Migraine and tension-type headaches are two of the most common primary headaches in the country today. This is evident from the records maintained by the National Referral Hospital in Thimphu.
According to health professionals, at least 20 to 30 patients suffering from either of the two medical conditions visit the Referral Hospital daily.
Though the actual cause of migraine is not known, doctors say triggering factors such as loud noises, bright lights, crowds and stress will lead to a migraine. As for the tension-type headache, stress is the main cause.
“Tension headache can be either sides or the whole part of the head. But in migraine, most of the time it is actually one-sided, either the right or left or behind because of the mechanism of something happening inside our brain cells. This brain cell activation can cause pain in the front or back or right side depending on which part of the brain is activated,” Dr Tashi Tenzin, the Neurosurgeon with JDWNRH, said.
He added that many of the patients will suffer from four different stages of migraine-mood swings and food cravings in the first stage, visual distortions in the second stage, pain and nausea in the third stage and fatigue in the fourth stage.
Dr Tashi Tenzin says migraine headaches are more severe than tension headaches. And migraines are more common among people who are aged between the late twenties and early forties.
Relaxing or taking proper rest and avoiding stress are some of the measures to avoid triggering factors for tension headaches. For migraines, health professionals advice taking naps in calm places, and to avoid crowds and noisy places during attacks.
“For migraine, there are triggering factors but there are also some food items that cause migraine because of the chemicals present in them such as alcohol and coke which have preservatives. Dairy products contain some sort of triggering factors for migraine so we usually advise them to avoid dairy products.”
Though both headaches have no lifelong complications, doctors say migraines can result in minor disabilities such as short period paralysis and persistent headaches if not treated.
