More than 45 million Americans suffer from chronic, recurring headaches, according to the National Headache Foundation. Headaches are one of the leading causes of lost work days, and the Foundation estimates that Americans spend $4 billion annually on over-the-counter medications for treatment of headache pain. The most common headache is a tension headache.

Migraine Headaches

It has been estimated that eight to twelve million Americans, sixty percent of them women, suffer from migraine pain. Migraines are vascular headaches, caused when the blood vessels in the scalp expand and then contract, causing a throbbing pain often synchronized to the beat of the sufferer's pulse.

Migraine pain usually starts on one side of the head, and may stay there or become more generalized as time wears on. Patients sometimes develop nausea, vomiting, shaking, or sensitivity to light and sound. Length of an attack may vary from several minutes to several days. Some patients experience an "aura" prior to the onset of pain. This warning sign may manifest itself with a particular odor or taste, or with visual disturbances such as flashing lights, jagged lines, or patches of darkness. Other symptoms can include tingling or numbness of the arms or legs.

Some authorities believe migraine headaches are hereditary, noting that seventy percent of patients report a family history of migraines. This means that if parents have a history of migraines, there is a 3 out of 4 chance that their children will develop migraines. Migraines may also be triggered by stress, poor sleeping habits, menstruation and changes in altitude and temperature. Chocolate, red wine and aged cheeses can provoke a migraine in some patients, while others react to noises, odors, bright lights and even watching television.

Treatment of migraine headaches falls into two categories. Abortive methods, used at the onset of an attack, include medications such as ergotamine (cafergot), naproxen sodium (anaprox), and isometheptena (midrin). Oxygen may be administered, and ice packs are sometimes used to constrict the dilated blood vessels. Preventive methods, vital for decreasing the intensity, duration and frequency of attacks, include the use of propranolol (inderal), verapamil (calan), or tricyclic antidepressants such as elavil and desyral. Along with medication, the preventive program may also include relaxation and stress management techniques. Bio-feedback is sometimes used to help patients control muscle contraction and swelling of blood vessels without medication.