Medical Services > Neurosciences

According to the National Headache Foundation, more than 45 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches. About 26 million of those experience migraine headaches. At some point in their lives, over 70 percent of the U.S. population will suffer from headache pain serious enough to require medical attention.

Headaches are broadly separated into two categories: primary headaches, such as migraines, cluster headaches and tension headaches; and secondary headaches, in which the headache is a symptom of another, underlying disorder. Headaches are caused by particular nerves in muscles and blood vessels sending pain signals to the brain. Triggers that cause those nerves to activate can vary widely and are not always discernible.

Tension headaches are the most common type of primary headache, affecting 88 percent of women and 68 percent of men. These muscle contraction headaches generally cause mild to moderate pain, but because of their recurring nature, medical treatment can provide much-needed relief.

Migraine headaches are the second most common type of primary headache. In addition to flaring nerve signals, migraines feature constriction and dilation of blood vessels as well as a flow of inflammatory substances such as serotonin. Symptoms include:

• Throbbing pain, often on one side of the head
• Sensitivity to light, sound and smells
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Tingling, prickling sensations or numbness
• Scalp tenderness
• Pain that increases with exertion
• Vision problems such as flashes of light or blind spots

Cluster headaches involve intense, piercing pain, often behind one eye. These headaches tend to group around a certain time period, recurring frequently within a span of several weeks or month, then receding for months or years at a time.

Secondary headaches, those presenting as symptoms of an underlying condition, include sinus and hormone headaches and headaches associated with injury to the head or, infrequently, with severe problems such as tumors.

In addition to these various types of headaches, UT Southwestern Medical Center's Pain Program treats peripheral neuropathy. Also known as peripheral nerve disease, peripheral neuropathy is a deterioration of the body's peripheral nerves. These nerves are responsible for communication between the brain and the body's muscles, organs and tissues. This deterioration causes weakness, itching or burning sensations, numbness or sensory loss, and pain, which can sometimes be severe and constant. Although there is no cure for peripheral neuropathy, there are treatments to control the disease and lessen the severity of symptoms.

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