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'It is important to recognize that different headaches have different treatment, depending on the diagnosis of the headache type.
CT and MRI scans only rule out serious underlying problems, they do not tell you why the head pains!'
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Everyone of us has experienced headache at one time or other. Headache is probably the most common health complaint of the human race, yet they are often…... 'misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and mismanaged!' With a growing interest in the problem, headaches are today recognized as valid biological disorders and not just a psychological problem.
Headaches are broadly classified into 2 groups – PRIMARY & SECONDARY. |
PRIMARY (PHAs)
(Where there is no underlying identifiable structural cause for the headache) |
SECONDARY (SHAs)
(Where there is a specific underlying
cause identifiable) |
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| Migraine |
| Tension-type Headache |
| Cluster Headache |
| Post-traumatic Headache |
| Other rare headaches |
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Serious
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Not So Serious |
Brain tumor |
Sinus-related |
Meningitis |
TM joint-related |
Intracranial Hemorrhage |
Temporal arteritis |
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It is important to realise that although we need to be always concerned about ruling out a secondary headache, it is the primary headaches that are more common (90%), more chronic and more difficult to treat. With primary headaches, scans are normal and the diagnosis is made by a
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proper history of the sequence of events and a process of pattern recognition.
Now you know why the CT scan fails to show up anything abnormal, although your head is at bursting point!
Given below are brief descriptions of the most common types of headaches. As you read on, do not get bogged down with the labels; look instead at the bigger picture and try to see if any of the symptoms are similar to your own. To begin with, a note of caution - the explanations given here are in no way to be regarded as a substitute for medical advice. If you think you have any of the headache types, the best way to help yourself is by seeking early medical attention from your doctor.
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The cartoons used in this site are the copyright of Dr. K. Ravishankar. |
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