What do you think?
Rate this book
Headache: A Family Doctor's Guide to Treating a Common Ailment
Currently, about one in six of us suffer from chronic headache. In the United Kingdom, about six million adults get migraines; on any one day, 200,000 will have one, with about half missing work or school. And that one-in-six statistic is narrowing every year.
Why is headache becoming an increasing problem? Why do particular drugs work for some people and not others, who continue to struggle with tension headache, chronic headache, and migraine? How much of a role do genetics, the environment, and diet play in causing headache? And what could you try if you’ve done everything for relief and got nowhere?
In this timely book, family doctor and former headache sufferer Carole Hungerford addresses what we know about treating and preventing this common health problem, including what triggers headaches, foods and chemicals to avoid, and the latest research on the role that genetics play in causing migraine. She explores the evolutionary role of headache, and examines which approaches to treatment work best for which types of patients.
Some of us only get the occasional headache; for others, headache dominates their lives. This book explains the science behind headache, the possible causes, and what can be done to stop the problem. It’s the one book every headache sufferer will need.
Why is headache becoming an increasing problem? Why do particular drugs work for some people and not others, who continue to struggle with tension headache, chronic headache, and migraine? How much of a role do genetics, the environment, and diet play in causing headache? And what could you try if you’ve done everything for relief and got nowhere?
In this timely book, family doctor and former headache sufferer Carole Hungerford addresses what we know about treating and preventing this common health problem, including what triggers headaches, foods and chemicals to avoid, and the latest research on the role that genetics play in causing migraine. She explores the evolutionary role of headache, and examines which approaches to treatment work best for which types of patients.
Some of us only get the occasional headache; for others, headache dominates their lives. This book explains the science behind headache, the possible causes, and what can be done to stop the problem. It’s the one book every headache sufferer will need.
384 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2014
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 26, 2017
This book, despite the picture of a glass of water on the front cover, is targeted at people who suffer from regular headaches without any obviously identifiable cause. There is almost no mention of common and predictable causes such as dehydration or eye strain.
It turns out that whilst we know a huge amount about the effect of chemical receptors on the functioning of the brain, what causes and triggers headaches is still something of a mystery. Hungerford attempts to provide some scientific framework to that mystery and to give people the right mindset to figure out their own mystery for themselves. One frequently suggested cure, for example, is the use of elimination diets to isolate potential dietary triggers.
I enjoyed the book, and found Hungerford's central theory that the role of diet is underestimated by doctors in the causation of headaches, particularly fascinating. However I found the meandering structure of the book and the unexpected swings between patronisingly obvious (eating too many additives is bad for you) and incomprehensibly complex (the effects of different molecules in different combinations) difficult to follow.
It turns out that whilst we know a huge amount about the effect of chemical receptors on the functioning of the brain, what causes and triggers headaches is still something of a mystery. Hungerford attempts to provide some scientific framework to that mystery and to give people the right mindset to figure out their own mystery for themselves. One frequently suggested cure, for example, is the use of elimination diets to isolate potential dietary triggers.
I enjoyed the book, and found Hungerford's central theory that the role of diet is underestimated by doctors in the causation of headaches, particularly fascinating. However I found the meandering structure of the book and the unexpected swings between patronisingly obvious (eating too many additives is bad for you) and incomprehensibly complex (the effects of different molecules in different combinations) difficult to follow.
August 12, 2023
Very interesting book, but a difficult one for an ordinary person to understand in some sections. Still worth reading as there is information here that is not to be found in other headache books.
Here are a few random, but useful things of note, but maybe only useful to people who have had a gene analysis like 23 & Me done:
1) Chapter 2 - for people with the MTHFR variant 677C>T who accumulate more homocysteine than other people because of reduced methylation, they may be able to lower their homocysteine levels by taking B6, B12, and 5-MTHF (an active form of folic acid). The MTRR 66G and MTHFR 1298 variants also have a higher incident of migraine and may also need B vitamins. Also of interest to people with the MTHFR 677C>T variant is the ACE gene connection. This gene is concerned with the body's management of sodium and potassium (electrolyte balance). We need these minerals in the correct ratio. If you have the gene that favours the retention of salt, changing your diet to maintain the balance may be beneficial.
