Myths and Truths About Headaches

Headache is a widespread problem that each of us encounters at least once in our lives. There are many misconceptions about this topic among patients, and today we will address the most common ones.

1. Headaches are caused by osteochondrosis and/or intracranial pressure. No! Most headaches—90-95%—are primary headaches, independent conditions not associated with any other pathology. The most common types of primary headaches are migraines and tension headaches. In the remaining 5-10% of cases, headaches are secondary, meaning they occur against the background of other diseases—such as infections, injuries, tumors, and others.
2. If you have a headache, you need to undergo an MRI of the brain. For diagnosing primary headaches (such as migraines or tension headaches), a thorough patient interview about their headache and a neurological examination are sufficient, and in most cases, no additional tests are needed. If the doctor suspects a secondary headache due to the presence of so-called “red flags”—specific complaints, medical history, and examination findings indicating a possible secondary headache—then the patient will be referred for further examination. Undergoing an MRI for patients with headaches in most cases does not provide the doctor with any information about the causes of the headache.
3. Headaches cannot be cured. If we treat a patient with headaches correctly, we can significantly reduce the frequency and severity of headaches and improve the quality of life for patients. Yes, headaches will periodically occur, but a patient trained by a doctor will know what to do about them.
4. To prevent headaches, you need to have IV drips twice a year. No! No one in the world treats headaches this way; it does not align with effective headache treatment methods. For headaches, patients are prescribed preventive treatment—medications that the patient takes for a long time, about a year, to reduce the frequency and severity of headaches. For example, for migraine prevention, we have a choice of 8 different groups of medications.
5. Headaches due to high blood pressure. Many patients note that headaches are accompanied by increased pressure. Most often, the pressure rises by 10-30 mmHg from the usual level against the background of a headache, as a physiological reaction to pain, usually observed in migraines. The head really hurts due to blood pressure at levels of 180/100 mmHg and above.
6. Headache is associated with a previous traumatic brain injury, such as a concussion. Often, patients associate their headache with a head injury that occurred long before the headache appeared. According to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3 beta, 2018), a headache is considered related to head trauma if it occurs within 7 days after the injury.

In other situations, we cannot associate the presence of a headache with a traumatic brain injury. It should be noted that a head injury is a stressful situation, against which any primary headache (migraine, tension headache) may manifest in the patient.

At the V.S. Buzaev International Medical Centre, our neurologists specializing in headaches can assist you with the diagnosis and treatment of headaches .

Call us: +7 800 300-84-62 Free in Russia ( GMT+5)