Daily Persistent Headache

Daily Persistent Headache (DPH) is a type of continous headache that starts suddenly and happens on a daily basis with migraine-like or tension-like features. The headache is often described as a pressure-like or tightening sensation. The pain is often on both sides of the head, but can also be on one side or localized to one specific area.

People with DPH will frequently have sleep disturbance, pain at other sites, dizziness, worsening anxiety and mood, and school absence. Other frequent symptoms include non-specific abdominal pain, back pain, neck pain, and diffuse muscle and joint pain. It can resemble chronic migraine in its features, with days when there is light or sound sensitivity, nausea, throbbing, or pain on just one side of the head. Sometimes, it may resemble a tension-type milder headache without any of those features.

Daily Persistent Headache is treated like the headache it resembles, generally chronic migraine or chronic tension-type headache. There is no specific treatment for DPH - it is difficult to control, and often these types of headaches are treated like migraines. Nevertheless, the current cornerstones of therapy are lifestyle modification, education, preventative medication, avoiding daily painkillers.