For patients who suffer from recurrent headaches, the headaches can ruin their life. It can interfere with the ability to work, resulting in loss wages. It can interfere with the ability to keep social plans, resulting in loss of enjoyment and relationships. Frequent headaches can literally destroy people's lives. Much research and progress has been made in headache treatment in the last decade or two. What is becoming increasingly clear, however, is the large gap in headache treatment and its application to patients. Too many patients are unaware of recent therapies being available and too many physicians are unwilling to take the time to classify their patients' headaches in order to prescribe the best therapies available. Recent studies on migraine, for example, point to only 50% of those patients that have migraine understanding their diagnosis and even among those that know the current diagnosis, optimum therapy is being given in less than 50% of those cases. The overall net result, at least in migraine where it has been most studied, is only a minority of patients receive the most beneficial therapy that has also been demonstrated to be the most cost effective. This portion of the web site hopes to fill some of this gap by allowing patients to better educate themselves about headache and therefore to determine what their best treatment options are. With this information, the patient will be able to approach their physician asking for the correct type of treatment. The result should be a better outcome for patients.

These web pages are not for new onset headaches - headaches that have started in the last few months, or headaches that are brand new. These headaches should be immediately evaluated by a physician. Headaches that are intense and begin abruptly also require emergency evaluation. Therefore, if you are reading this after the new onset of a horrible headache that began suddenly, stop reading and go to an emergency room. Headaches that are new in patients who are immunocompromised (compromised immune systems - such as those patients that have HIV disease, cancer, leukemia or lymphoma) or on immunosuppressives (such as steroids, cytoxan, or chemotherapy) should always be promptly evaluated by a physician. In addition, primary headaches are less common in patients who are older and therefore all headaches in patients over the age of 50 should be evaluated promptly by a physician as well. Finally, headaches that are associated with other illnesses - such as fever or severe neck pain, also require prompt medical and sometimes emergency attention. In fact, the author feels all headaches should be evaluated by a physician at least one time.

This portion of the web site is geared to patient information for those patients who suffer from recurrent headaches and are not getting adequate treatment from their current physician.

Neurologists utilize a system of classification of headache known as the International Headache Society Criteria or I.H.S. Criteria. This criteria recognizes four types of primary headache. A primary headache is one which is not due to another disease. These primary headaches are cluster headaches, migraine headaches, tension headaches, and other headaches not otherwise explained. In order to best treat a patient, one has to classify the patient correctly. Proper classification of headache has led to studies of patients which has led to important treatment developments. The section on sinus headache is included as this is the most commonly misdiagnosed of all headaches leading to the largest group of patients that potentially will benefit from this web site.

So whether you have migraine headaches, sinus headaches, cluster headaches, or tension headaches or know someone who does suffer from migraine headaches, sinus headaches, cluster headaches, or tension headaches, I hope you find this site informational. Of course if you read this far, I am sure you do.