Recurrent Headaches May Destroy Brain Cells...
1 February 2023
- A recent German study linked frequent recurring headaches to permanent damage to brain cells.
- Beyond the psychological and physical pain caused by headaches, including fatigue, general weakness, inability to concentrate, and pain severity, the situation may become more dangerous according to the study, with effects sometimes extending to loss of "gray matter" in the cerebral cortex.
- In this regard, Professor Hans Christoph Diener, director of the Neurological Medical Hospital at the University of Essen in western Germany, told the German magazine "Brigitte Woman": "If headaches persist intermittently for more than five years, the patient will never be able to free themselves from the pain."
- Diener pointed out that headaches can only be treated when the cause is identified early and targeted for treatment. He added, "Only then can complications such as memory impairment be prevented."
- He considered that identifying the cause of headaches itself is not easy, saying, "There are about 243 types of headaches listed by the World Health Organization on its list of different headache types, with migraines occupying first place."
- Diener warned, "Those whose condition has progressed to an advanced stage requiring frequent use of painkillers, for example ten days per month, will not benefit from treatment."
- He recommended a type of "integrated therapy" combining medication and cognitive behavioral therapy such as relaxation exercises, methods for eliminating stress and anxiety, and regular practice of endurance sports to avoid causing any damage to the "gray matter" in the brain.
- It is noted that gray matter is so named due to its color visible to the naked eye, representing the cerebral cortex. Microscopic observation reveals that this matter is mainly composed of star-shaped cell bodies forming neuronal cell bodies, while white matter consists of nerve fibers.
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