Dealing With Headaches

Although you shouldn’t use any website as a substitute for a real flesh and blood doctor’s diagnosis, some websites are more reliable than others for sorting out the medical facts from hearsay. For example, because of the this blog, a lot of information here is anectodotal. Blogger and commenters write about their experiences with certain treatments or medications — and what happened to us may not necessarily happen to you. I also try to link up to one of these reputable medical websites once in a while.

Here’s a good list of reputable medical websites for those with migraines or chronic headaches to get started. Enjoy:

• Mayo Clinic: Although there are certainly better medical websites out there, I haven’t found them yet. This one remains at the top of the list for me because the writing is comphrehensible, there are often helpful illustrations, the layout is user-friendly and there is a section where you can ask questions to real doctors. They also have details on some really obscure medical conditions that some other medical websites just gloss over or won;t even mention.
• WebMD: This is probably the best-known medical website, but I find it lacking in ways to Mayo Clinic’s site. However, I have noticed that the site has improved in just the last year (especially with information on depression, which many people with migraines or chronic headaches have). Keep in mind that this site is loaded with adds, including pop-up ads and may take a while to download.
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Although I’m not the biggest fan of the US government, occassionally they do something right, like this helpful and ad-free website. This is geared for American readers. BIG PROBLEM: They do not have a section on migraines. But they do have good tips that migraineurs can use, such as travelling with prescription medications.
• NHS: Not to be outdone by those damn Yanks, the UK’s National Health Service has also put up a helpful website with incredibly good information on alternative therapies. Obviously meant for a UK audience, but not exclusively.
• Drugs.com: Notable for the Pill Idenitfier and a section for veterinary drugs, but mainly an easy-to read, well-organized encyclopedia of the manufactuerer’s information on just about every drug known to man or woman.