New Daily Persistent Headache
August 6, 2007 9:28 pm
I don't know about you, but I can read medical studies and statistics for hours and never really "get it" until I hear some personal stories. That's why I appreciated the news article I just read - not for it's medical data, but for the stories it told.
The story of Jai Kawale is a common one when it comes to New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH) (which I wrote about in June's HeadWay). Often (about 30% of the time) it all starts with an infection, like the flu. But the headache never goes away.
Very difficult to treat, the NDPH is a medical mountain that doctors and researchers are trying to climb. Check out some real life stories in the article - The 18-month headache
Also, for more check out the blog called Her Life In A Nutshell..., from Joanna who suffers from NDPH.
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I wish everyone could read this...
August 20, 2007 10:27 am
There's a new page on the website - not one I wrote, but one that you wrote! It's the latest "Community article", and it's a great one.
The question that visitors were answering was: What one thing do you wish family and friends understood about your headache or migraine?
The answers were brilliant. I think that this is one of those pages you're going to want to share with family and friends - the people that care about you, but who often "don't get it". The page is broken up into five sections - five things that you wish they knew - with quotes from people from 6 countries.
Click here to read What I wish you knew...
This was such a success that I'm going to look for more ways that you can participate here. Thanks so much for your great answers! They're a help to all of us - the tens of thousands who visit this site each month. Meanwhile, read our previous article (on sleep and migraine) - or there is another question you can answer...
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Do I need an EEG?
August 22, 2007 8:57 am
Having an EEG
Photo courtesy of zwolle
An Electroencephalography, otherwise known as an EEG, is a way to measure the electrical activity of the brain (sometimes called brainwaves, though this is not technically correct). Sometimes headache and migraine patients have EEGs done. Should you?
If you're hoping to positively diagnose your migraine or headache, and EEG probably won't be a help. Although we have learned a lot about migraine from EEGs, and have noticed abnormal patterns in some people, there is no "common pattern" in everyone. In other words, an EEG probably won't prove anything. It's useful to help researchers understand migraine, but not particularly useful in helping individual migraine patients.
There are, however, some cases where an EEG is helpful. EEGs have been used in cases of hemiplegic migraine and basilar migraines, for example.
But EEGs have also been useful because of the close relationship between epilepsy and migraine. Sometimes migraine can be mistaken for epilepsy, and vice versa. An EEG is much more useful in confirming whether or not epilepsy is a cause of the symptoms. Some researchers even use the term migralepsy for a rare disorder that seems to combine the two.
But in this case an EEG will only be ordered if there is reason to believe (from observation) that epilepsy may be a cause of the symptoms.
In the end, in the majority of cases an EEG won't confirm anything. Observation and response to treatment are far more valuable methods of diagnosis.
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Is there a "Headache season"?
August 27, 2007 9:33 am
What time of year are your headaches the worst? Do you have more migraine attacks in a certain season? That's been the question on our poll, and it's time for the results:
Yeah - interesting, huh? Spring, and rainy season are the very clear winners. What does that tell you? It tells me - weather.
There are lots of reasons why other seasons should have won. Fall and winter? I'm thinking the stress of returning to school and work, the stress of the holidays, cold weather, darkness (in the north). Summer? Has it's own stresses. And a lot of people get attacks from a change of schedule, which summer is notorious for.
But no, it's spring - often a time of rain. And, of course, rainy season! There may be other reasons why these seasons peak the list, but I'm betting barometric pressure changes have a lot to do with it.
Of course, let's not ignore the fact that for a lot of people there's no difference at all. Pressure changes don't seem to make a difference for everyone. And of course there are weather patterns all year round that can cause headaches or migraine attacks!
Please check out our new poll question on the left of the main news page - this fits in with our new Community Question.
And, leave a comment - do different seasons make a difference to you? Why do you think that is?
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