Category : Health and you
Headache management includes correct diagnosis and investigations and treatment. Headache is predominantly a clinical diagnosis and the scan requirement is less than 2%.
98% of the headaches are diagnosed clinically as we discussed in the previous blog, headache includes primary and secondary headaches. Sitting with a patient and talking to the patient, taking detailed history, solve the mystery of headache in majority of the times. At JSS Hospital, we have qualified headache specialist, who can make a diagnosis of type of headache and plan appropriate management.
Headache management is multidisciplinary which includes pharmacological, lifestyle modification and addressing psychological aspects. Investigations for headache include MR imaging, CT imaging, eye examination, Ent examination and certain blood tests is in appropriate situations and sometimes lumbar puncture where we require to drain cerebro spinal fluid and send for investigations. A correct diagnosis is half the battle won.
Lot of pharmacological advances has happened in recent times. We particularly emphasise the need of prophylactic medication in headache management because that can cure the headache and not just symptomatic pain relief. There are multiple drugs available of various categories, including oral medications and injectables, which can be used, the painkillers, also need to be tailor maid Into the situation many times patients comorbid status to be considered like depression, obesity, gender, pregnancy status, lactation status, psychiatric illness, cardiac and renal illness and we prescribe drugs to headache. This is only possible in the presence of qualified neurologist.
We urge general public to meet JSS Hospital Neurology department for the right diagnosis and management of headache
By,
Dr. Shasthara. P
Associate Professor,
JSS Hospital, Mysuru