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Effective
Treatments for Chronic Headaches
The headache is one of the most common complaints
encountered by physicians of all specialties. Headaches are a
complaint in more than half of all physician visits. Five to ten
percent of young adults report missing at least a part of a day's work as
a result of headaches.
Shaukat
Chowdhari, M.D. states that the two most common types of
headaches are: (1) Tension-type headaches and (2) Vascular-type headaches.
Seventy-five percent of all headaches are
tension-type and occipital headaches, which are caused by a tightening of
the muscles in the back of the neck and the scalp. This tightening
of the muscles decreases the blood flow to the head, and irritates the
pain fibers in the skin, muscles and walls of the vessels.
Tension-type headaches produce a steady constant pain on both sides of the
head which can last anywhere from several hours to several days, or even
months. If these headaches occur regularly over a period of years
they are considered to be chronic. These types of headaches can
commonly be triggered by muscle strain, stress, fatigue, specific foods,
menstruation, depression, anxiety or medications.
"Vascular headaches are caused by dilation of
the blood vessels in the head and are characterized by throbbing or
pounding , usually on one side of the head. The most common vascular
headaches are migraines and are cluster headaches," says Dr.
Chowdhari.
Twelve percent of the population suffers from
migraine headaches and heredity plays factor in more than 70% of all
migraines. Migraine sufferers also experience nausea, extreme
sensitivity to light and noise, and sometimes dizziness or
lightheadedness. Migraine headaches can be triggered by diet,
skipping meals, alcohol, stress, fatigue, changes in sleep patterns,
menstruation, loud noises, weather changes, environment changes, strong
emotional stress such as depression, anxiety or excitement.
The other type of vascular headache is called a
cluster headache. These are the most painful type of headaches,
producing sharp burning or piercing sensation. The pain is felt on
one side of the head, usually behind the eye, and the eye becomes watery
and inflamed. These headaches are usually short, lasting anywhere
from 30 minutes to 1 or 2 hours. Cluster headaches usually occur for
a few weeks or months at a time and then go into remission for months or
even years. Smoking, alcohol, histamines or nitroglycerin can
trigger them.
Each year more than 4 billion dollars are spent on
over-the-counter medications for headaches, many of which are not
effective in relieving the pain or may become the cause of the headaches
themselves. Fortunately, there are relatively safe injection
techniques that are available and have been found useful in the treatment
of these types of headaches. Dr. Shaukat Chowdhari of University
Pain Management Center has performed hundreds of these procedures since he
started his practice. Almost all of his patients suffering from
chronic headaches have experienced immediate relief following these
procedures. Dr. Chowdhari is board certified in Anesthesiology and
Pain Management by the American Board of Anesthesiology and is also an
assistant clinical professor in anesthesiology and pain management at the
University of South Florida, College of Medicine. If you would like
more information about treatments for chronic headaches or any other type
of chronic pain, please contact:
- University Pain
Management Center
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- Voice:
(813) 977-2222
- Email: info@upmcinc.com
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