Everyone gets a headache now and then. But for lots of people, headaches are an ongoing problem that seriously impacts their lives.
In fact, headache disorders affect more than 35 million Americans and more than 70 percent of the U.S. population will suffer from headache pain serious enough to require medical attention at some point in their lives, according to the National Headache Foundation.
Migraine headaches – the most common type of disabling headache – are a leading cause of missed workdays and lost productivity.
Headaches are broadly separated into two categories: primary headaches, such as migraines, cluster headaches and tension headaches; and secondary headaches, in which the headache is a symptom of another, underlying disorder.
Headaches are caused by particular nerves in muscles and blood vessels sending pain signals to the brain. Triggers that cause those nerves to activate can vary widely and are not always discernible.
At UT Southwestern Medical Center, our Headache and Facial Pain Disorders Program offers expert care for those times when headaches move from run-of-the-mill to ruining your life. We take a multidisciplinary approach to headache and facial pain care to deliver an accurate diagnosis and to initiate individualized treatment strategies tailored to your unique situation, overall health, and personal treatment preferences.