Living with chronic headache means living with pain from the first moment of waking to the last moment until you fall asleep at night. It's a relentless pain, but one that I feel often gets dismissed as 'just a headache' and so not really something that impacts on daily life. Yet it does just that. It is always there, through every day and every life experience.
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What is chronic headache?
Chronic daily headache is described as 'when you have a headache for more than four hours on more than 15 days per month' (The Migraine Trust). Some people experience these headaches for six months or longer, and some people, like myself, always have a degree of pain each and every day.
Causes of chronic headache
As the Migraine Trust describes, chronic daily headache is associated with:
- head injury
- a previous history of migraine
- overuse of painkilling medications
- obesity
- stressful life events
- being female
Living with chronic headache
It always feels strange to say that I am in pain all the time. I still feel a little shocked that is the case, and that my head is always causing me to be in that state.
Chronic headache symptoms will differ for everyone who lives with it, and mine certainly change through the course of the day. Pain goes up and down, and changes in its form too. Sometimes it is a dull thud in the temples, other times a sharper pain at the back of my head. And sometimes it escalates up to a migraine attack.
A feeling of isolation
As I'm sure you can imagine, being in constant pain is draining. The relentless nature of living with chronic headache can really get me down at times. It's never-ending and always there, from morning until night. There isn't a fun day out, a cosy night in or a chat with a friend that isn't experienced with pain.
Being in pain 24/7 can lead to people retreating a bit from society, as was discussed at a migraine webinar I attended a while ago. I can definitely relate as when my everyday pain level was higher, and I was also experiencing profound dizziness from vestibular migraine, I was mostly at home as my symptoms were too overwhelming to do much else.
Pain is isolating in many ways. As well as meaning we can't always be out and about as much, I can feel somewhat detached from others as they don't 'get it' when I explain my pain, and that it really is an ongoing and constant state. There feels like a gap between my experience of a situation and theirs, which can be difficult at times.
This post on explaining the 'chronic' in chronic illness may be helpful.
The migraine comparison
But at least it isn't migraine . . . I've heard people say this so often about chronic headache, which I find frustrating as it undermines that those with the condition really are suffering from an often debilitating condition that impacts upon daily life.
Personally I have both 'classic' migraine attacks and vestibular migraine. And yes, of course migraine attacks are worse in their severity than the pain that comes with chronic headache. No question. But that doesn't mean that chronic headache isn't hard. At times it can actually feel harder as it is so relentless, when at least (for me) migraine attacks come and go. I don't think comparison is helpful though, and we should receive support for whatever pain we experience.
Assessment for chronic headache
While you may be lucky and have a GP / primary care doctor who can diagnose and effectively treat chronic headache, most people would benefit from seeing a specialist neurologist (often called a headache doctor!) who is just that, a specialist in headache and migraine. A specialist doctor will have experience of treating the condition, be aware of latest medical developments and the best form of management for you as an individual patient.
The post managing your 10-minute appointment with your GP has some great tips, and emphasises that you can ask for a referral to a specialist if you need further input in your care.
Managing chronic headache
Managing chronic headache is definitely something to discuss with your doctor, and it is always best to follow their advice. They may suggest medication, and I'm not going to discuss those here as it is for a qualified professional to do so. I would suggest asking them about lifestyle measures that may be helpful, including sleep hygiene, how to exercise without inducing symptoms and stress management too.
There are some other means to help manage headache that you can run past your doctor that I have found to be very helpful:
Books
One thing that is really helpful is to find out a bit more about headache, and migraine too if you also live with the condition. Having a degree of knowledge can help you advocate for yourself with your doctor, or read up on lifestyle measures they may not discuss with you (and you can then ask about at your next appointment). Some good ones for headache / migraine:
The migraine brain: your breakthrough guide to fewer headaches, better health
50 things you can do today to manage migraines
Migraine glasses
Using migraine glasses can help migraine, and personally I think it helps with chronic headache as well. Brands such as Migraine Shields work by blocking blue light emitted from computer and phone screens. I find that my head feels less sensitive when wearing them.
Migraine Shields has kindly offered my readers 20% with the code throughthefibro
Headache hat
The headache hat is just that, a wearable hat that has inserts for engineered ice. Simply keep the 'ice' in the freezer and pop into the hat when you need it. Really helpful for that 'hot head' feeling we can often get with headache.
Nausea relief bands
If nausea comes along with chronic headache for you, then nausea relief bands may be a helpful option to help you manage this symptom. The Blisslets nausea relief bands are my go-to as they are super cute and don't look 'medical' at all. Simply pick some to go with your outfit!
Blisslets has kindly offered my readers 15% off with the code fibrofog
4 Head Stick
The 4 head stick was the first headache product I tried and I still use it to this day (my mum bought me the first one years ago!). It works through menthol helping to block pain signals and you simply swipe across the forehead. Simple to use, you can keep it in your bag when out and about too.
I hope this post was helpful - come join me on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter if you would like to read more posts like this!
Related posts
22 forms of pain relief that aren't medication - recommended by those with chronic illness
The next steps after a migraine diagnosis
Please follow the advice of your doctor as to all medical treatments, supplements and dietary choices, as set out in my disclaimer. I am not a medical professional, and this post, as well as all other posts on this blog, are for informational purposes only.
Beth says
Claire, this is SUCH an important point. Chronic headache of any type is still incredibly disabling, frustrating, isolating, etc. Thank you for this.
Just one thought for those reading this who might not know the difference between headache and migraine (which can have head pain as a symptom): IF you are someone who is experiencing head pain with light sensitivity and nausea, but don’t have a migraine diagnosis, it’s worth seeing your GP or headache specialist to see if your headaches might actually BE migraine. Many treatments are the same, but there are some unique to migraine.
I don’t mean to take away from your important point that headache is still serious in its own right, but hate to see people not get an accurate diagnosis. 💜
throughthefibrofog says
Absolutely, everyone should consult with their doctor if they are experiencing head pain of any kind. That's so important.
Sheryl Chan says
This was a really interesting post. Migraines and chronic headaches are all so painful and yet can be rather different too.
Susan Pearson says
I have headaches more often than I would like, but I couldn't imagine having one every single day. I am so sorry you have to go through this.
throughthefibrofog says
It's definitely tough to have headache frequently isn't it. More difficult as many people don't take it as a 'serious' problem to have.
Shruti Chopra says
I love how the Migraine Trust says that headaches can also be associated with being female! It's so sad how many things are associated with being female. Imbalanced hormones can mess things up so bad and headaches sadly are a part of it. The head pains can trigger tension in the neck and then of course the nausea. But after reading this post, I do realise I should look into the products you've suggested. Thank you for such an informative post Claire - really helps 🙂
throughthefibrofog says
The Migraine Trust is such a good resource - highly recommend it! And yeah, we have a much higher prevalence of so many conditions don't we, no fair!! And I hope the items are useful - definitely my go-to to help manage pain and nausea 🙂
Marlene says
Thx Claire this was a great help! Thanks to you I realized my (near constant) headaches are frequently actually migraines! My neck is wonky, vertebrae going every which way but straight and degenerating discs, so figured it was "just" that. Between the new migraine meds and your helpful tips, I can better identify, then slow down the migraine before it gets real bad now 😊 Your tips, recipes and cheerful outlook always help me with this and my other conditions. How do you find the time and energy? So glad you do tho 🥰
throughthefibrofog says
Hi Marlene, I'm glad it was helpful 🙂 So good that you saw a specialist doctor and have that support now. And thank you, that's so kind. Always makes me smile to get comments like yours!