Headaches in Multiple Sclerosis
Cause of headaches in multiple sclerosis
Several studies have shown that headaches are more frequent in people with multiple sclerosis than without the disease. Though less common as an ongoing symptom, headaches are often one of the first symptoms to indicate multiple sclerosis. The pain of headaches in multiple sclerosis can either be caused directly by the disease or indirectly by the symptoms of the disease.
There are a variety of explanations for why headaches in multiple sclerosis occur:
Patient has lesions on specific parts of the brain (pons). Patient suffers from trigeminal neuralgia (severe pain burst caused by compression of the trigeminal nerve) or tonic spasm. Patient suffers from optic neuritis. Patient has a predisposition for headaches, which are worsened by the disease. Patient takes an interferon as treatment for the disease, which may cause headaches as a side effect. Treatment of headaches in multiple sclerosis
Treatment for headaches in multiple sclerosis depends on the cause. For example, if the cause is trigeminal neuralgia or tonic spasms, a healthcare professional may choose to treat with carbamazepine or anticonvulsants. If the migraine is caused by neck or back pain then non-medical therapies may be employed.
Classification of headaches in multiple sclerosis
Headaches in multiple sclerosis are now recognized by the subcommittee of the International Headache Society for headache classicification (ICHD-II) as secondary headaches. The committee has classified headaches in patients affected by inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system, such as multiple sclerosis, as non-vascular intra-cranial disorders.
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