Managing Your Headaches

Book excerpt: Frequent headaches seriously affect the lives of millions of sufferers. The result can be lost productivity and income, restrict activity, lower self-esteem, and even social isolation. For many, it takes years to find the appropriate medication to manage your headaches effectively. In Managing Your Headaches, Mark and Leah Green and John Rothrock explain what information you should record for your physician, what a physician is looking for in a neurological examination, and what you should (and should not) do to reduce the frequency and severity of your headaches. They discuss the effects of stress, psychological factors, possible food triggers, and environmental risk factors. The authors explain the symptoms of migraine, cluster, and tension-type headaches as well as less common types. They address common concerns and misconceptions and explain current knowledge about headache causes in understandable terms. The newest, most effective medications and their possible side effects are evaluated. The authors also explain how to prevent rebound headaches from over-medications and how non-medical treatments can be of value. Managing Your Headaches will tell you what you need to know to better control your headaches. Armed with the information in this book, you can be aware of the latest treatment options and can have more productive, informed discussions with your physician.