usually affect just one side of your head,

• May be accompanied by tearing or redness of the eye or a droopy eyelid on the affected side of the head and a runny or stuffy nose,

• Typically last from 15 minutes to three hours, and

• May cause a sense of agitation.

Do you have headaches nearly every day? Chronic daily headaches are headaches that occur 15 days or more a month. The term encompasses different types of headaches, characterized by their frequency and duration. The signs, symptoms and time frame vary depending on the type of headaches you have, and the pattern of signs and symptoms may change over time.

Next month I will discuss treatment options for headaches. You will be surprised at information I have on treatments for your headache. If you have been getting headaches and don’t want to wait another month or if you just would like more information about headaches please contact me at Morro Bay Chiro.

I make house calls for your convenience and would love to hear from you.