The Headache: The Science of a Most Confounding Affliction―and a Search for Relief
Tom Zeller, Jr.

When I saw that this book was being offered on NetGalley for review, I had to request it. As a long-time migraine sufferer, I have a personal interest in the subject.

And the book “The Headache: The Science of a Most Confounding Affliction―and a Search for Relief” did not disappoint.

Unlike other books I have read of late, this book is well put together and compelling to read. Author Tom Zeller is a sufferer of cluster headaches who details his experiences with having this kind of headache as well as the history of headache research. Thankfully, I don’t suffer from that kind of headache or know of anyone who does, because one of the informal names it goes by is the “suicide headache.”

I could appreciate his approach to trying anything and everything to quell the intense pain his cluster headaches caused him. In my case, after an intense migraine attack, I was quickly diagnosed and given Maxalt (the generic name is rizatriptan, part of the Triptan family of medications), which despite the side effects of drowsiness and stomach upset, quelled the intense pain.

Following my retirement from working in an office, I subsequently found that the bright florescent lights caused most of my problems, though I still suffer from what I call “mini-graines” on occasion and, for those, over the counter migraine medications work acceptably.

I suspect that most readers of this book will take prescription medication but never thought about the research that went into bringing the medication to market. There’s a chapter in the book on bringing the newest treatment to market, Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide (CGRP), which is a recently discovered molecule involved in migraine pain and inflammation.

I always read the end notes and author Tom Zeller provides detailed ones. He also provides an extensive list of books for further reading and research. I have read a few of these books and agree that they are very well worth reading for further information, with the understanding that some of the information provided may have been superseded by subsequent research.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who suffers from head pain, knows someone who is afflicted by migraines or cluster headaches, or with even a passing interest in this field of study.

5/5 stars

[Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the advanced ebook copy in exchange for my honest and objective opinion, which I have given here.]