Headache is represented by any discomfort or pain located in the head, face or neck. In many cases, headache occurs because the nerves, muscles or blood vessels of the face, scalp or brain are irritated, inflamed or not working properly.
Maybe it seems hard to believe, but the pain can save lives, it is a signal meant to warn that something is wrong in the body and headache are among the most common types of pain. The discomfort is most often located in the forehead, but can occur throughout the head or around the eyes or temples. In addition, pain may be associated with symptoms such as dizziness, increased blood pressure, agitation and blurred vision. Experts say that headaches can be triggered and / or worsened by a variety of factors and have different mechanisms of production. Therefore, the first step in establishing favorable treatment is detection factor.
Headaches can be caused by severe illness
Doctors group the headaches into two broad categories: primary, not caused by a medical problem, and second, that can be associated with other disorders, sometimes severe, such as cerebral hemorrhages, tumors, meningitis, hypertension pressure, encephalitis, brain trauma, as well as disorders of organs such as the liver; for example, infectious diseases, ocular or with allergies. Secondary headaches can occur as a consequence of consumption of substances such as alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, nitrates and monosodium glutamate. Symptom intensity can vary from simple discomfort to unbearable pain.
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Stress, most commonly incriminated
When we are stressed or when faced with depression or anxiety often occur tension-type headache triggered by tension unconscious shoulder and neck muscles. Such pain may last for half an hour or even a week, but in general is not accompanied by other symptoms. Tension-type headache occurs in people who do not get enough sleep, which is an inadequate diet or consume alcohol. It is good to know that this type of pain is aggravated by physical activity.
Migraines can last from 4 to 72 hours
specific migraine pain is aggravated by light, noise and odors
Another type of frequent headaches are migraines. The duration of a migraine attack can vary from 4 to 72 hours, individuals prone to these problems facing the average of six episodes a month. Experts say that migraines occur more frequently at women, but it is difficult to determine the exact cause of the condition. Thus, some of whom make their appearance on account of genetic inheritance or associates with an imbalance of serotonin in the brain. Most often, in the case of migraine, a lot of pain, throbbing and is usually located on one side of the head. In addition, they may experience symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and increased sensitivity to light, noise and odors. In some cases, migraine with aura occurs, that appears feeling light colored, brilliant, black spots or zigzag lines, with 5-20 minutes before the onset of pain. Particular attention should be paid if the migraine with aura occurs to children, a recent study associating the disease with cardiovascular problems.
The mechanism that causes headaches is relatively the same. Thus, painful stimuli activate nociceptors (a type of receptor in the brain), and they transmit pain signals to the spinal cord sensory neurons. These, in turn, release glutamate (an exciting connections involved in neural). Then, the signal is sent to the thalamus region of the brain responsible for pain perception, and finally touch the cortex. At that time, the person becomes aware of pain.
When impose control
First you should do an analysis of your lifestyle (nutrition, physical activity, smoking, drinking, sleeping habits, balance work-relaxation) and try to eliminate those factors could trigger discomfort. However, if the pain is strong, persist or return periodically necessary to consult a doctor. The same should be done if the headache occurs suddenly or if it becomes more intense when you cough, you lie in bed after doing an exercise or if accompanied by nausea, fever, weakness, visual impairment, speech or behavior or muscle tension in the neck and throat. In addition, medical advice should be done without delay when the headache occurred after a fall or another type of head trauma.
Recommended investigations
To establish a diagnosis, first, the doctor talks to the person concerned to learn when the headache occurred, what is the intensity, frequency, duration and symptoms that are linked. Then do a neurological examination and possibly blood tests, tests CT (computed tomography), MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) or lumbar puncture for cerebrospinal fluid analysis in a case of suspected meningitis or tuberculosis. For this reason, the diagnosis and treatment of headache may be interested in multiple medical specialties.
