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Cause and effect of headache
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Headaches are unfortunately one of the most common physical problems that humans experience. Approximately 90% of adults in the United States have a headache each year. Primary headaches are not related to a serious pathology; however, secondary headaches are. Most headaches belong to one of four categories. The categories include: Tension-type headaches, vascular headaches, Chemical headaches, and Traction inflammatory headaches.
Tension-type headaches are the most common type of headache that people experience. Tension headaches affect everyone at some point in there life; they are triggered by mechanical stresses that start the Central Nervous Symptom changes in serotonin levels and begin the process of the blood vessel dilation. Some symptoms include pressing, tightening, and light sensitivity. Nausea is not followed with this type of headache and this headache is not aggravated by physical activity. The pain level ranges from mild to moderate and this headache can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 7 days. Treatment of this headache depends on if the headache is chronic or primary. Chronic headaches can be treated with antidepressants and primary headaches can be treated with over the counter medications or Ibuprofen.
Vascular headaches include migraines, cluster headaches, and possibly sinus headaches. These headaches are often triggered by food sensitivities, hormonal shifts, alcohol use, stress, or other factors that are difficult to identify. These headaches are characterized by pain that throbs with the patient’s pulse. Migraines are less common then tension headaches; however, about 28 million people in the United States have been diagnosed with migraines. They are found to be more common in women and affect about...
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...adaches are not related to any serious issues and there are many remedies such as massage, oxygen, and mediation that can help with these types of headaches. Since Traction inflammatory headaches are less common, and this form of headache is related to an underlying pathology talking to a doctor is the most important and getting treated right away is crucial. Being educated about headaches is very important because most people who do not suffer with them often find it difficult to understand what others go through.
Works Cited
Werner, Ruth. A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology. 4th ed. United States: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2009. 316-20. Print.
Unknown, . "Types of Headaches." American Headache Society. American Headache Society Committee on Headache Education, 2007. Web. 16 Nov 2010.
The borders between the different forms are very fluid and the specific conditions are often misdiagnosed as a strong migraine, causing the patients to suffer significant pain before treatment is started. Which directly links to another problem: The treatment. Oxygen treatment seems promising, yet it is not readily available to the patients. Orally administered triptans are usually too weak and nasally administered triptans (e.g. ZOMIG) cannot be used in a sufficient frequency to relieve the pain during the whole day, especially in the case of Paroxysmal Hemicrania where attacks are generally of shorter duration yet of higher intensity. Therefore, patients still need to resort to taking a significant amount of painkillers which is medically problematic since an attack period can last up to several months or even years in the case of chronic conditions which 10-15% of cluster headache patients suffer from.
The exact mechanism of migraine headaches has not yet been elucidated. Gene studies, combined with the high correlation of family history with migraine susceptibility, give considerable evidence for a significant geneti...
Patient is a 19-year-old right-handed white male who presents with his mother for evaluation of frequent headaches. He did not have headaches prior to two grade 1 concussions while playing football in 2012. At that time, he had a normal MRI. He has been having headaches since. He did see Kent Logan, MD in 2012, at which point he was describing weekly headaches with photophobia, phonophobia, and nausea. At that time, according to Dr. Logan's notes, there was no aura with his headaches. He noted that trying one of his mother's Imitrex helped with the headache, so he was given a prescription for 50 mg. He was also diagnosed as having a whiplash injury, at that time. He did undergo physical therapy for his neck. He also was complaining of some short-term memory problems at that time, but neuropsychology testing was negative. He has not followed up with Dr. Logan since then. More recently, his headaches have been increasing in frequency. They are located in the left retrobulbar and super orbital area, but then will spread throughout the left side of the head and then bilaterally. The pain is steady when it is milder, but throbbing when it is worse, and it is worsened with exertion. There is photophobia, phonophobia, osmophobia, nausea. They can last one to two hours. Most often, he does have
Migraines, which are three times more dominant in women than in men, are characterized by frequent attacks of moderate to severe, painful headaches that are often associated with nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to sound and light. This headache pain typically occurs on one side of the head and is described as pulsing, pounding or throbbing pain lasting 4-72 hours if left untreated. Migraines may also present with or without an aura (sensory warning symptoms).1
My mom became a victim to this illness after she had my youngest sibling. She has now lived with primary migraines for about seven years and the cause of her condition is unknown. The possible factors that can lead to migraines include, hormones, caffeine, stress, anxiety, and many others. Similarly, the journal “Providing Care for Patients with Chronic Migraine: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Management”, by Stephen D. Silberstein states, “Other comorbid factors should be addressed, including sleep disorders, neck pain, fibromyalgia, and obesity” (Silberstein). My mother has gone through many things in her life which relate to many of these factors. Therefore, doctors have not been able to determine the cause of her
One of the most common symptoms related to these untreated injuries include headaches. To effectively treat a headache, the chiropractor needs to have the skills necessary to diagnose the type of headache a patient is experiencing. One headache that our chiropractors frequently treat is caused by tension and stress in the cervical spine. These headaches are very responsive to chiropractic care and other forms of physical medicine.
