UHAM093

76 ^ UNDERSTANDING HEADACHES AND M I G RAI N ES

A good starting point for any keen reader of the vast amount of literaturę available on migraine.

Mig minę: Revised and Expanded, by 01iver Sacks, London: Picador. A morę academieally-oriented book, although still intended for the generał reader. This book would probably appeal most to those people who like popular science books. Sacks is a famous neurologist who may be known to you as the author of Awakenings, of which a popular film was madę. Migraine is a wide-ranging book, but tends morę towards research and theory into migraines, rather than concentrating on the self-help dimension.

The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Migraines and Other Headaches, by Dennis Fox and Jeanne Rejaunier, Indianapolis: Alpha Books. A great bedtime read, with lots of information on just about everything you might want to know about headaches andmigraines. Some readers may not like the light-hearted presentation, but others may hnd it highly readable as a conseąuence of that.

Migraine for Dummies, by Dianę Staff ord and Jennifer Shoąuist, Chichester: Wiley. Another relatively light-hearted book which covers, in a readable way, the causes and treatments of migraine.

Migraine in Women, by Annę MacGregor, London: Martin Dunitz. A book that outlines the causes of migraines in women and gives tips for management of the migraines associated with pregnancy, menstruation, contraception and HRT.

Medical professionals

In the first instance, your generał practitioner is likely to be the best source of advice, especially as to whether your headaches reąuire special treatment or to put yourmind atrestthatthere is nothing to worry about. Depending upon the naturę of your headaches, you might be referred to a specialist (consultant). A number of hospitals have specialist headache clinics for this very purpose. You can hnd a list of these clinics at the Migraine Action Association website; however, you would need a referral letter from your doctor before arranging an appointment with one of these clinics. If you are in the United Kingdom and wish to bypass the National Health Service and pay for specialist advice, there are also a number of private clinics.

Some generał practitioners are morę than happy to refer people with headaches to consultants, but others are less so. A host of factors may influence