A neurologist has issued advice for people who frequently wake up during the night due to an ‘uncomfortable’ symptom. Dr Mina, who describes herself as a neurologist and headache specialist, often posts videos for her thousands of social media followers.
Taking to TikTok as @Migraineswithmina, Dr Mina asked her 64k followers: « Do your headaches wake you up in the middle of the night? Well, you might have something called hypnic headaches. And I’m a board-certified neurologist. I’m also a headache specialist. So let’s get into it. »
Dr Mina explained that this type of headache is rare, but could signal that you need to see a doctor. She told viewers: « Hypnic headaches are kind of a rare headache, and it’s interesting because they only happen in the middle of the night.
« So they will consistently wake you up in the middle of the night. Another thing about these is that they don’t have that light sound sensitivity that migraine usually does. It doesn’t have nausea. It’s just a dull, moderate headache. » She added that they ‘usually’ occur in adults aged fifty or over, but could affect people at a younger age.
Dr Mina explained: « We think there’s something wrong with your internal clock, so your hypothalamus, and something wrong with your circadian rhythm. So you’re waking up. Your brain is waking you up with a dull headache. »
In her video, the neurologist explained a few of the treatment options that doctors might discuss with patients. « What’s interesting about these as well is that caffeine can help treat these. So, like 30 to 40 minutes before you go to sleep, that could help, as well as lithium under medical supervision, as well as melatonin, which has been found to help some of these. »
Hypnic headaches, also known as « alarm clock headaches, » are uncommon primary headaches that happen only during sleep. They usually wake people over 50 at the same time, often between 1am and 3am. These headaches cause a dull, throbbing pain that can be felt on both sides of the head and lasts anywhere from 15 minutes to four hours.
Sometimes, they can also lead to mild nausea, sensitivity to light or sound, or tearing. Individuals with hypnic headaches might experience them for 10 or more days each month. The first recommended treatment is caffeine (like coffee) taken before bed, while indomethacin or melatonin can be used as other options, reports the Mirror.
Dr Mina urged people to see their doctor about any health concerns. « If headaches are waking you up regularly in the middle of the night, don’t ignore it. Talk to a headache specialist. Or there might be another condition as well that could be worth checking out. So talk to your doctor, » she said.
According to The Migraine Trust: « Diagnosing hypnic headache involves ruling out other conditions. Your doctor will usually:
- ask you about your symptoms and history of headache. It can be helpful to keep a headache diary detailing your symptoms.
- perform a neurological examination.
- send you for further tests including a brain scan to rule out other conditions.
« They will also want to rule out other headache disorders. Some other headache disorders can be sleep-related including migraine and cluster headache. »
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