I’m 39 years old, recently I have headaches 3-5 times a month, sometimes on one side of my head. Is this condition dangerous, how to treat it? (Minh Hang, Binh Duong).
You have not clearly stated the symptoms and nature of the pain, for example how long it lasts, whether the pain is severe or moderate, whether it gradually gets worse, or whether medication helps, so it is not possible to draw specific conclusions. According to your description, the condition has no warning signs of being life-threatening.
Headaches often lead to two trends: dangerous headaches and chronic headaches. Your clinical symptoms may be headaches that progress chronically and show signs of Migraine headaches (primary headaches, appearing intermittently). Migraine headaches are classified as the most common group, greatly affecting the health and function of the patient.
Migraine headaches often recur many times, are more frequent, and have a high chance of progressing to chronicity. Patients need to be treated early to control the disease effectively.
Migraine headache treatment regimen is divided into two phases: abortive treatment (taking medication when a headache appears) and preventative treatment (taking medication every day, usually lasting 6-12 months).
Migraine headache is a physical disease, treatment methods are aimed at stabilizing the disease and reducing symptoms. Patients need to combine a scientific lifestyle such as getting enough sleep, limiting stress, eating on time and with enough nutrients, not drinking alcohol, and avoiding smoking to increase treatment effectiveness.
When the above methods have been implemented and the patient still does not achieve the desired treatment effect, the doctor may prescribe transcranial magnetic stimulation. This technique uses magnetic waves that create a magnetic field that passes through the skull and into the brain. They will impact and improve the function and connection between brain cells in brain areas related to headaches, bringing therapeutic effects.
The device is placed on the head near the patient’s temple. This is a non-invasive, safe, painless technique and the patient does not need to be hospitalized. Implementation time is about 30-60 minutes each time. You should go to a hospital that specializes in neurology for a more detailed examination and treatment.