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Migraine News for November 1999 Headache Specialists Review Advances in Causes and Treatment of HeadachesAmerican Association for the Study of Headache
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Patients NewsWire Contact: Linda McGillicuddy For immediate release
The American Association for the Study of Headache convenes in Scottsdale, Arizona this week (October 22-24, 1999) to present recent advances in the causes and treatment of major forms of headache. Experts will focus on migraine, tension-type, and cluster headache. The Association's annual fall symposium is designed to update primary care and specialist physicians, psychologists, nurses, and other health professionals about the different forms of headache and the latest thinking in managing these conditions. | |
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One of the major sessions of the meeting will be on the subject of women and migraine. Gretchen Tietjen, M.D. of the Department of Neurosciences at the Medical College of Ohio says in her practice, three-quarters of the migraine sufferers she sees are women. She will discuss the influence of oral contraceptives on migraine. Other speakers in the session will review advances in understanding menstrual migraine, migraine in pregnancy and the postpartum period, and the effect of menopause. Sessions will also focus on headache in different segments of the population: children, people with certain medical conditions, and the elderly. On Saturday morning, Paul Winner, D.O. will discuss pediatric migraine, including diagnosis, management, and prevention. Todd Rozen, M.D. will cover the topic of headache in transplant patients. On Sunday, an entire session will be devoted to headache in older people. Among other topics, this segment of the program will include a discussion about medical illness and drug interactions. The elderly often have concomitant illnesses and may be taking several medications, which can produce significant drug-drug interactions as well as troubling side effects. Key to effective management of all forms of chronic headache is proper diagnosis and evaluation, and selection of the right means to control them. Robert Smith, M.D. will chair session on Tools for Assessing Headaches in Primary Care. Primary care physicians see a significant number of patients troubled by headache, and in many cases, they can treat the condition without referring the patient to a specialist. The session will review diagnostic techniques and tests, as well as methods for assessing the amount of disability a patient experiences because of headache. Further goals of the symposium include a review of the appropriate use of preventive therapies, both pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic, as well as behavioral aspects of headache management. While effective medications exist to stop many headaches, issues arise when they are overused, including the possibility of "rebound" headaches. Behavioral control may include establishing regular eating and sleeping patterns and avoiding foods or situations that may trigger a headache. The American Association for the Study of Headache (www.aash.org), founded in 1959, is the nation's professional organization for those interested in the study and management of headache and face pain. The Association's objectives are to promote the exchange of information and ideas concerning the causes and treatments of headache and related painful disorders. Educating physicians, health professionals, and the public and encouraging scientific research are the primary functions of this organization. The journal Headache is the official publication of the Association. The American Council for Headache Education (ACHE, www.achenet.org) is an affiliated organization for headache sufferers, family members, and the public. It can be reached at (800) 255-ACHE. Distributed by: Patients NewsWire is service of Patients Network. # # # |
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