Headaches occur when the trigeminal nerve that originates on the bottom of the brain that reaches the face, ears, and eyes. It has pain receptors called nociceptors that carry the signals of pain to the thalamus which then can be triggered by hunger, curtain foods, odors, and stress. The thalamus then sends a message to the brain that initiates the pain, and now the individual feels that they have a headache (Pray, 2014). The vast array of headache types are believed to be a whopping one-hundred fifty different types, but the NINDS has categorized them into four different classifications that have specific traits. Such as vascular headaches, tension headaches, traction headaches, and inflammatory headaches (Pray,
Marturana, A. (2016). What headaches can tell you about your health. Retrieved October 27, 2017, from www.self.com
Tension headaches can be a mild or moderate pain but most notably, people describe it as a tight band around the head. It is the most common headache
Primary headaches do not have an underlying causes and they are episodic, which means they come and go. The most common type of primary headache is the tension type headaches. This type headache affects more women than men. They are mainly a result of stress, but can also be caused by fatigue, not eating, smoke, smells, weather changes, and alcohol. They can last anywhere from thirty minutes to seven days. These type headaches can cause moderate to severe bilateral pain in the whole head or neck that is constricting and nonpulsatile. There is reported tenderness to muscles and tendons around the head, lack of sleep, and the pain is dull and throbbing. They cause little disturbance to daily activities.1 The second most common type of primary headaches are Migraines. Migraines can be episodic or chronic depending on how often they occur.2 Most people who experience a migraine will experience it before they reach their forties. These headaches most affect women who are in there reproductive ye...
1. The types of specialists that can help with a migraine diagnosis are doctors who focus on treating people with migraines. These doctors can be internal medicine doctors, family practice doctors, neurologists, or other specialists who see many patients with headache disorders. Most migraine & headache specialists have completed additional training and have additional certification in treating headaches. They may also work in a clinic dedicated to treating headaches. In addition, a neurologist is a doctor trained in diagnosing and treating disorders and diseases of the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscles. Neurologists examine and treat the nerves in the head and neck as well as diagnose problems with memory, balance, speech, thinking and
Migraines are not as common as many believe, actually, only about 12 percent of the U.S population gets migraines (Reinald Shyti, Boukje de Vries, Arn van den Maagdenberg, 2011). The recurring headache can range anywhere from moderate to severe. There are four stages of symptoms starting with Prodrome symptoms which occur one to two days before a migraine attack. Prodrome symptoms include constipation, mood changes, food cravings, neck stiffness, increased thirst and urination, and frequent yawning. The second stage is Aura which lasts for about 20 to 60 minutes and may occur before or during a migraine. Symptoms of the Aura stage include flashes of light, vision loss, pins and needles sensation in arm or leg, numbness or weakness on face or one side of the body, speech difficulty, hearing noise or music, and uncontrollable jerking. The third stage is the Attack stage that can lasts 72 hours if not treated. Symptoms of the attack stage include pain on one side or both sides of the head, pain that feels throbbing or pulsing, extreme sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and lightheadedness sometimes followed by fainting. The last stage is Post-dromed symptoms which occur after a migraine.
For the most part, migraines affect women. Men are more likely to get cluster headaches, where the pain is still very bad, but it doesn’t last as long.
Tension type headaches usually cause pain that radiates in a band-like fashion. Tension headache can cause pain in the head, scalp, or neck and is usually associated with muscle tightness in these areas. Tension headaches can affect a person of any age however, it is most common in adolescents and adults. These headaches occur when the neck and scalp muscles become tense, or contract. People experience a dull, pressure-like pain and it is all over the head, not centralized ...
What is a migraine? A migraine is extreme pain in your head that can cause you to see different things. Usually migraines happen on one side of the head. Headaches are different for every person. The pain in migraines are extremely painful. All though every person that gets migraines has different experiences with pain. People that have migraines often may experience different symptoms every time they get a migraine. Migraines have been a life changing thing to many people. They are more common in women than men because of hormones.