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