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                              Different Kinds Of  Headache Disorders

Headache disorders are most common disorders of the nervous system. Headache is a painful and disabling feature of a small number of primary headache disorders namely migraine, tension type headache and cluster headache. Headache can also caused by secondarily to a long list of other conditions, for example medication over use headache.

How common are headache disorders?

Headache disorders are among the most common disorders of the nervous systems. Headache is a painful and disabling feature of a small number of primary headache disorders namely migraine, tension head ache, and cluster head ache. Headache can also be caused by or occur secondarily to a long list of other conditions, for example medications overuse headache.

How common are headache disorders?

Globally, it has been estimated that prevalence among adults of current headache disorder       (symptomatic at least once within last year) is 47%. Half to three quarters of the adults aged 18-65 years in the world have had headache in the last year and among those individuals, more than 10% have reported migraine. Headache on 15 or more days every month effects 1.7-4% of the world’s adult population. Despite regional variations, headache on 15 or more days every month affects.

What is burden due to head ache disorders?

Not only is headache painful, but also disabling. In the Global burden of Disease Study, updated in 2004, migraine on its own was found to account for 1.3% of years lost due to disability (YLD). Head ache disorders impose a recognizable burden on sufferers including sometimes substantial personal suffering, impaired quality of life and financial cost. Repeated headache attacks and often constant fear of next one, damage family life and employment. The long term effort of coping with chronic headache disorder may also predispose the individual to other illness. For example, depression is three times more common in people with migraine.

Headache disorders impose a recognizable burden on sufferers including sometimes substantial personal suffering, impaired quality of life and financial cost. Repeated headache attacks, and often the constant fear of the next one, damage family life, social life and employment. The long term effort of coping with chronic headache disorder may also predispose the individual to other illness. For example, depression is three times more common in people with migraine or severe headaches than in healthy individuals.

Types of Headache disorders?

Migraine, tension type head ache and medication –overuse headache are of public health importance as they are responsible for high population levels of disability and ill-health.

Migraine

A primary headache disorder Most often begins at puberty and most effects those aged between 35 and 45 years It is caused by the activation of a mechanism deep in the brain that leads to release of pain producing inflammatory substances around the nerves the blood vessels of the head Migraine is recurrent, often life long, and characterized by attacks Attacks include features such as Head ache of moderate or severe intensity Nausea (the most characteristic) One sided and/or pulsating quality Aggravated by routine physical activity With duration of hours to 2-3 days Attack frequency is anywhere between once a year and once a week And in children, attacks tend to be shorter duration and abdominal symptoms more prominent.

Tension type Headache (TTH)

TTH is the most common primary headache disorder

Episodic TTH is reported by more than 70% of some populations; chronic TTH affects 1-3% of adults.

TTH often begins during the teenage years, affecting three women to two women.

Its mechanism may be stress-related or associated with musculoskeletal problems in the neck.

Episodic TTH attacks usually last a few hours, but can persist for several days.

Chronic TTH can be unremitting and is much more disabling than episodic TTH.

The headache is described as pressure or tightness, like a band around the head, sometimes spreading in to or from the neck.

Cluster head ache

A primary head ache disorder.

CH is relatively uncommon effecting fewer than 1 in 1000 adults, affecting six men to each women.

Most people developing CH are in their 20 or older.

It is characterized by frequent recurring, brief but extremely severe head ache associated with pain. around the eye with tearing and redness , the nose runs or is blocked on the affected side and the eyelid may droop.

CH has episodic and chronic forms.

Medication overuse headache (MOH)

MOH is caused by chronic excessive use of medication to treat head ache.

MOH is most common secondary headaches,

It may affect up to 5% of some populations, women more than men

MOH is oppressive, persistent and often at its worst on awakening