WhatsAppDiagnosis and Treatment Centre for Headache Disorders
Academic Hospital Headache Treatment carries out the systematic assessment, accurate classification and individually tailored treatment of all primary and secondary headache disorders. Patients with recurrent headaches, patients who do not respond to their current treatment and patients whose headaches have become chronic form the priority patient group of our unit.
Contents
What Is Headache Treatment?
It is a clinical unit that operates under the neurology specialty and focuses solely on headache disorders. Diagnostic protocols based on the ICHD-3 classification criteria of the International Headache Society (IHS) are applied, and current methods such as acute treatment, prophylactic drug therapy, botulinum toxin injection, nerve block and CGRP inhibitors are offered together.
Which Diseases and Conditions Are Treated?
- Migraine with and without aura
- Chronic migraine (15 or more days a month)
- Tension type headache (episodic and chronic)
- Cluster headache and other trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias
- Medication overuse headache (analgesic rebound)
- Chronic daily headache
- Menstrual migraine and hormone related headaches
- Vestibular migraine (accompanied by dizziness)
- Post-traumatic headache
- Headaches caused by changes in intracranial pressure
- Secondary headaches (due to an underlying disease) and their differential diagnosis
When Should You Consult Us?
- If you have more than one headache attack a month
- If headaches adversely affect your daily activities, your working life or your sleep
- If the painkillers you use are gradually losing their effect or you have to increase the dose
- If you use painkillers on three or more days a week
- If you have headaches that have not previously been diagnosed or that resist treatment
- If your headache is accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to light and sound
- If neurological symptoms such as visual disturbance or tingling in the hand accompany the pain
Situations requiring emergency care: The most severe "thunderclap" headache of your life; a headache accompanied by fever and neck stiffness; pain developing together with weakness in an arm or leg, speech disturbance or facial drooping; and a headache starting after a head injury all require a visit to the emergency department.
Diagnostic Methods
| Method | What it is used for |
|---|---|
| The site, character, duration and triggers of the pain and the accompanying symptoms are assessed systematically in line with the ICHD-3 criteria. | |
| The diary kept by the patient reveals the frequency and severity of attacks and the pattern of medication use, contributing directly to diagnosis and treatment planning. | |
| Used to rule out a brain tumour, vascular malformation or other structural pathology where a secondary headache is suspected. | |
| Preferred for the rapid assessment of emergencies such as subarachnoid haemorrhage, particularly in acute severe headache. | |
| May be requested to distinguish epilepsy from headache or to assess an accompanying seizure. | |
| Tests such as thyroid function tests, sedimentation rate and CRP are used to rule out inflammatory or systemic causes. | |
| Cerebrospinal fluid analysis is performed where meningitis or raised intracranial pressure is suspected. |
Treatment Approaches
| Treatment | Scope and application |
|---|---|
| NSAIDs and paracetamol are used in tension type headache; triptans (sumatriptan, rizatriptan, eletriptan), CGRP antagonists (gepants) and ergotamine preparations are used in a migraine attack. Taking the medicine as soon as the first symptom appears increases its effectiveness. | |
| In patients with four or more attacks a month, or whose attacks seriously affect their functioning, beta blockers (propranolol, metoprolol), antiepileptics (topiramate, valproate), antidepressants (amitriptyline) or calcium channel blockers are started. | |
| Biological agents such as erenumab, fremanezumab and galcanezumab, given as monthly or three-monthly injections, are used to prevent chronic and episodic migraine. | |
| An approved prophylactic treatment in chronic migraine; it is applied to the head and neck muscles every 12 weeks using the 31-point protocol. | |
| In cluster headache and resistant chronic migraine, the frequency of attacks is reduced by injecting a mixture of anaesthetic and corticosteroid around the nerve. | |
| In the management of analgesic rebound, withdrawal protocols and bridging treatment during the transition period are applied. | |
| Regular sleep, regular meals, aerobic exercise, stress management and the identification of individual triggers on the basis of the headache diary are a complementary component of treatment. |
Assessment and appointments for Academic Hospital Headache Treatment: 444 0 353
Book an AppointmentHeadache Treatment at Academic Hospital
The Academic Hospital Headache Treatment unit operates under the neurology specialty and carries out outpatient assessment, imaging planning and injection procedures under one roof. The unit works routinely with the following departments:
- Neurology: assessment and follow-up of neurological conditions accompanying headache
- Migraine Treatment: advanced treatment options for the prevention of migraine attacks
- Radiology: performing and reporting cranial MRI and brain CT examinations
- Neurosurgery: surgical assessment in headaches caused by a structural condition
- Ophthalmology: identifying eye related causes in headaches accompanied by visual disturbance
- Ear, Nose and Throat: differential diagnosis of sinus related pain and dizziness
- Gynecology and Obstetrics: joint assessment in menstrual migraine and headache management during pregnancy
Frequently Asked Questions
References
The general information given on this page about headache types, diagnostic methods and treatment approaches is supported by the reliable health sources listed below.
- World Health Organization, "Headache disorders", who.int
- International Headache Society, "The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (ICHD-3)", ichd-3.org
- Mayo Clinic, "Migraine: Diagnosis and treatment", mayoclinic.org
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, "Headache", ninds.nih.gov
The information on this page is for informational purposes only; it does not replace medical examination, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a healthcare institution regarding your complaints.
