Cephalalgia : an international journal of headache
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Though symptomatic medication overuse is believed to play a role in progression from episodic headaches (EH) to chronic daily headaches (CDH), population-based data on this topic are limited. Our objective was to describe patterns of medication use among CDH and EH sufferers in a general population sample. We compared medications used to treat headache in CDH cases and EH controls identified from a large population-based computer-assisted telephone interview survey. ⋯ For past use, CDH was positively associated with over-the-counter/caffeine combination products and opioid compounds and was negatively associated with use of aspirin. Only ibuprofen remained (negatively) associated with CDH after adjustment [OR = 0.6 (0.4-0.9)]. After adjusting for demographic factors, primary headache type and number of medications taken, CDH sufferers are more likely to use opioid-combination analgesics, and less likely to use aspirin or ibuprofen, than EH sufferers.
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Case Reports
Does sphenopalatine endoscopic ganglion block have an effect in paroxysmal hemicrania? A case report.
The authors report the case of a 69-year-old woman suffering from paroxysmal hemicrania (PH), intolerant to indomethacin and resistant to multiple therapies, in which sphenopalatine endoscopic ganglion block (SPG) dramatically modified the clinical outcome. SPG blockade could be considered a reasonable alternative in drug-resistant PH cases where indomethacin is contraindicated.
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Stress is the most commonly reported trigger of an episode of chronic tension-type headache (CTTH); however, the causal significance has not been experimentally demonstrated to date. Stress may trigger CTTH through hyperalgesic effects on already sensitized pain pathways in CTTH sufferers. This hypothesis could be partially tested by examining pain sensitivity in an experimental model of stress-induced headache in CTTH sufferers. ⋯ Pre-task muscle tenderness and reduction in pain threshold during task were predictive of the development and intensity of headache following task. The main findings are that stress induced a headache in CTTH sufferers, and this was associated with pre-task muscle tenderness and stress-induced reduction in pain thresholds. The results support the hypothesis that stress triggers CTTH through hyperalgesic effects on already increased pain sensitivity in CTTH sufferers, reducing the threshold to noxious input from pericranial structures.