Chronic and Hemicrania Continua Headaches

By: Ian Murnaghan BSc (hons), MSc - Updated: 4 Apr 2016 | *Discuss

 

Chronic headaches are those occurring on a daily basis and affect about five percent of adults. They may be primary, where they gradually increase in frequency until they are occurring on a daily or near daily basis.

Alternately, they may be caused by an underlying disease or condition and thus classified as secondary. The consistent and repetitive nature of chronic headaches makes them particularly debilitating. They also account for the majority of referrals to headache specialists. By definition, a chronic headache occurs more than 15 days within a month.

What Are The Symptoms?

Hemicrania continua exists in two forms known as continuous and remitting. In the continuous form, headaches occur daily with little or no respite, often for years. In the remitting form, headaches may occur regularly over 1 to 6 months, separated by pain free periods of several weeks to months. Pain may occur as short jabbing jolts alongside the persistent daily headache.

Some of the symptoms include those similar to migraines, such as:

• Throbbing pain
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sensitivity to light
• Sensitivity to sound

Symptoms may also mimic those of cluster headaches and include:

• Tearing eyes and runny nose
• Drooping eyelid
• Redness on affected side
• Brief bouts of intense pain on one side

What Are the Causes and Risk Factors?

• Medication overuse
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Sleep Disorders
• Obesity
• Stimulants such as caffeine

Treatment Options

Indomethacin is generally well tolerated although gastrointestinal side effects might indicate a need for acid-suppression therapy. It should also be noted that there is a risk of kidney damage with indomethacin and this is something that you should discuss with your doctor. Other NSAIDs such as ibuprofen, celecoxib, and naproxen may be helpful. Amitriptyline and other tricyclic antidepressants are also effective in some patients and your doctor will likely discuss all medication options. It is also important to identify stressors in day-to-day life as reducing these may help in managing this form of chronic headaches.

Hemicrania continua is a relatively well-treated form of chronic headaches and most sufferers can find complete to near-complete relief by avoiding triggers and using medication daily.

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