Kathy Anolick, MFCC, received her Masters degree in Clinical Counseling at Cal State University, Hayward. She is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Counselor in private practice in Concord and Oakland.

Chronic illness and disability and their impact on individuals and families is one of her areas of specialization. She will be speaking to us on the psychological impact of headaches.

Join us in the Ball Auditorium at John Muir Medical Center on Tuesday, January 12th, from 7:30 to 9:00 pm. For more information, call (925) 938-5252.

create an organization where headache sufferers could meet to learn about headache triggers and medications, and receive moral support from each other.

John Muir Medical Center has provided a comfortable place for us to meet ever since that first meeting in January 1996, when 120 headache sufferers and others came to hear Dr. Stein speak. The American Council for Headache Education (ACHE), Kinko’s, and the Contra Costa Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and TCI Cablevision have helped us spread the word; and pharmaceutical companies (Glaxo-Wellcome, Merck & Co., and Novartis) and many individuals have donated generously to our non-profit organization to keep it running.

Volunteers have donated their time and talents: Donna Johnson, Dick and Bettie Tomchalk, Dave Flohr, Tracy Titus, Karen Henderlong, Jeannette Honeyman, Jeanie Wakeland, Dana Giese, Reg Fong, Meg Johnson, Joan Kelley, Barry Harrington, Chris Sanfilippo, Doris Lake, and Jeanne Brushe’.

We received a great response to the questionnaire inserted in last month’s newsletter. Many of you mailed the questionnaire back to us stating you wished to remain on our mailing list, and some included donations. Your donations will be used to continue our mission to educate headache sufferers and their families, friends, employers, etc. and to let them know they are not alone—there is help out there.

Some topics suggested on returned questionnaires:

Psychological aspects of migraine and how to deal with them (fear, anxiety, panic, etc.)

Migraine in children/teens

Menopause and migraines.

Headache sufferers often receive a great deal of sympathy and advice from relatives and friends, but unfortunately this does not eliminate the pain. Although there are approximately 45 million Americans who seek medical attention each year due to the pain of headaches, even more might benefit from a trip to the doctor’s office. The best ally in helping you cope with your headache is a doctor who knows you and is willing to spend sufficient time to diagnose and treat your problem. The doctor should be familiar with the ucrrent techniques including the methods of classification, diagnosis, and treatment of headaches.

When dealing with any type of pain, the question that commonly arises is, "When do I call a doctor?" Quite simply, if you’re getting frequent, debilitating headaches that are interfering with your routine, or if you’re taking an excessive amount of pain relievers, you should seek professional help. Any severe or constant headache that begins suddenly and is accompanied by weakness, dizziness, numbness or other strange physical sensations should be reported to your doctor immediately.

Start by calling your family doctor. Your family doctor usually knows you best and there should be able to deal with the problem more easily. If your physician is not able to diagnose or treat you effectively, he/she can oversee the case and refer you to a specialist.

You will find your examination much more productive if you’re organized your thoughts and are ready to answer the physician’s questions. To aid in a proper diagnosis and to communicate with your doctor, it’s wise to keep a diary on your specific headache patterns. It may be helpful for you to fill out the sections in this brochure and bring it with you. For example, some common questions patients are asked include:

When did you first develop headaches?

How often do you have headaches?

How many kinds of headaches do you have?

Where is the pain exactly?

How long do the headaches last?

What time of the day do your headaches occur?

Any food intake that may trigger it?

What, if any, activities contribute to it?

If female, do you get headaches before, during or after your menstrual cycle?

What physical or environmental factors trigger the headache (e.g., bright lights, intense odors or vapors, changing altitudes, loud noises, smoke, stresss, leeping late, alterations in the weather, other.)

What symptoms (if any) do you experience prior to the headache? (e.g., nausea, vomiting, dizziness, sound sensitivity, numbness, light sensitivity, other.)

Often the words you use to describe your headache can help pinpoint the problem. Each one offers the physician a different clue. Which words would you use to describe your pain? (e.g., throbbing, pounding, splitting, piercing, blinding, stabbing, aching, wrenching.)

By answering these questions thoroughly, you’re helping your physician narrow the possibilities to determine your headache type and decide which treatment is best for you. Don’t be alarmed if after your question-and-answer session, your physician indicates a need to conduct a series of tests. These help to narrow down the cause of your headache and may include blood tests, x-rays, and possibly even a CAT-scan. But before you proceed, be sure that all of your questions are answered.