Persistent Headaches

Dear Ask The Doctor: Hi, I suffer from severe headaches. I have been to see my GP recently as i know started to feel funny when i get these headaches. I start to feel shaky, i sweat, feel like i am going to pass out. After the attack i feel very drained and have a very bad headache. the GP has tested my sugar and thyriod, all is normal. Lately my severe headaches wake me up at night, and no medicane i takes helps. I am a female and 29 years old. Should i be worried? could it be possible that i could have phaeochromocytoma?

Dear Karen: The most common cause of Headaches is stress or tension. Headaches can be divided into 2 broad categories: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Primary headaches are not caused by problems with a person's internal structure or organs or by bacteria, viruses or other organisms. Migraine, cluster, tension, and rebound headaches are types of primary headache. Secondary headaches are those caused by an underlying structural or organic disease and can be associated with the other symptoms that you described as shaky, sweating, balance problems. Several observations support this idea. When exposed to very high or low temperatures, people sometimes develop a ‘migraine like ‘headache. (Migraine headaches are sometimes called vascular headaches. Vascular means having to do with the blood vessels.) These headaches can also suddenly arise in some people when they do not get enough sleep or food. Common triggers of migraine headaches include heat, stress, and lack of sleep or food. Not every headache sufferer is sensitive to these triggers, but virtually all persons with migraine headaches (called migraineurs) have some environmental trigger. About 70% of migraineurs have a first-degree relative (parent, brother, sister, or child) with a history of migraine. I recommend you to review all these factors and make the pertinent changes in your daily routine and see if your symptoms improve.