Ninety percent of the population has at least one headache a year. Headaches often are related to stress, allergies or a hangover resulting from drinking too much alcohol. Severe or recurring headaches, especially those accompanied by other symptoms, may be a sign of a more serious disorder and should be treated by a doctor. The condition affects people of all ages and about 6 percent of children experience migraines.
There are two types of headaches — primary, in which the headache is the disorder itself and secondary, in which the headache is caused by another condition, such as brain tumor; hemorrhaging or bleeding in the brain; meningitis, an infection causing inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord; or giant cell arteries, a disorder involving inflammation and damage to blood vessels, particularly those in the neck.
The most common types of primary headache are migraine, cluster and tension headaches. Many patients often overuse headache medications such as pain killers or migraine treatments, which can cause a condition known as medication overuse headache (MOH). If you develop this condition, you must be treated first for MOH before other therapies can be prescribed.
Headache Center
1701 Divisadero St., Suite 480
San Francisco, CA 94115
Phone: (415) 353-8393
Fax: (415) 353-9539
Appointment information
