Tension, Migraine and Cluster: Getting to the Root of a Headache

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Learn about the different kinds of headaches, from the mildly unpleasant to the extremely painful, and some experimental treatments.

VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.  I'm Barbara Klein.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Steve Ember.  Today we tell about headaches, the head pain that strikes almost everyone at some time.

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VOICE ONE:

Do you ever get a headache?  If your answer is yes, you are among thousands of millions of people worldwide who develop the condition.  The National Headache Foundation says more than forty five million Americans suffer chronic headaches.  At first, they experience severe pain in the head.  The pain goes away, but returns later. 

The most common headache is a tension headache.  Millions of people have a more painful headache, called a migraine.  By comparison, not many people develop cluster headaches.  The severity of cluster headaches usually requires treatment. 

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The National Headache Foundation says about one-tenth of all Americans suffer from migraines.  About seventy percent are women.  Some people experience this kind of pain as often as two weeks every month.  Some describe the pain as similar to a repeated beat like a heartbeat.  Others say it is like someone driving a sharp object into the head. 

In addition to the suffering, there are economic results.  Migraines cause Americans to miss more than one hundred fifty million workdays each year.  A migraine can be mild.  But it also can be so severe that a person cannot live a normal life.

VOICE ONE:

The Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, provides information about migraines and other headaches.  The Mayo Clinic says several foods are suspected of causing migraines.  They include aged cheese and alcoholic drinks.  Food additives like nitrates and monosodium glutamate also are suspected causes.

So is caffeine, the substance in coffee that makes people feel more energetic.  Interestingly, doctors sometimes use caffeine to treat migraine headaches.

VOICE TWO:

If you are developing a migraine headache, you may feel sick.  You may feel very tired, hot or cold.  You even may temporarily lose your sight. 

Some people take medicine every day to prevent or ease migraines.  Others use medicine to control pain that has already developed.  Doctors treating migraine sufferers often order medicines from a group of drugs known as triptans.

Most migraines react at least partly to existing medicine.  Most people can use existing medicine without experiencing bad effects.

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VOICE ONE:

Some people continue to suffer with migraines, although they may try different medicines.  But the future may be better for these people.  Two kinds of devices are being tested on patients.  Both are based on the idea that electricity may stop or control migraine headaches.  But experts say more testing is needed.

One experimental treatment is called occipital nerve stimulation, or O.N.S.  It involves placing electrical devices under the skin in the back of the head.  Lead lines placed in the lower back send electrical signals to the patient's occipital nerves.  Shocks sent through the lines are thought to block pain signals from the nerves.

VOICE TWO:

The United States Food and Drug Administration approved testing of O.N.S. at seven medical centers.  Six are in the United States.  The other is in Britain. 

One of the centers is the Mayo Clinic in Arizona.  The Arizona center is an extension of the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.  In April, researchers at the Arizona center reported on their testing.  They presented their findings at a meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.  The researchers said the treatment appeared safe and effective.   

VOICE ONE:

Another possible treatment is called transcranial magnetic stimulation, or T.M.S.  It is meant only for patients whose migraines begin with an aura.  They may see objects like bright stars and flashing lights.  The goal is to stop the migraine before it takes hold.

VOICE TWO:

In T.M.S., a magnetic device is pressed against the back of the head.  The device produces signals.  They are thought to interfere with the brain activity that causes the pain.  Hundreds of people are taking part in tests of the device.

Doctor Yousef Mohammad works at the Ohio State University Medical Center.  His team performed a small study during two thousand four and two thousand five.  The results showed that most patients treated with the device had no headaches two hours after its use.  Or their headache pain was less severe.

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VOICE ONE:

Many more people suffer tension headaches than migraine headaches.  But most tension headaches are not as powerful. 

Triggers are events or actions that can start a headache.  Tension headache triggers may include emotional pressure and the deeper than normal sadness called depression.  Other tension headaches start from something as tiredness or common changes in atmospheric conditions. 

The Mayo Clinic says you may feel a tension headache as tightness in the part of your face over your eyes.  Or, you may feel pressure around