“The headache” is a fairly generic expression that affects a very large majority of the population at least once in their life with varying intensities and durations. In reality, headaches include two major diseases: migraine, which is a common disease affecting 15% of the population, and tension headache (muscular) which also affects 15%. These are the two most common major causes for headaches, and they are sometimes difficult to tell apart.
This disease causes headaches that recur with variable frequency, from a few times in life to a few times a month. Migraine is a disease whose impact, both on quality of life and on professional activity, can become disabling, especially when the person is affected by severe attacks. It is common for a person to be affected by headaches and tension headaches.
In migraine, there is also cluster headache, which is a fairly rare form. It mainly affects men (1 in 1000 according to Dr. Dib, while migraine affects 200 out of 1000). The cluster headache manifests itself in the form of attacks much shorter and much stronger than the “classic” migraine.
The diagnostic criteria for chronic migraine according to the International Headache Society:
A. Headache presents at least 15 days per month for at least 3 months.
B. Headache occurring in a patient who has previously presented at least (…)