Attention - headaches become chronic if they are regularly for three months
Effective measures to combat headache
For maximum efficiency, acupuncture sessions may be associated with herbal remedies. Experts say that drugs against pain, such as aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen or Algocalmin are effective to alleviate the discomfort. However, keep in mind that these drugs must be administered correctly and in moderation. Thus, for example, acetaminophen is not recommended for more than three tablets a day for five days. Moreover, the abuse of such drugs may even be a cause of occurrence of headaches. Therefore, experts warn that drug treatment of migraines should be taken only on the advice and dosage prescribed by the doctor. In addition, the counter pain medication does not treat the underlying disease, not just a temporary solution for secondary headaches. Therefore, it is advisable to consult a doctor especially if headaches recur after analgesic effect has passed. To combat headache, the doctor may prescribe antidepressants or anticonvulsants, anxiolytics, barbiturates or narcotics drugs in its class. Plants, for mild pain teas with chamomile, lime, mint or dill can significantly alleviate headaches. Prepare an infusion of chamomile flowers and lime flowers (two spoons of each plant to 750 ml of boiling water) and keep it covered for 20 minutes. Drink one cup three times a day. In the same amount you can drink tea and mint, melissa and dill (one teaspoon of mixed herbs in a cup of boiling water). Baths are a great help that put a little oil of lavender or local compresses with fresh cabbage leaves, jagged and broken beforehand. It is beneficial and anoint your head with marigold cream, thin layer, then apply compresses to Swedish bitters for two to four hours. These remedies have a sedative effect on the nervous system and relieving headaches.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture can help is indicated to treat various types of pain, including headache or migraine. Acupuncture points corresponding headaches are located all over the body, which shall be set according to their cause. The number and duration of sessions of acupuncture varies depending on each case, but generally are recommended ten consecutive sessions. In order to potentiate the effects it is desirable to make a parallel treatment with herbal remedies.
Tricks to avoid migraines
- Avoid foods with exciting effect and smoking. Chocolate, coffee, alcoholic beverages and fermented cheeses have a stimulating effect on the nervous system and can exacerbate the symptoms. In addition, it is advisable to limit smoking and the consumption of refined sugar and saturated fats that are found for example in food of fast food because they produce inflammation and overwhelm the body. Eat vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fish, lean meat, soy, nuts and dairy products.
- Do more exercise. Physical activity stimulates the production of endorphins, hormones that act like analgesics altering pain perception in the brain. In addition, an outdoor walk helps you rest your eyes, eye fatigue is another cause for the occurrence of headaches.
- Rest enough. Stress is the main culprit for migraines and to combat it is important to try to rest enough. Take breaks from time to time when you are at work and do a short walk. In addition, if you suffer from migraine, try to rest in a dimly lit room, away from any noise because it helps relieve pain.
Cutting-edge therapies
If you experience regular headaches, can observe a significant reduction in symptoms using electroanalgesia, called analgesic electrotherapy. The technique involves the application of low frequency electric currents on painful area, blocking the transmission of pain to the brain. Therapy should be followed according to the physician, according to his directions. Another effective method inflammatory patches and with reduced side effects which can be combated headaches are anti-inflammatory patches.
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Analgesics gastroprotection
A new type of drugs are given to relieve the type COX inhibitors, which have a less harmful effect on the stomach than traditional NSAIDs and analgesics. Researchers from surgery for migraine Hospital Case Medical Center in Cleveland, US, have developed a type of surgery that could prevent recurrence of migraines. The operation consists of removing certain groups of muscles in the forehead or in those with migraines in the back of the head, replace a portion of muscle that lines the nerve concerned with soft tissue. Following tests, it appeared that the intervention has a success rate of 88 percent, one in three patients say that the pain disappeared completely. Therefore, the therapy is strictly in the context of such a diagnosis. NSAID analgesic treatments may be useful in a number of forms of benign headaches without evolutionary potential, depending on the particular patient: cause headache, digestive tolerance or liver, interactions with other medications and medical history. It is advisable that such treatment only take the doctor's advice and on a timeframe as short as possible because a lasting analgesic treatment can cause adverse reactions and even secondary injuries, sometimes severe.
NB: Do not ignore headaches!!
References:
Olesen, Jes; Goadsby, Peter J.; Ramadan, Nabih M.; Tfelt-Hansen, Peer; Welch, K. Michael A. (2005). The Headaches (3 ed.). Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Levin, Morris; Baskin, Steven M.; Bigal, Marcelo E. (2008). Comprehensive Review of Headache Medicine. Oxford University Press
Silberstein SD. Practice parameter: evidence-based guidelines for migraine headache (an evidence-based review): report of the Quality Standards Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. Neurology 2000