News
JUST A MINUTE!
OUCH NEEDS YOU! We are asking for volunteers from among sufferers to imagine you have one minute to tell your CH story by answering some quick questions, to make non-sufferers aware of the most painful condition known to man.
Tell us YOUR story here.
OUCH (UK) will be issuing a press release on the day.
Please be aware that we will only be approaching one or two volunteers to further tell their story to the media. Further, there is absolutely no guarantee that we will receive media attention as there are several awareness/international days relating to various health conditions in March, but those volunteering their stories must be prepared to be interviewed by the media if they follow on from our press release.
On behalf... Read More
STOP PRESS
Cluster Headache Day 2017 hosted by King’s College Headache Group.
Saturday 21 October 2017 10.30 to 16.30 at Bush House, 30 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG
King’s College Headache Group, together with OUCH (UK) are hosting an event for CH sufferers, their supporters and any healthcare professionals with an interest in learning more about cluster headache and hearing the latest on cluster headache research.
Professor Peter Goadsby, patron of OUCH (UK), invites you to attend.
This event will be a unique opportunity to hear the latest on research on cluster headache from our Patron who is a world authority on headache conditions. You will also hear from his colleagues, Dr Diana Wei [ King’s College] Dr Alex Nesbitt [Guy’s... Read More
Yet another first for OUCH (UK), we were invited to attend the first ever Global Patient Advocacy Summit at the 18th Congress of the International Headache Society in Vancouver and Trustee Scott Bruce is representing OUCH along with representatives of 48 other patient organisations from all over the world. The IHS is an organisation of headache neurologists and health professionals and they produce the internationally recognised headache guide for health professionals. This is the first time that patient advocate groups have been invited to attend the IHS congress, and represents recognition of the valuable part that the various groups play in supporting patients in finding diagnosis and treatment.
You can read the press release by... Read More
Dear Member
We need your help and support to ensure that demand valve oxygen therapy, a cause close to the heart of our late chairman, Mike Pollock, becomes a standard oxygen therapy for cluster headache. This is a very fast-acting, safe and cost efficient method of oxygen therapy, using a mouthpiece similar to that used in entinox therapy. The demand valve opens as you inhale and shuts off the oxygen as you exhale; it is not blasting out at 15 litres a minute all the time. A cylinder can last several times longer using DVO as opposed to the standard high flow oxygen.
At the present time the DVO is approved for NHS prescription, but as it is termed an optional to the oxygen supply contract, the oxygen supply company do not have... Read More
Cluster Headache Imaging Study. Brain Activation during Cluster Headache - BANG-CH
OUCH (UK) is delighted to continue to support the study that is being undertaken at Kings College Hospital in London and we are inviting you to take part. If you really want to do something to help your fellow sufferers, then here is an opportunity for you to do just that.
These are the details from Kings College Hospital.
If you know other sufferers who qualify under the criteria given above, then tell them, we want to get as many sufferers as possible to take part – after all it's in the interests of all sufferers this and other trials are being done.
Go on – you know you want to!
If you are interested in taking part or would like additional... Read More
Tuesday March 21st – Cluster Headache Awareness Day.
There are two events planned for Cluster Headache Awareness Day; a gathering at the House of Commons organised by the Headache Centre, Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Trust and hosted by Mr Jim Fitzpatrick MP, chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Headache Disorders. Amongst the speakers will be Trustee Elizabeth Kelly speaking on the work of OUCH(UK) in supporting sufferers and their families, and member Carolyn Matheson will give an overview of life with cluster headache. NB all places for this event have been taken up.
There will also be a Cluster Headache Awareness Evening on 21st March 2017, at the Walton Neurological Centre in Liverpool. Details are here:
As part of this... Read More
This may be the first time that not just a TAC sufferer can do something positive to make the DWP work benefit system better, but their families and friends also. It is a HUGE opportunity for every member and their families to do something really positive and we strongly urge you to take part in this consultation.
OUCH has representation, through Headache UK, in the All Party Parliamentary Group on Headache Disorders. At a recent meeting in the Commons, our newly appointed representative, trustee Elizabeth Kelly, addressed the meeting on her experiences as a disabled person with the DWP and other government departments. It was a powerful and well-received address. Elizabeth was approached by the DWP representative at the meeting who... Read More
Finding the cause of cluster headache is a vital step towards finding the cure for this disease and The Institute of Neurology are undertaking a new study into the genetic basis of cluster headache. All they need from you is some details of your family CH history and a small sample of blood, but this study is special in that non-sufferer family members can get involved too. Read the details below and see if you and your family qualify to volunteer for this very important study.
Finding the Cause of Cluster Headache
Study Outline:
We currently know very little about the cause of Cluster Headache, however, we do know that this condition can run in families. This suggests a potential genetic basis for this distressing condition and the chance... Read More
OUCH (UK) is delighted to welcome two new volunteers to the OUCH helpline, Emma McAteer and Linda Duddy, both of whom hale from Scotland. They have successfully completed their helpline training and Helpline Manager, Liz Kelly, has instituted a new means of training by using group video calling on Skype. Welcome to the team Emma and Linda!
OUCH(UK) are pleased to announce, in conjunction with The European Headache Federation and European Headache Alliance, we will be promoting the second Cluster Headache Awareness Day. This will be held on 21st March 2017.
We welcome fundraising efforts by our members for this day, and we have created a Cluster Headache Awareness Day poster for you to print at home, and up in your workplace, local GPs, and in your community.
We are of course happy for you to download and print your own awareness posters. they are located in our downloads section under handouts for friends, family and colleagues.
If you are planning to promote Cluster Headache Awareness Day in your local area and need further information, please email info@ouchuk.org.
Cluster... Read More
There have recently been posts on both the OUCH Forum and Facebook page suggesting and detailing how to split doses of subcutaneous sumatriptan [Imigran injections]. While some neurologists do explain to their patients how to do this, the fact remains the practice is off-license and remains the responsibility of the neurologist or health professional concerned.
For clarity, as we are not health professionals and acting on professional advice, OUCH will not advocate, promote or suggest splitting of doses of sumatriptan in any form and in any way. Posts detailing how to do this will be removed and the poster informed why the post has been removed. It is not the amount of a dose of sumatriptan taken that poses a risk, it is the number... Read More
The scope of the trial has been widened to include chronic sufferers of CH as well as ECH sufferers. Volunteers of either status are urgently needed to move forward this important drug trial. For more details, please contact info@ouchuk.org stating whether you are ECH OR CCH for the criteria of each trial. If you do one thing for CH this year, make it participation in this trial.