Formerly known as transformed migraines, chronic migraine headaches are those that occur more than 15 days in a month. People who suffer from them usually have had migraines since their early teens or even earlier. Chronic daily migraines usually start in individuals between the ages of 20 and 30. Hemiplegic migraines cause one side of the body to become weak, similar to a stroke.
This is part of the migraine attack and can affect the face, arm, or leg. Weakness can last from an hour to several days, but usually goes away within 24 hours. For this type of migraine, the headache may appear before or after the weakness. This type of migraine is rare. If a person takes medication for migraine headaches more than 10 days a month, it can lead to rebound headaches.
Identifying and treating headaches as soon as possible can help minimize the chances of having another headache. Other patients may experience increasingly frequent headaches due to overuse of their short-acting headache medications. Many people with chronic migraine also use acute pain relievers for headaches for more than 10 to 15 days per month, which can lead to even more frequent headaches. These headaches come in groups, meaning multiple headaches occur at the same time every day for several weeks. Migraines are the most common cause of recurrent and disabling headaches, as well as the most common underlying cause of daily and chronic disabling headaches. Focusing on where your head hurts and the symptoms that come with it can help you and your doctor determine what type of migraine or headache you have, resulting in a more effective treatment plan and fewer painful days.
Experts estimate that nearly half of adults experience headaches and 12% suffer from migraines. Cluster headaches are very painful headaches that occur on one side of the head and come in groups. Medication overuse headaches occur when a person takes too many medications to treat a primary headache. One type, called “abortifacient,” focuses on preventing the headache from becoming severe and relieving it. Because they occur over such a large area and cause other symptoms, cluster headaches can be the most irritating and are sometimes referred to as “suicidal headaches.” It is common for this type of headache to require physical therapy in addition to medication or other treatment. Tension headaches are a common primary headache disorder that affects about 42 percent of adults in Sometimes, you or your healthcare provider may assume that the pain you feel is a sinus headache or a tension-type headache.
