Epidemiology and management of medication-overuse headache in the general population

Abstract

Medication-overuse headache is a worldwide challenge as it affects 1-2% of the general population. Some people are more prone to medication overuse, which can be ascertained by applying five simple questions about dependence. Detoxification of the overused medication is a cheap and effective treatment strategy. A short advice seems to be sufficient for people from the general population whom seek their general practitioner. Treatment is often more complicated in neurologist and hospital settings, most likely due to a combination of treatment failure in general practice and co-morbidity of other disorders including different types of headaches.

Keywords: Management; Medication-overuse headache; Severity dependence score; Short advice.