Chronic headaches - finding specialists for treatment

If headaches occur frequently, they can put a heavy strain on the daily lives of those affected. Studies show that around 70% of the population suffer from headaches in the course of a year. Women are affected more frequently than men. Headaches are usually harmless. You can safely treat them yourself with over-the-counter painkillers containing the active ingredients acetylsalicylic acid, ibuprofen or paracemtamol.

Further information on chronic headaches can be found below.

Patients with chronic headaches who have the following symptoms should consult a headache specialist:

• Headaches that last longer than 3 days
• Headaches that occur more than 10 times a month and
• Lasting longer than 3 months

The causes of chronic headaches can be very diverse @ Firn /AdobeStock

The diagnosis

The specialist will first try to rule out a serious illness as the cause of the headache and determine the type of headache.

To do this, it is helpful to describe the headache in detail and to keep a pain diary in advance.

A medical emergency is present if the headache suddenly becomes severe and if there are neurological deficits (difficulty finding speech, paralysis).

Also, if the headache is accompanied by high fever, neck stiffness or an epileptic seizure.

What types of headache are there?

Doctors differentiate between primary and secondary headaches.

In primary headaches, the headache is the disease itself. All examinations of the head show no abnormal findings.

Primary headaches are, for example

• migraine
• tension headaches and
• cluster headaches

In secondary headaches, the headache is a symptom of another illness.

Secondary headaches occur with

• Fever
• infections
• vascular diseases or
• brain tumors

The following types of headache occur most frequently:

• Migraine
• tension headaches
• Cluster headaches
• Medication-induced headaches

Treatment of chronic headaches

Doctors initially treat headaches with painkillers. A headache pain specialist will prescribe a stronger prescription medication so that the headache sufferer is pain-free again.

The following measures can also be helpful:

• Relaxation exercises
• physiotherapy
• Psychotherapy and
• Alternative headache therapies such as acupuncture

The appropriate therapy is determined by the headache specialist.

Studies show that relaxation exercises relieve chronicheadaches @ Syda Productions /AdobeStock