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High altitude headache. Lessons from headaches at sea level
M Sanchez del Rio1, M A Moskowitz
1Stroke & Neurovascular Regulation Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston 02129, USA.
Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology
|January 15, 2000
Summary
High altitude headache, a precursor to acute mountain sickness, is linked to the trigeminovascular system. Noxious agents and pressure changes at high altitudes activate this system, causing head pain.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Altitude Medicine
- Pain Research
Background:
- High altitude headache is a significant issue, often preceding acute mountain sickness.
- The brain is insensate, but its meninges contain pain-sensing trigeminal nerve fibers linked to the trigeminovascular system.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the mechanisms underlying high altitude headache.
- To understand how high altitude conditions activate the trigeminovascular system.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing knowledge on high altitude physiology and headache mechanisms.
- Analysis of the trigeminovascular system's role in pain perception.
Main Results:
- High altitude triggers can activate the trigeminovascular system via chemical or mechanical stimuli.
- Brain edema and increased intracranial pressure contribute to headache by stretching pain-sensitive structures.
- High altitude may lower the threshold for sensory stimulation, exacerbating pain.
Conclusions:
- High altitude headache results from the activation of the trigeminovascular system.
- Both chemical and mechanical factors at high altitudes contribute to headache pathophysiology.