Rebound Headache
Don’t
let the simplicity of the term ‘rebound headache’
fool you! A rebound headache isn’t just an
ordinary headache, or even a particular type of
headache. It’s an actual syndrome. Rebound
headaches occur almost daily, and the sufferer
experiences pain on both sides of the head.
Often, they may feel like something is being
painfully tightened around the head. Sensitivity
to both light and sound are almost always present,
and the person may feel tenderness or tension
around the neck and shoulders. Rebound headaches
most often occur in people who suffer from migraine
headaches.
Migraine headaches often start occurring more
regularly, and the headache actually changes
into something resembling a tension headache.
On the other hand, milder migraine headaches
may worsen and occur more frequently, causing
rebound headaches, but in most cases, the sufferer
will notice more tension headaches more often,
and fewer migraine headaches.
Many doctors do not recognize the symptoms
of a rebound headache, instead misdiagnosing
it as migraines or tension headaches. The cause
of rebound headaches is unknown, but many scientists
believe that the simple act of taking headache
medication on a regular basis may be the cause,
especially headache pain reliever that is purchased
over the counter.
This creates a problem for those who suffer
from any type of headache regularly. We are
told that the sooner we start treating a headache,
the sooner it will pass, but in order to reduce
the risk of rebound headaches, we are told to
not take more than ten doses of headache pain
reliever within a thirty day period. For regular
headache patients, this literally means they
must pick and choose which headaches to treat,
and which ones to suffer through!
The only known cure for rebound headaches is
to stop taking the medication that is contributing
to them. This of course means that the headaches
will get worse and last longer before they get
better and go away. Often times, a doctor who
recognizes rebound headaches for what they are
will stop all pain relieving medications and
prescribe anti-depressants to treat the headaches,
allowing the patient to get past the rebound
stage.
Of course, it’s always better to prevent
the headaches from occurring than it is to try
to cure them once they appear. Rebound headaches
can be prevented by controlling stress factors,
reduction of the use of pain relief medication,
regular exercise, avoiding certain foods that
may trigger headaches of any type, and avoidance
of excess light. Many doctors recommend wearing
sunglasses that are especially made to help
prevent headaches, such as those found at Trigger
Optics ( http://www.triggeroptics.com
).
In some cases, the pain of a rebound headache
is so severe that the patient may need to seek
the services of a headache or pain clinic. Here,
several types of treatment are brought together
all at once to help prevent or cure rebound
headaches.
Curing rebound headaches is actually quite
difficult, simply because the very medicine
that one takes to cure a headache is the very
thing that is causing the rebound headache –
leaving no options for the average person to
treat the pain of any type of headache. This
can become very frustrating, which in turn makes
the headaches even worse.
If you feel that you are suffering from a rebound
headache, you should seek treatment from your
health care professional, or seek out a headache
or pain clinic for a solution and treatment.
How quickly rebound headaches can be treated
and cured depends greatly on how soon it is
diagnosed as a rebound headache, as opposed
to other types of headaches where the medicines
that cause rebound headaches are used or prescribed.
Article Reprinted with Permission in it's
entirety
