28 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • JULY 4, 2019 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
health
5 signs you should seek medical treatment for your headache
You’ve been there before - you wake up
and immediately feel the pulsing in your
head, you get to work and can feel the
pounding pressure mounting as you move
between looking at your computer screen
and meetings, you’re gearing up for a fun
day out with your kids but you cringe
as the pain in your head magnifi es with
every shout of excitement.
Th e National Headache Foundation
wants you to know you are not alone.
Nearly 40 million Americans experience
migraine and the World Health
Organization lists headache disease as the
third leading cause of productivity loss
due to disability.
“People oft en underestimate the pain
they experience and think their only
choice is to endure,” said Dr. Seymour
Diamond, executive chair and founder
of the National Headache Foundation
and Director Emeritus and Founder of
the Diamond Headache Clinic. “Th ere is
nothing normal about pain in your head,
yet even today aft er treating headache
and migraine for over 60 years, I still see
doctors dismissing their patients’ symptoms.”
It can be easy to dismiss a headache
as normal, but normal shouldn’t be confused
with common. Headaches can also
be caused by your daily habits that may
be easily removed from your routine or
can help your doctor develop a treatment
plan.
Know your headache and
migraine triggers
• Food is one of the more common triggers,
from smoked foods to alcohol and
avocados, that is oft en overlooked. Keep
a food journal to see if you can identify
patterns and triggers
• Weather changes, including high- and
low-pressure systems
• For women, menstruation and hormone
fl uctuations or imbalance
• Screen time
• Stress and a compromised sleep schedule
Headaches or uncharacteristic migraine
symptoms can indicate you need medical
attention. People are oft en reluctant
to call their healthcare provider or go to
the ER because they don’t want to arrive
only to learn that nothing out of the ordinary
is wrong.
Diamond advises, “If your symptoms
are out of the ordinary for you, absolutely
seek medical attention from a specialist
and get help. Your headache or migraine
should not keep you from living your life
to its fullest.”
Common signs that you should seek
medical help for your headaches
• You have more than the occasional
headache (more than twice a week)
• Your headache persists, and continues to
get worse or won’t stop
• Your headaches interfere with your normal
activities of daily life
• You fi nd yourself taking pain relievers
more than two days a week
• You take over-the-counter medications
for headache relief, but the recommended
dosage is not adequate
Headache and migraine are serious conditions
and you shouldn’t be afraid to
talk to your doctor, or to seek out a certifi
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ed headache expert: www.headaches.
org/resources/healthcare-provider-fi nder.
Most patients want their healthcare providers
to be prepared and engaged when
answering questions and be willing to educate
them about their treatment options.
On the other hand, healthcare providers
oft en think that what matters most to their
patients is expressing understanding and
compassion. Diamond emphasized both a
patient and their healthcare provider need
to communicate clearly to eff ectively treat
the headache or migraine.
Simple steps you can take to eff ectively
communicate your concerns and needs
with your healthcare provider include:
staying focused on the most important
questions you have, providing a daily
record of your symptoms, sharing your
concerns and reactions, and asking questions.
Aft er consulting with you to best
understand your personal experience and
needs, your doctor may recommend a
combination of treatments that may or
may not include:
• Pharmaceutical therapy
• Massage therapy
• Acupuncture
• Yoga
• Meditation
• Diet changes
• Exercise
• Sleep changes
• Journaling symptoms
• Biofeedback therapy
Th e debilitating eff ects of headache and
migraine don’t have to be part of your regular
routine. Understanding your condition,
knowing your triggers and having
an honest conversation with your healthcare
provider can help you get back to living
your life.
For more information about headache
and migraine or to fi nd help, visit: www.
headaches.org.
Courtesy BPT
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