Your Headaches Are Getting Worse. Do You Need an Imaging Test?

Headaches, Chicago Health Magazine Online

Headache is a very common condition that affects up to 60% of the world’s population. In general, headache can be classified into two main categories: primary and secondary headaches. A primary headache is related to increased sensitivities, but not structural alterations of brain tissues. Common primary headaches are migraine with and without aura, tension-type headache, […]

Now Is a Great Time to Start Sipping Peppermint Tea

Peppermint Tea, Chicago Health Magazine Online

Made from the dried leaves of the peppermint plant, peppermint tea is an herbal infusion with a fresh, soothing flavor. And unless it’s mixed with green, black, or white tea (check the label), peppermint tea is a caffeine-free, tea-free, zero-calorie beverage that packs in so many health benefits, it’s kind of wild that it comes […]

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Treating Migraines, Cluster Headache

Headaches, Chicago Health Magazine Online

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: What’s the difference between a cluster headache and a migraine? Is there a way to treat severe headaches without prescription medication? ANSWER: There are various differences between cluster and migraine headaches, including how long the headaches last, how often they occur, and the area of the head they affect. Several options are […]

Headaches: What to Know, When to Worry

Headaches, Chicago Health Magazine Online

Everyone gets the occasional when-will-this-day-end headache. These headaches may even follow a certain pattern. (Mine usually strike like clockwork if I miss my morning cup of French press coffee.) But when is a headache cause for concern? “Most bouts of regular headaches are not serious and can be treated on their own,” says Elizabeth Loder, […]

Headaches From Hell

headache illustration

New drugs may help prevent migraines Marcie Zeldin, 63, doesn’t remember when she experienced her first migraine. She recalls having severe headaches as early as childhood, but it wasn’t until her first pregnancy at age 26 that the dozen or so headaches she experienced each month were diagnosed as migraines, a chronic neurological disorder. “It […]

Diet can impact migraines

Diet can impact migraines

Eliminating that morning cup of joe, consuming processed foods high in nitrites or monosodium glutamate (MSG), and enjoying too much alcohol are potential headache triggers for individuals battling migraines, says Vincent Martin, M.D., professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine. There are two different approaches to […]

Finding Relief for Chronic Migraines

woman with migraine headache

Marie Syzdek, 54, grew up thinking that migraines were a normal part of life. Ever since she was a teenager, Syzdek suffered from migraines—a constant low-grade headache, that peaked several times a week into a painful, throbbing, full-blown attack. When she got married and had children, her family often would find her lying on the […]

Strong link between depression and migraine headaches

Women with a headache

By Howard LeWine, M.D. Ask the Harvard Experts Q: Is there a link between depression and headaches? A: Yes, they are connected. People with depression tend to have more frequent and more severe headaches compared to those without depression. And as headaches occur more often and become more intense, it’s likely that the person will […]

The Kid’s Doctor: Teens and headaches seem to go together

teen with headache

By Sue Hubbard, M.D., www.kidsdr.com A recent study revealed that about 1 percent to 2 percent of adolescents have chronic daily headaches, defined as more than 15 headache days per month for greater than three months. When school begins, teens’ stress levels increase with each week of classes, and with that come more complaints of […]