Headache
- A condition where pain occurs in the head
- Most common of pain complaints
- Majority of headaches harmless, require no treatment
- Some are indications of an underlying disorder
Causes
- Tension
- Stress
- Straining the eye
- Sinus infection
- Dehydration
- Cold drinks
- Sex
- Thunder
- Withdrawal from caffeine/drugs
- Brain related
- Aneurysms
- Tumors
- Meningitis
- Encephalitis
- Head injury
Types
- Vascular headache
Types Migraine, fever headaches, high blood pressure
Symptoms
- Pain on one/both side of head
- Stomach upset
- Difficulty in seeing
- Common in women
Muscular headache
- types are Tension headache.
Symptoms
- Tightening of facial/neck muscles
- Radiate to forehead.
Cervicogenic headache
e.g. Spondylitis
Inflammatory headaches
e.g. Sinusitis
Treatment
- Most headaches treated with pain killer
- Common medications- acetaminophen/paracetamol/aspirin
- Tension headache treated by lowering body temperature. This is achieved by taking a cool shower
- If recurrent, keep a headache diary
- This helps to identify the cause - Chronic use of painkillers causes 'rebound headaches'