Headache is a universal symptom and we all know how annoying it is. But what if the headaches are frequent and intense, accompanied by other symptoms (such as discomfort from light, tendency to vomit) and lead to the regular, reckless use and abuse of painkillers? This happens in at least 15% of the general population! So, in Greece it is estimated that at least 1,000,000 people suffer from some form of primary headache (the scientific term for headache). The two most common types of headache are migraine and tension headache. Large epidemiological studies have shown that migraine in particular is a condition that "hits" about 12% of women in developed countries.

The two most common headaches.

But what are its characteristics? migraine;

• Severe pain in half of the skull and behind the eye (hammer-like or exploding) accompanied by nausea and/or vomiting
• Discomfort with light and/or noise
• Duration of pain a few hours to 3 days.
• Correlation with period (menstruation) in women
• It can be caused by drinking alcohol (especially red wine) or by other foods or smells or simply by changes in the weather

What are its characteristics? tension headache:

• Pain in the whole head and perhaps also in the neck which tightens ("like a vise") the temples.
• Heavy on the eyes, but without discomfort to light and noise
• There is no nausea or vomiting

Women, who suffer more often from migraines, cannot enjoy even simple events (e.g. swimming in the sea because of the sun), have a melancholy mood and low self-esteem and a generally reduced quality of life. They always carry painkillers in their bags for this reason. But the more painkillers they take, the more they hurt. Many times they feel that the people close to them do not understand them: "aman, you're in pain again?", "take a painkiller", "it's all in your mind» are misplaced expressions that hear…

When should we see our headache specialist?

Around the world there are neurologists who have specialized in dealing with headaches and migraines. You should seek help from a specialist in cases:

• Appearance for the first time of a strong headache especially at the age of more than 50 years
• Frequent headaches (more than 4 days per month)
• When taking headache painkillers is common, even if they help.
• When the headache is accompanied by another symptom (e.g. severe numbness in the hands, unsteadiness when walking, etc.)
• In any case, the headache clearly affects the patient's quality of life

Treatments for headache and migraine.

The wrong treatment of the headache and the lack of monitoring by a specialist often lead the patient to completely wrong medicinal manipulations. Each failure leads to despair and the "belief" that there is no salvation for his condition. However, things are not like that and science today has quite effective drugs both for the treatment of migraine, e.g. at the time of pain, as well as for its prevention. Preventive migraine medications, or other non-pharmacological agents used (eg, neurostimulants), reduce both the frequency and pain intensity of migraine attacks. Especially for patients suffering from excruciating chronic migraine, the only appropriate treatment is the injection of botulinum toxin type A (the well-known Botox) with excellent results in 60% patients. Also, soon the pharmaceutical quiver of neurologists will have new, specially designed drugs (monoclonal antibodies) that will make migraine prevention even more effective. The competent agencies in the USA and the EU have already given a positive opinion on the first of them.

For migraine sufferers who would prefer to take non-drug treatments there are herbal preparations and/or vitamin combinations that are effective in some patients. But be careful because they are of course with minimal side effects, but monitoring is required in some of them, e.g. of liver function.

Patient associations

An important development is that since the end of 2017, an Association of Migraine and Headache Patients of Greece has been created. Similar patient associations have existed in Europe for years. The goals of the Hellenic Association move along 3 axes: first, to raise awareness of the wider public opinion (but also of the structures of the state and insurance funds) around the issue of headaches. Then in the information and socialization of the patients themselves. And finally to the promotion of research. The details of the club can be found at the end of the article.

Simple headache tips.

So if you suffer from frequent headaches some simple instructions for things you can do until you see a specialist:

• Keep a headache diary, where you will record the days of the pain, the intensity and the medicines you took.
• Proper healthy diet, good hydration, enough sleep.
• Three times a week gym/physical activity.
• Find foods or drinks that trigger migraines and avoid them.
• Avoid abusing painkillers.