HEADACHES
Why does it hurt?
What hurts when you have a headache? The bones of the skull and tissues
of the brain itself never hurt, because they lack pain-sensitive nerve
fibers. Several areas of the head can hurt, including a network of nerves
which extends over the scalp and certain nerves in the face, mouth, and
throat. Also sensitive to pain, because they contain delicate nerve fibers,
are the muscles of the head and blood vessels found along the surface
and at the base of the brain.
The ends of these pain-sensitive nerves, called nociceptors, can be stimulated by stress, muscular tension, dilated blood vessels, and other triggers of headache. Once stimulated, a nociceptor sends a message up the length of the nerve fiber to the nerve cells in the brain, signaling that a part of the body hurts. The message is determined by the location of the nociceptor. A person who suddenly realizes "My toe hurts," is responding to nociceptors in the foot that have been stimulated by the stubbing of a toe.
A number of chemicals help transmit pain-related information to the brain. Some of these chemicals are natural painkilling proteins called endorphins, Greek for "the morphine within." One theory suggests that people who suffer from severe headache and other types of chronic pain have lower levels of endorphins than people who are generally pain free.
When should you see a physician?
Not all headaches require medical attention. Some result from missed meals
or occasional muscle tension and are easily remedied. But some types of
headache are signals of more serious disorders, and call for prompt medical
care. These include:
• Sudden, severe headache
• Sudden, severe headache associated with a stiff neck
• Headache associated with fever
• Headache associated with convulsions
• Headache accompanied by confusion or loss of consciousness
• Headache following a blow on the head
• Headache associated with pain in the eye or ear
• Persistent headache in a person who was previously headache free
• Recurring headache in children
• Headache which interferes with normal life
A headache sufferer usually seeks help from a family practitioner. If the problem is not relieved by standard treatments, the patient may then be referred to a specialist—perhaps an internist or neurologist. Additional referrals may be made to psychologists.
What tests are used to diagnose headache?
Diagnosing a headache is like playing Twenty Questions. Experts agree
that a detailed question-and-answer session with a patient can often produce
enough information for a diagnosis. Many types of headaches have clear-cut
symptoms which fall into an easily recognizable pattern.
Patients may be asked: How often do you have headaches? Where is the pain? How long do the headaches last? When did you first develop headaches? The patient's sleep habits and family and work situations may also be probed.
Most physicians will also obtain a full medical history from the patient, inquiring about past head trauma or surgery, eye strain, sinus problems, dental problems, difficulties with opening and closing of the jaw, and the use of medications. This may be enough to suggest strongly that the patient has migraine or cluster headaches. A complete and careful physical and neurological examination will exclude many possibilities and the suspicion of aneurysm, meningitis, or certain brain tumors. A blood test may be ordered to screen for thyroid disease, anemia, or infections which might cause a headache.
A test called an electroencephalogram (EEG) may be given to measure brain activity. EEG's can indicate a malfunction in the brain, but they cannot usually pinpoint a problem that might be causing a headache. A physician may suggest that a patient with unusual headaches undergo a computed tomographic (CT) scan and/or a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan. The scans enable the physician to distinguish, for example, between a bleeding blood vessel in the brain and a brain tumor, and are important diagnostic tools in cases of headache associated with brain lesions or other serious disease. CT scans produce X-ray images of the brain that show structures or variations in the density of different types of tissue. MRI scans use magnetic fields and radio waves to produce an image that provides information about the structure and biochemistry of the brain.
If an aneurysm--an abnormal ballooning of a blood vessel--is suspected, a physician may order a CT scan to examine for blood and then an angiogram. In this test, a special fluid which can be seen on an X-ray is injected into the patient and carried in the bloodstream to the brain to reveal any abnormalities in the blood vessels there.
A physician analyzes the results of all these diagnostic tests along with a patient's medical history and examination in order to arrive at a diagnosis.
What causes headache in children?
Like adults, children experience the infections, trauma, and stresses
that can lead to headaches. In fact, research shows that as young people
enter adolescence and encounter the stresses of puberty and secondary
school, the frequency of headache increases.
Migraine headaches often begin in childhood or adolescence. According to recent surveys, as many as half of all schoolchildren experience some type of headache.
Children with migraine often have nausea and excessive vomiting. Some children have periodic vomiting, but no headache—the so-called abdominal migraine. Research scientists have found that these children usually develop headaches when they are older.
Physicians have many drugs to treat migraine in children. Different classes that may be tried include analgesics, antiemetics, anticonvulsants, beta-blockers, and sedatives. A diet may also be prescribed to protect the child from foods that trigger headache. Sometimes psychological counseling or even psychiatric treatment for the child and the parents is recommended.
Childhood headache can be a sign of depression. Parents should alert the family pediatrician if a child develops headaches along with other symptoms such as a change in mood or sleep habits. Antidepressant medication and psychotherapy are effective treatments for childhood depression and related headache.