UHAM068

THE CAUSES OF HEADACHE AND MIGRAINE ^ 51

Diabetes

Headaches can result from diabetes, because diabetes is often associated with high blood pressure. Of course, as we have seen elsewhere, hypertension can be associated with headaches. However, when migraineurs develop diabetes they often report that their migraines are less severe. This is likely to be due to changes in blood-sugar levels. People who gain weight often have relief from migraines, and again this may be due to increases in blood sugar, sińce the reason that people gain weight is usually that they are eating morę. Eating morę leads to higher levels of blood sugar. As you can see, it is a complicated system!

When people with diabetes have migraines, it is often found that the migraines are at their worst when the diabetes is badly controlled. If diabetes affects you it is important that you take the advice of your doctor and stick to the medication and lifestyle that has been recommended.

Thyrotoxicosis

When people have an overactive thyroid they can experience an increase in migraines. As with diabetes, controlling the thyroid function can help with the migraines, and so be aware that if you have been diagnosed with an overactive thyroid you should mention any migraines you have had to the doctor.

Temporal arteritis (giant celi arteritis)

This is a relatively common cause of headaches, but only in people over the age of 60. We do not yet know why it happens and it can be confused with tension-type headache. In temporal arteritis, the arteries in the temples tend to be noticeable to the eye, and are tender to the touch. There is often a throbbing pain over the eye and tempie, but pain can also be felt in the neck or back of the head. Often, soreness of the scalp is found; there is sometimes pain when chewing; and weight loss may occur. Most people can be cured of this problem by using steroidal drugs, although a smali number of people do not respond to treatment. The majority of patients must take the drugs permanently and the conseąuences of not receiving treatment for temporal arteritis are serious. Blindness is one likely outcome, and it could occur suddenly. However, it must be stressed that the success ratę of treatment is ąuite high.