Up to 63 percent of adolescents with migraine and tension-type headache also experience:
research
Helping You Live Better
HEADACHE IN THE E. R.
Headaches are common in the emergency room. In fact, headache is the fifth most common reason for a visit to an emergency department, representing two million visits per year. Of the acute headaches, migraine is the most frequent diagnosis made in an emergency department.
However, according to commentary from Randolph W. Evans, MD, and Benjamin W. Friedman, MD, MS, in the August 2011 issue of the journal Headache, ER physicians only receive two hours of structured primary headache lectures per year. When a headache patient appears in the ER, the ER physician will likely be focused on eliminating the possibility of life-threatening diseases and may, therefore, lump anything non-threatening into the category of migraine or nonspecific headache. Evans and Friedman admit that while medications used for migraine may still help other headache types, patients need an accurate diagnosis for longer-term therapy and treatment.
12 HEAD WISE | Volume 2, Issue 2 • 2012
POP QUIZ
TECH SUPPORT
Web-based self- management tools may be the ideal motivators for headache patients. A study published in the February 2012 issue of the journal Headache explored the effects of online behavioral tools on Internet users experiencing headaches. Researchers built web tools, such as interactive lessons to help people with headache learn cognitive behavior therapy, self-assessments to identify strengths and deficits in terms of behaviors, and user-generated advice.
The results were extremely positive. Within three months, participants exposed to the website reported: n Decrease in depression, stress and feelings of helplessness n Increase in relaxation n Increase in the use of exercise and social supports
The study concluded that self-management support helps people with headaches learn skills for headache management and find needed support.
Up to 63 percent of adolescents with migraine and tension-type headache also experience:
a numbness b nausea and vomiting c neck and shoulder pain d anxiety
See answer at bottom of page
Pop quiz answer: c