Headaches

UHCS Services

UHCS provides evaluation and treatment for both acute and chronic headaches. Given that headaches have many causes and confounding factors, UHCS strives to provide more comprehensive treatment for headaches through collaboration between medical health care providers and mental health care providers, as appropriate. UHCS also offers some medications on-site for treatment of acute and chronic headaches.

Overview

There are many causes of headaches. Some acute headaches (those that don't occur regularly) are caused by stress (or tension) or by an illness, like sinus infections or influenza. Headaches caused by an illness will resolve once you've recovered from the condition. Tension headaches can occur more frequently, becoming chronic for some people. Chronic headaches (those that come back on a regular basis) are typically cluster, tension, or migraine headaches. Treatment varies depending on the type of headache.

For acute, mildly to moderately severe headaches, many people get relief from over-the-counter pain relief medications, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. These should be taken as directed on the package, unless instructed otherwise by your health care provider. If you are experiencing headaches several times a week or month, you should discuss this with your health care provider, as prophylactic, or preventive, medication or other therapy may help to reduce your headache frequency and improve your quality of life.

** There are other causes for headaches, so if your headache is severe, accompanied by fever, neck stiffness, altered consciousness, or occurred after a head injury, this may be a medical emergency and you should seek immediate evaluation in the emergency room (or call 911). **

Resources

• Mayo Clinic: Chronic Headaches
• WebMD: Headache Basics