Brain stimulation may ease headaches

[IceTea]

Stimulating the brain with implanted electrodes appears to help ease the pain of cluster headaches, two separate teams of researchers reported.

In one study, six out of eight patients said they got relief from cluster headaches, blindingly painful headaches that come back again and again.

Two out of eight patients in a second study said they were headache-free for more than a year using the device, and three more reported a 90 per cent drop in the frequency of attacks.

Writing in the Lancet medical journal and its sister publication Lancet Neurology, the researchers said it was important to target the correct area - the occipital nerve.

"Occipital nerve stimulation in cluster headache seems to offer a safe, effective treatment option that could begin a new era of neurostimulation therapy for primary headache symptoms," said Peter Goadsby of University College London in Britain and the University of California, San Francisco.

Cluster headaches are marked by periods with many attacks of extremely severe headaches. Patients often must take preventive medication every day for years. But in some cases, drugs do no good.

Researchers have tried using brain stimulation before but it targeted a region called the posterior hypothalamus. Patients risk developing a fatal haemorrhage. Techniques that stimulate the occipital nerve have been tested on other types of headaches.

In the second report, Jean Schoenen and colleagues from the Headache Research Unit of Belgium's Liege University tested eight patients separately.

Two patients had no pain after 16 months and 22 months, respectively, and three more said they had 90 per cent fewer headaches. Only one patient switched off his stimulator after four months because he said it did not work.

In a commentary, Anna Ambrosini of the Headache Clinic at Neuromed in Pozzilli, Italy, said stimulating the hypothalamus got better results, but the new approach was worth testing in a larger group of patients.

http://www.gulfnews.com/world/General/10109745.html

=========

Is cluster headaches same as whats known as 'shaqeeqa'?

[HITMAN]

IceTea, I haven't heard the term 'shaqeeqa" before so I can't really answer your question

But I'll state some facts which may help us both find out & perhaps others can help us as well:

---> Cluster headaches are rare & 90% of the sufferers are males & alcohol triggers it in some sufferers
---> The most common type of headaches is known as the tension headache

So, can you describe the term you used?

[IceTea]

HITMAN, the word 'shaqeeqa' came from the word 'shaq' which is part, so this headache is which affact one part of the brain (left or right side). That is the way I understood it. I might be wrong though.

[HITMAN]

IceTea, then you are referring to migraine most probably, which is also known as "sudaa3 nu6fy" (meaning affecting one side of the head)

[IceTea]

Yes that is the one. So this topic as about different type then.

[Solafa]

Sallam,

The cluster headache is similar to migraine, but it worse in the level of the pain. although it is known that migraine usually attacks women over men, but the cluster attacks more of men than women.

The below is some information that might help understanding the differences


Migraine

Migraine is a form of headache which is severe and usually one sided, frequently associated with nausea and vomiting. This is sometimes preceded by warning symptoms which usually affect the eyesight and are known as an "aura".

Symptoms

People sometimes feel not quite right prior to a migraine eg depressed, unusually happy or hungry, and in addition may suffer from visual changes eg flashing, zig-zag lines, or a blind spot. Sometimes the symptoms are even more extreme. The headache is usually one sided although it is not invariably the same side. Quite quickly nausea and vomiting may follow. The bowels may also be affected and in children sometimes there is no headache but abdominal pain instead.

Causes

Each person is different but there are some "trigger" factors which are commonly involved:
tiredness
physical exhaustion
stress
climatic change
hormones, eg the "time of the month" in women
foods, eg caffeine, cheese, chocolate, red wine

Treatment and prevention

Note down your attacks in a diary and try to spot any common triggering factors, and avoid them if possible.

Try avoiding any food which seems implicated and at a later stage take a small trial dose of the food again to see whether it genuinely is involved.
At the first symptom of an attack take a pain killer eg aspirin or paracetamol, even if this means waking yourself up when you notice symptoms while half asleep in the early hours of the morning. (Often by getting up time it is too late to abort the attack.)

Most people find that it helps to lie down in a darkened room, in fact there may be little else you are able to do. In some instances migraine follows a period of rushing around over-stretching yourself, and it might be looked on as the body's way of slowing you down.

Sometimes bathing your head in cold water or using a cold compress on the forehead is helpful.

There are some over the counter preparations which contain a pain killer and a medication which stops nausea and vomiting (antiemetic). These are often even more effective than the pain killer alone, as migraine is associated with poor absorption from the stomach and a tendency for food and drink to stay in the stomach much longer than usual (prior to being sick).
Your doctor may prescribe something along the lines of the above, or possibly one of the more modern specific antimigraine treatments, which work on one of the chemical pathways in the brain.
If the attacks are frequent and disruptive, then your doctor may prescribe a drug to be taken daily as a preventative.
Sometimes relaxation and meditation techniques may be helpful as may some of the complementary therapies.

Source (http://www.medinfo.co.uk/conditions/migraine.html)




What is a cluster headache?

A cluster headache is a rare type of headache that is more common in men. Cluster headaches start suddenly. The pain is usually behind or around one eye and is very severe. The eye and nose on the same side as the pain may become red, swollen and runny. Cluster headaches also cause restlessness. These headaches can be frightening to the sufferer and his or her family.

A cluster headache can last a few minutes or several hours, but it usually lasts for 45 to 90 minutes. Cluster headaches typically occur at the same time each day for several weeks, until the "cluster period" is over. The most common times for cluster headaches seem to be between 1:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. and around 9:00 p.m. Cluster periods usually last 4 to 8 weeks and may occur every few months. At other times, no cluster headaches will occur.


What causes cluster headaches?

Cluster headaches do not appear to be related to other illnesses or to diseases of the brain. They do not seem to run in families.

Some of the causes of cluster headaches may include:

some medications (such as nitroglycerin)
heavy smoking
an interruption in your normal sleep pattern
problems with the hypothalamus, which controls your body's "biological clock"


Can I do anything to prevent headaches once a cluster period has started?

During a cluster period, it is important to keep to your usual routine, remain calm and avoid changing your sleep pattern. Once a cluster period has started, a change in sleep pattern, particularly taking an afternoon nap, seems to bring on the headaches.

Drinking alcohol will also bring on headaches during cluster periods. This happens very quickly -- before you finish the first drink. Alcohol should be completely avoided until the cluster period is over. Stress may bring on attacks, and the headaches may start when you are relaxing after a stressful time.

What treatments are available?

Several treatments are available for cluster headaches. It is important to work with your doctor to talk about side effects of different medicines, pick the right treatment for you and set up a schedule for taking the medicines your doctor prescribes.

Your doctor will probably prescribe 2 medicines. One medicine is taken regularly during a cluster period to reduce the number of headaches. In order for the medicine to work, the level of the drug in your blood must be high at the time your attacks usually start.

The second medicine is taken to relieve the pain when a cluster headache occurs. Attacks begin too quickly for you to reach medical help. You must be ready to take this medicine as soon as an attack begins. You may want to teach family members about your headaches and medicines so that they will be able to help you when you have an attack.

Medicines taken by mouth work too slowly to give relief for cluster headaches. For this reason, your doctor may prescribe a medicine that is taken by inhaler, as an injection (a "shot") or as a rectal suppository. Other treatments that work for some people are rapidly breathing pure oxygen through a mask or using a local anesthetic (numbing medicine) in their nose.

Source (http://familydoctor.org/035.xml)

[IceTea]

Thanks Solafa for providing the details.