Tension headaches

Nearly all individuals are affected by headaches of some type during their lifetime. Most of these headaches are very transient in nature and do not significantly impact a person’s ability to function or concentrate. Many are associated with stress or illness and resolve when the underlying condition is corrected. Over-the-counter medications are usually effective in eliminating the symptoms of these inconvenient headaches. Some headaches are much more significant from both a functional perspective and from an aeromedical certification perspective. They can be temporarily incapacitating and adversely affect the ability to safely operate an aircraft or perform controlling duties. The most common headache of this nature is the "migraine" type. As noted below, there is not one typical "migraine" headache, but rather a variety of symptom complexes all categorized as "migraine" headaches. An excellent article discussing various types of non-disease related headaches written by the FDA adds insight to this complex phenomenon. Another helpful article is found in American Family Physician, Feb. 15, 2001 titled Evaluation of Acute Headaches in Adults.

Rarely, a headache may be the symptom of a much more serious, and potentially life threatening, condition. Immediate evaluation and treatment may be required to prevent permanent neurologic damage or death. The negative aeromedical implications of these conditions are obviously, though not necessarily, permanently disqualifying. Severe or frequent headaches and their medical treatment is reportable on the FAA Form 8500-8, Airman’s Medical Application, in question 18a. Pilots and controllers should be careful not to characterize an isolated "bad" headache as a migraine headache, because of the certification implications. An article in the Winter 1999 Federal Air Surgeon's Medical Bulletin warns about self-diagnosis of various medical conditions. A casual annotation of an incorrect diagnosis read more