56 January 2015 www.womanthismonth.com LIFESTYLE | wellbeing A Pounding Problem We all get them. Sometimes they leave us debilitated, other times we brave through the pain. But the truth of the matter is, headaches drive us up the wall. Behnaz Sanjana investigates what’s going on in our heads. If someone skips an important work event because of a headache, you’ll get some eye rolling. Just pop a pill and get on with it, right? But only those who suffer the fury of a throbbing head can really appreciate the gravity of the problem. The World Health Organisation describes headaches as extremely painful and disabling. It also notes that it is an underestimated, under-recognised and undertreated condition worldwide. THE TYPES Dr Srinivas Mallya, specialist neurologist at the Al Hilal Hospital, says that headaches can be classified as primary and secondary. Primary headaches are those without any identifiable abnormalities causing them. These include: migraines, tension headaches and cluster headaches. Secondary headaches are those which have a cause: viz. sinusitis, bleeding in the brain, and infections. So what does a headache feel like? Migraines are typically a throbbing or pulsating sensation on one side of the head. They bring on a wave of nausea and can prove to be pretty disabling, making the person irritable and intolerant to any light or sound. “A tension headache affects the whole head and does not have any effects of a migraine. They are often described as having a tightness or taut band like sensation on the head,” says Dr Srinivas. People mistake sinus headaches for migraines, given that they are no less annoying than the latter. A sinus headache is a deep and constant pain in the cheekbones, forehead and behind the bridge of the nose. “Sinusitis can be identified by specific features such as purulent discharge from the nose, fever, bad odour and fullness in the face and ears,” adds Dr Srinivas. A headache could be brushed off as a common ailment, but must never be ignored when it is accompanied with vision disturbances, weakness or numbness in the limbs or with fever, weight loss or lethargy. A headache at the back of the head also needs immediate medical attention.
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