Headaches just won’t go away

I have had bad headaches for years and have tried just about everything from acetaminophen and ibuprofen to prescription pain relievers. They help a little, but the headaches always return with a vengeance.

I was told to stay away from perfume and scented products, and that helps a little. Do you have any other natural approaches to recommend?

Identifying headache triggers like perfume, aspartame, MSG or secondhand smoke can sometimes help. Frequent use of pain relievers may cause rebound headaches, and quitting can be challenging. Natural migraine remedies include the herbs butterbur and feverfew, B vitamins such as riboflavin and the mineral magnesium. Acupuncture and biofeedback also may help.

My husband and I each had a test to determine our coronary artery calcium scores. Our cardiologist suggested it. I would like to know if the large, high-pitched machine that hovered over me for some time used radiation. If so, how much did I get?

The coronary artery calcium (CAC) score is a relatively new tool to detect plaque in arteries of the heart. The machine you heard used X-rays to take multiple pictures of your chest. The amount of radiation from such a CT scan can vary enormously from one facility to another (Archives of Internal Medicine, July 13, 2009). Your doctor should have told you the range of radiation you may have received.

The value of the CAC score is still being debated (Journal of the American Medical Assn., April 28, 2010). It is unclear whether knowing your CAC score will reduce your risk of developing angina or experiencing a heart attack.

There is growing recognition that radiation doses from CT scans may be higher than previously stated (Archives of Internal Medicine, Dec. 14, 2009). Experts are concerned that unnecessary CT scans may raise the risk of cancer.

Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist, and Teresa Graedon is an expert in medical anthropology and nutrition. https://www.peoplespharmacy.com