How to Manage Chronic Headaches

If you have headaches for 15 days or more per month, you have a condition called chronic daily headaches (CDH). Headaches can’t always be prevented, but Harmanpreet Buttar, MD, at Vital Clinic and Spa in Cypress, Texas, can help you manage the symptoms of chronic headaches with prevention strategies and lifestyle changes. 

Over 90% of people with CDH also have a psychiatric condition, like anxiety or depression, which makes chronic headaches even more difficult to treat. Fortunately, Dr. Buttar can also treat coexisting issues to offer relief.

If your 15 headache days include at least eight days of migraine headaches (for three months or more), you have chronic migraines. Chronic migraine headaches affect between 3 and 5% of people in the United States.

How to relieve tension headaches

Tension headaches are one of the most common types. Tension headaches may feel like a tight band of pain around your head, pressure, or a dull ache. 

You can treat occasional tension headaches with over-the-counter pain relievers. Many people also manage headaches with antidepressants or alternative therapies, including:

• Acupuncture
• Massage therapy
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy
• Biofeedback

Tension headaches can last anywhere from 30 minutes to upwards of a week. If you’re struggling with frequent headaches or headaches that don’t respond to over-the-counter treatments, make an appointment at Vital Clinic and Spa.

How to relieve migraine headaches

Migraines are severe headaches that cause additional symptoms, like:

• Nausea or vomiting
• Increased sensitivity to light or sound
• Worsening with activity, like climbing steps or bending over to pick something up
• Pulsating
• Lasting between four and 72 hours without treatment

If you experience occasional migraines, you may find relief from resting in a quiet and dark room with a hot or cold compress on your head or neck. Small amounts of caffeine and over-the-counter pain relievers may help. Migraine prescription medications are also an option.

For people with chronic migraines, Dr. Buttar can provide additional treatment options, such as preventive medications and Botox®.

Botox for migraines

If you have migraines for 15 days or more each month, Botox is an FDA-approved treatment. Dr. Buttar injects Botox around the pain fibers involved in headaches, where it blocks the release of chemicals responsible for pain transmission.

Botox treatment for migraines improves your symptoms after multiple treatments. Each treatment lasts 10-12 weeks, with the most benefits experienced after the second and third treatments.

Almost everyone gets a headache from time to time, and most are nothing to worry about. But if your headaches become chronic or interrupt your daily activities, schedule an appointment online or by calling Vital Clinic and Spa.