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Headache: Front Shop Module 2, 2017
Headaches are one of the most common medical complaints and one of the most common reasons that people visit a doctor. Although headaches can be painful, distressing and interfere with the ability to work and do daily tasks, they are rarely due to a serious condition. While some people have frequent headaches, there are others that hardly ever have them. Most troubling are the headaches that occur frequently, or even daily, over months or years.
It is estimated that headache accounts for 20% of work absences. Repeated headaches or the constant fear of having one can affect family life, social life and employment. The long-term effect of coping with some headache disorders may predispose the person to other illnesses. For example, anxiety and depression are more common in people with migraine than in healthy individuals. Despite this, many people, including many healthcare professionals, tend to think of headache as a minor or trivial complaint. However, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), headache is underestimated, under-recognised and under-treated throughout the world.
Effective treatment for most people suffering from headache requires no expensive equipment, tests or specialists. Headache disorders can usually be managed in primary health care settings (such as a community pharmacy) and investigations are rarely needed. The focus of this module is headache and the effective treatment of common types of headache in the community pharmacy.
