UHAM039

22 * UNDERSTANDING HEADACHES AND M IG RAI N ES

African-Caribbean people or Asian people (in both the British andthe American sense of the word). We are not surę why this is, but differences in freąuency of occurrence have been observed.

Points to notę

•    Migrames affect morę women than men.

•    For some women, menstruation makes migraines worse, but it can also provide relief in others.

•    Tension-type headaches affect men and women, but not equally. Morę women are affected than men, but the difference in proportion is not so marked as in the case of migraine.

•    Cluster headaches mainly affect men.

•    Headaches can occur right through the lifespan, although the reasons for having them might change.

•    Working in high-stress occupations can be a factor in developing headaches.

•    There is some genetic evidence that migraines run in families, but the link is not strong.