Headache Information

Paresthesias (a skin sensation such as burning, prickling, itching, or tingling with no apparent physical cause) are the second most common migraine aura.

Headache has troubled mankind from the dawn of civilization. Headache prescriptions written on papyrus were already known in ancient Egypt. Hippocrates (470-410 BC) believed that a headache could be triggered by exercise or intercourse, that migraine vapors rising from the stomach to the head and that vomiting could partially relieve the pain of headache. The term "migraine" itself is derived from the Greek word "hemicrania", introduced by Galen in approximately 200 AD. He mistakenly believed it was caused by the ascent of vapors, either excessive, too hot or too cold,. Clearly, migraine was well known in the ancient world.

Visual migraine aura

The modern approach to treating migraine began with the development of sumatriptan by Pat Humphrey and his colleagues. Based on the concept that serotonin can relieve headache, they designed a chemical entity that was similar to serotonin, although more stable and with fewer side-effects. This development led to the modern clinical trials for acute migraine treatment and to the elucidation of the mechanism of action of what are now called triptans.

Migraine is a common primary episodic headache disorder. In the United States , more than 17% of women and 6% of men had at least one migraine attack in the previous year. Migraine is often a one-sided, throbbing headache accompanied by nausea,
vomiting, and/or sensitivity to light and sound. The International Headache Society classified headaches into a number of different categories.

Migraine without aura (formerly called "common migraine"): A migraine without the visual disturbance associated with an "aura".

Migraine with aura (formerly called "classic migraine"): A migraine in conjunction with a visual or sensory disturbance.

Tension-type headache: A headache previously known as a "stress headache" or an "ordinary headache".

Cluster headache: A severe headache that affects predominantly men. Attacks are briefer and more frequent than migraine, are strictly one-sided, and usually occur in clusters that last for weeks. For more information on cluster headache visit the Organization for Understanding Cluster Headaches (O.U.C.H.), a non-profit organization formed to assist cluster headache sufferers and their families.

View the current issue of the Cluster Headache Newsletter (72.9 Adobe pdf file).

Menstrual migraine: Menstrual migraine is defined as an attack occurring 1 day before and up to 4 days after the onset of menses. Migraine attacks occur around the menses in 60% of women.

View the current issue of the Menstrual Migraine Newsletter (84.1 Adobe pdf file).