Dealing with that searing, debilitating headache

If you think headache is just a passing pain, think again. Did you know that some forms of headache may last from days to even years?

Headaches are the symptom of thousands of medical conditions and scientists have, in fact, identified 165 different types.

They also found that tension-type headaches (TTHs) and migraine attacks are two of the types that are responsible for roughly 92 percent of all headaches occurring in the world.

According to Bayer, whose lab in 1897, developed the aspirin, the most important pain reliever since prehistoric times, both TTHs and migraines can be extremely debilitating that on average, they cause more than 30 sick days a year.

The not-so-good news is that these two could plague young children, even babies, and could stop the strongest and bravest in their tracks.

According to a study conducted by the World Health Organization and Lifting the Burden (a UK-based nongoverment organization), these two types of headache are extremely common, yet relatively poorly understood.

A TTH maybe either be episodic, which occur randomly, and are often the result of temporary stress, anxiety, fatigue or anger or chronic, which occurs just about every day, and may go on for months.

Regarded as the most serious, the chronic TTHs are characterized by a tightness that feels like having a band around the head, sometimes from the back of the neck to the forehead.

The causes of chronic TTHs are not also well understood, and the condition tends to worsen with time.

Migraines, on the other hand, are largely believed to be genetic in origin and usually start from childhood and onward, although most commonly observed in 20s and 30s individuals.

Migraines are most often severe, the pain is debilitating and is usually accompanied by nausea.

Migraine episodes often last for days at a time, and the predisposition to have migraine episodes is a lifelong condition.

Indeed, the WHO study concludes that headache disorders are ubiquitous, disabling and largely treatable, but at the same time, underrecognized, underdiagnosed and undertreated.

It further concludes that even if TTHs and migraines could significantly reduce one’s social activities and work capacity, both the public and the majority of doctors tend to perceive headache as a minor or trivial complaint.

As a result, the physical, emotional and economic burdens of headache are poorly acknowledged in comparison with those of other, less prevalent, neurological disorders.

Bayer believed that the cost to society of treating the headaches would be far less if the condition is addressed seriously.

The company suggests that to successfully treat TTHs and migraines, authorities and experts should formulate a combined approach that takes into account the individual triggers including poor diet, stress, muscle tension and lack of exercise (although serious underlying disorders, such as brain tumors, while rarely the cause of headache, should also be considered).

While Bayer is perhaps more recognized as a preventative against heart attacks and strokes these days, the company is again reemerging as a strong player in the business of relieving headache.

The German company believes that is has the right mix of medical technology and combined with name recognition and brand trust, it could still deliver new and much-improved aspirin-based headache remedy.