By Dr. Roizen
Michael F. Roizen, MD, a Sharecare expert, is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Williams College, Alpha Omega Alpha graduate of the University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, is board certified in both Anesthesiology and Internal Medicine.
There are some topics in medical school that students (and subsequently when they become doctors) never revisit again once they learn about them. That’s true for headaches: Once they learn the ins and outs and the basic treatment for headaches, those treatments are typically never discussed again. So what? Well, that points to the fact that many docs can get caught in a diagnostic rut when dealing with people whose heads hurt. If you’re experiencing headache pain that changes your life, then you need to see a headache specialist – someone who has the most current treatments and insight available. Having fewer than five headaches a year is about average. If you’re continually sidelined by life because of them, you really ought to have your head examined. If you have an excruciating headache – the worst of your life – you may need a CT scan to be sure your noggin is okay.
