Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.
Jay W. Marks, MD, is a board-certified internist and gastroenterologist. He graduated from Yale University School of Medicine and trained in internal medicine and gastroenterology at UCLA/Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.
Migraine is a chronic condition
with recurrent attacks. Most (but not all) migraine attacks are associated with
headaches.
Migraine headaches usually are described as an intense, throbbing or
pounding pain that involves one temple. (Sometimes the pain is located in
the forehead, around the eye, or at the back of the head).
The pain usually is
unilateral (on one side of the head), although about a third of the time the
pain is bilateral (on both sides of the head).
The unilateral headaches typically change sides from one
attack to the next. (In fact, unilateral headaches that always occur on the same
side should alert the doctor to consider a secondary headache, for example, one
caused by a brain tumor).
A
migraine headache usually is aggravated by daily activities such as walking
upstairs.
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, facial pallor,
cold
hands, cold feet, and sensitivity to light and sound commonly accompany migraine
headaches. As a result of this sensitivity to light and sound, migraine
sufferers usually prefer to lie in a quiet, dark room during an attack. A
typical attack lasts between 4 and 72 hours.
An estimated 40%-60% of migraine attacks are preceded by premonitory
(warning) symptoms lasting hours to days. The symptoms may include:
Patients and their family members usually
know that when they observe these warning symptoms that a migraine attack is
beginning.
Migraine aura
An estimated 20% of migraine headaches are associated with an aura. Usually,
the aura precedes the headache, although occasionally it may occur
simultaneously with the headache. The most common auras are:
flashing,
brightly colored lights in a zigzag pattern (referred to as fortification spectra), usually
starting in the middle of the visual field and progressing outward; and
a hole
(scotoma) in the visual field, also known as a blind spot.
Some elderly migraine
sufferers may experience only the visual aura without the headache. A less
common aura consists of pins-and-needles sensations in the hand and the arm on
one side of the body or pins-and-needles sensations around the mouth and the nose on the
same side. Other auras include auditory (hearing) hallucinations and abnormal
tastes and smells.
For approximately 24 hours after a migraine attack, the migraine sufferer may feel drained of energy and may experience a low-grade headache along with sensitivity to light and sound. Unfortunately, some sufferers may have recurrences of the headache during this period.
Headaches can be divided into two categories: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches are considered primary headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by disease. Headache symptoms vary with the headache type. Over-the-counter pain relievers provide short-term relief for most headaches.
A stroke results from impaired oxygen delivery to brain cells via the bloodstream. A stroke is also referred to as a CVA, or cerebrovascular incident. Symptoms of stroke include: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance, and/or sudden severe headache with no known cause. A TIA, or transient ischemic attack is a short-lived temporary impairment of the brain caused by loss of blood supply. Stroke is a medical emergency.
Fibromyalgia, formerly
known as fibrositis, causes chronic pain, stiffness, and
tenderness of muscles, tendons, and joints without detectable inflammation. Fibromyalgia patients have an unusually low pain threshold. Symptoms of fibromyalgia include fatigue, abnormal sleep, mental/emotional disturbances, abdominal pain, migraine and tension headaches, and irritable bladder. Treatment of fibromyalgia involves patient education, medication, exercise, and stress reduction.
A tension headache is a headache previously thought to be caused by contraction of the muscles in the back of the neck, on the scalp, and sometimes in the jaw. The term tension-type headache is now preferred, reflecting the fact that research has shown that these headaches may not be related to muscle tension.
Sinus headache is caused by a sinus infection or inflammation of the sinus cavities. The primary symptom of a sinus infection is pain and increasing pressure overlying the area and associated tenderness to the touch. Treatment of a sinus headache depends on the cause.
Mercury is a naturally occurring element found in water, soil, and the air. Mercury is also contained in some fish, some of the products we use in the home, school, or dentist. Information about sources of mercury exposure, potential health effects, symptoms of exposure, fish that may contain mercury, consumer products that contain mercury, and ways to reduce your exposure to mercury is important for the health of you, and your family.
Pain management and treatment can be simple or complex, according to its cause. There are two basic types of pain, nociceptive pain and neuropathic pain. Some causes of neuropathic pain includes: complex regional pain syndrome, interstitial cystitis, and irritable bowel syndrome. There are a variety of methods to treat chronic pain, which are dependant on the type of pain experienced.
Chronic pain is pain (an unpleasant sense of discomfort) that persists or progresses over a long period of time. In contrast to acute pain that arises suddenly in response to a specific injury and is usually treatable, chronic pain persists over time and is often resistant to medical treatments.
The term cluster headache is a type of headache that recurs over a period of time. There are episodes that last one to three times a day during a period of time, which may last from 2 weeks to 3 months. There are three main types of treatment abortive medications, preventive medications, or surgery which involves blocking the trigeminal nerve.
Double vision (diplopia) is a symptom that my indicate Graves' disease, myasthenia gravis, stroke, multiple sclerosis, Guillain-Barre syndrome, diabetes, cataracts, aneurysm, brain tumor, or migraine. Symptoms and signs include eye pain, droopy eyelids, nausea, headache, and a cross-eyed appearance. Treatment of double vision depends upon the underlying cause.
Kids get headaches and migraines too. Many adults with headaches started having them as kids, in fact, 20% of adult headache sufferers say their headaches started before age 10, and 50% report their headaches started before age 20.
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