2) Chapter 9 - more information for people with MTHFR mutations - use of ergot alkaloids is not recommended because of the risks of vascular spasm and stroke in these people. Here also is a discussion of how some individuals are affected by caffeine. Caffeine binds to the adenosine receptors in the brain. At the time the book was written, there was some research being done focusing on the role of these receptors in migraine, sleep disturbances and other brain disorders. Some receptors may also be activated by alcohol, adding a genetic factor affecting sensitivity to alcohol. However some individuals find that caffeine is useful countering migraines since it blocks the effects of acetate - one of the breakdown products of alcohol. (And just to be confusing, other people find that caffeine contributes to migraine.)
This chapter goes on to discuss all the major drugs that are used to treat migraine. The side effects are the reason the author recommends migraine sufferers try diet and other things to prevent them from occurring, instead of coming to rely on drugs.
3) Chapter 10 has some interesting information on Chronic daily headache (CDH). The author says "these people include some of the most desperate patients of all." Many suffer from a phenomenon called allodynia, where the patient reacts to a stimulus (light touch for instance) with an exaggerated pain response. The neurons in the pain pathway become sensitised for some reason, and that reason may be because of iron deposition. More research is needed.
4) Besides magnesium, B vitamins, and the other supplements that are covered in Chapter 8, the author recommends taking a probiotic with Bifidobacterium longum for people suffering with anxiety. Anxiety can play a role in triggering headache and in worsening the pain. This bacterium is helpful as it seems to have the effect of facilitating the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin.
Here are a few random, but useful things of note, but maybe only useful to people who have had a gene analysis like 23 & Me done:
1) Chapter 2 - for people with the MTHFR variant 677C>T who accumulate more homocysteine than other people because of reduced methylation, they may be able to lower their homocysteine levels by taking B6, B12, and 5-MTHF (an active form of folic acid). The MTRR 66G and MTHFR 1298 variants also have a higher incident of migraine and may also need B vitamins. Also of interest to people with the MTHFR 677C>T variant is the ACE gene connection. This gene is concerned with the body's management of sodium and potassium (electrolyte balance). We need these minerals in the correct ratio. If you have the gene that favours the retention of salt, changing your diet to maintain the balance may be beneficial.
2) Chapter 9 - more information for people with MTHFR mutations - use of ergot alkaloids is not recommended because of the risks of vascular spasm and stroke in these people. Here also is a discussion of how some individuals are affected by caffeine. Caffeine binds to the adenosine receptors in the brain. At the time the book was written, there was some research being done focusing on the role of these receptors in migraine, sleep disturbances and other brain disorders. Some receptors may also be activated by alcohol, adding a genetic factor affecting sensitivity to alcohol. However some individuals find that caffeine is useful countering migraines since it blocks the effects of acetate - one of the breakdown products of alcohol. (And just to be confusing, other people find that caffeine contributes to migraine.)
This chapter goes on to discuss all the major drugs that are used to treat migraine. The side effects are the reason the author recommends migraine sufferers try diet and other things to prevent them from occurring, instead of coming to rely on drugs.
3) Chapter 10 has some interesting information on Chronic daily headache (CDH). The author says "these people include some of the most desperate patients of all." Many suffer from a phenomenon called allodynia, where the patient reacts to a stimulus (light touch for instance) with an exaggerated pain response. The neurons in the pain pathway become sensitised for some reason, and that reason may be because of iron deposition. More research is needed.
4) Besides magnesium, B vitamins, and the other supplements that are covered in Chapter 8, the author recommends taking a probiotic with Bifidobacterium longum for people suffering with anxiety. Anxiety can play a role in triggering headache and in worsening the pain. This bacterium is helpful as it seems to have the effect of facilitating the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews