Head Splitting

ID your particular pain and palliative/therapy with this Headache Primer
Headaches hit 90% of the population in a one-year span, and 99% of the population during their life time. 85 million Indians reach for medication at some time or the other, and GPs report that it is the most common cause for concerns. Head pain can be described as debilitating, humming, vague, rhythmic, throbbing, steady. They can interfere with your ability to work and to play, but are rarely life threatening, if they exist by themselves. Medications - dilators or nitrates for heart disease; anti-hypertensives; calcium channel blockers; acidity and ulcer H2 blockers; Hormone Replacement drugs; contraceptives can also be responsible, and all you need to do is to withdraw them.

However secondary headaches can be caused by serious organ I e disorders, which is why you need an evaluation by a competent doctor. Here we show you how to 10 your own headache so that you can team up with your doctor to control and treat it.As for the sponsors of this article, do visit tripeptinon reviews. This will help us bring you more such quality articles

PRIMARY
(1) TENSION HEADACHE (the most common)
Clues Mild to moderate pain. Feels like tightening of a band around the head. Affects the whole head, lasts 30 minutes to 7 days. Nor worsened by physical activity, light sounds or smells. Not associated with nausea and vomiting.
Control with OTC pain relievers such as paracetamol, ice packs, muscle relaxants, heat treatment, massage, anti-depressants. Relaxation, meditation and/ or yoga.
(2) MIGRAINE (hits 1 out of 20 Indians, 3 times more women than men between 20 and 45)
Clues Moderate to severe, throbbing and usually felt on one side of the head. lasts 4 hours to 3 days. Worsened by physical activity, light, sounds, smells. Associated with nausea and vomiting. Occurs for ages and then disappear for weeks, months or years. Often preceded by a sensation that it is on its way (mood changes, loss of appetite, nausea) and temporary disturbances in sensation, balance, muscle co~ ordination, speech, flashing lights, blind spots. This is called migraine with aura.
Control with Avoiding t rigger foods, stress. OTC pain relievers such as paracetamol and anti-nausea medication. Relieve with SHT Agonists (sumatriptan) or ergotamine tartrate. Prevent with beta blockers, pizotifen, calcium channel blockers, tricylic anti depressants. Follow doctor's regimen faithfully Try ultrasound physiotherapy, and Biofeedback
(3) CLUSTER HEADACHE (a.k.a. alarm clock or suicide headaches. Hit 1 to 4 out of 1 000 men between 30 and 50)
Clues Severe and piercing pain focussed around a single eye. Lasts for' 5 minutes to 3 hours. Cannot lie down, and you pace with pain. Occur in clusters, separated by pain free periods. On the same side of the pain, the nostril runs, the eye waters, eyelid droops, lower eye area swells. Not worsened by lights, sounds, smells. No nausea nor vomiting.
Treat with Corticosteroids sumatriptan (5HT Agonist); the anti depressant lithium. Oxygen therapy.
SECONDARY
Usual culprits are:
(1) HYPERTENSION
Clues Severe high blood pressure (over 160/110) that has been Present for a long time. Throbbing, occurs in spasms, felt at the back or top of head. Most severe in mornings. Treat with Prescription medication to:
.... decrease rate and force at which the heart beats (atenolol)
.... dilate the small arteries and decrease resistance of flow
.... increase urinary output
.... act against the formation of angiotensin which increases constriction of small arteries .... act against the hormone aldosterone which increases blood pressure
.... Do not self medicate with somebody else's drugs. Control with reduced intake of alcohol and salt.
(2) EYE DISORDERS (iritis, glaucoma, astigmatism) Clues The pain is moderate to severe and is often worse after using the eyes. It is felt at the front of the head or inlover the eyes.
Treat with medication
.... Iritis needs steroid drops and drops to dilate the pupils. .... Glaucoma needs eyed raps forever to maintain the fluid in the eye or to open the drainage canal to allow excess fluid to drain away Sastigmatism needs prescription glasses.
(3) SINUSITIS (inflammation of the hollowed out areas of bone at the front of the skull with openings into the back of the nose)
Clues Pain is severe, dull or sharp. Felt around nasal area, one or both eyebrows. May begin suddenly and last a short time or may begin gradually and be persistent. Worsens when you look down, or worse in day time.
Treat with Steam inhalation. Hot towel over eyes to shrink and unblock sinusesPainkillers, antihistamines, decongestants, antibiotics under medical supervision. Surgical drainage is the last option.
(4) BRAIN TUMOUR
Clues Mild to severe. Becomes progressively worse. Reoccurs returns more and more often and becomes constant without relief. Worse when lying down and can awaken you from sleep. A gradually growing tumor is more painful when you awaken.
Treat with Drugs such as mannitol and steroids; surgery; radiation; chemotherapy
(5) BRAIN ABSCESS
Clues Mild to severe. Intermittent. May be felt in one spot or over the whole head. Symptoms similar to brain tumor, except if it ruptures when meningitis occurs.
Treat with antibiotics; surgery to drain abscess
(6)) MENINGITIS (inflammation of the thin membrane that covers brain and spinal cord)
Clues Intense and constant pain felt all over to head, travels to neck which becomes stiff and makes bending to rest chin on neck difficult, accompanied by high fever and vomiting.
Treat with Hospitalization
(7)SUBDURALHAEMOTOMA (accumulation of blood after head injury) Clues Mild to severe, intermittent to constant pain, felt in one spot or over whole head and travels down to neck.
Treat with Surgical drainage by drilling a small hole in the skull.
(8) SUBARACHNOID HAEMORRHAGE (sudden bleeding into the space of tissue covering brain because of head injury or pressure. More common in women)
Clues Severe, constant, widespread pain. Sometimes felt in and around one eye. The eyelid drops. Described as the worst headache ever.
Treat with Pain killers (but not aspirin which thins blood further), calcium channel blockers. Drainage tube. Surgery to isolate, block or support walls of artery.
(9) TEMPDRAL ARTHRITIS
(inflammation of large arteries on the side of the scalp; hits older people)
Clues One side of the head at the temple. The arteries in the temple may be enlarged. Disturbances or loss of vision scalp feels painful when brushing hair. Jaw may hurt when eating or talking.
Treat with Steroid, Prednisone to stop inflammation and prevent blindness.
(10) SUNDRY CAUSES
Other disorders that affect the brain; cancer; cryptococcosis (fungal infection), sarcoidosis (abnormal collection of inflammatory cells), syphilis, TB.
Clues Mild or severe, dull or sharp pain. Felt all over the head. Moderate fever. History of the specific disorder.
Treat with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, for brain cancer. Fluconazole and Amphotericin B for cryrtococcosis. Steroids for Sarco. Penicillin/ tetracycline injections for first stage syphillis. A strict combination of two or more antibiotics for 9 to 12 months for TB.
DOC STOP
Put your head in professional hands if
.You have frequent headaches, where you were once an occasional sufferer.
.Your mild headaches have become more intense
..You are awakened from your sleep by a headache
..There is a change in the pattern or nature of your headaches
..Your headaches are associated with fever, stiff neck, changes in sensation or vision, weakness, loss of co-ordination, paintings. Depending on his verdict you may need to undergo a CT scan/MRI/ blood tests/ spinal tap/kidney function test! an eye examination/ X-ray of the sinuses, etc.
TOO MUCH, TOO OFTEN
Too many painkillers or cups of coffee over a period of time interferes with the body’s own pain fighting systems in the brain. The effect wears off. Back comes the headache with a bang. You reach for more. The headache improves dramatically when the substance is totally stopped, but you may need medical supervision.
AFTER THE BIG NIGHT
When you've imbibed not wisely but too well your all-over headache, teams with nausea, a bloming paper mouth, weak muscles, irritable stomach and the blues. This happens because the blood vessels of the brain and surroundings tissues dilate and get irritable. Pop two aspirins with half a litre of water when you wake up. Follow with a bland breakfast of say, poached eggs, toast, dry cereal. Coffee or tea will perk you up. Drink tomato juice, fruit juice with honey, water to flush away the alcohol in blood stream and provide the fluids that your body desperately needs. More alcohol - or the 'hair of the dog' that hit you - will only make you feel worse!