Headache:

Types, Causes, Symptoms, Preventions and Treatments

(Continuation)

Secondary Headaches

Secondary headaches are headaches that are symptoms of another condition that stimulates the pain-sensitive nerves of the head.

Causes

There are a vast number of different conditions that can cause secondary headaches, ranging in severity from an alcohol-induced hangover to a brain tumor.

Headaches may be caused by problems elsewhere in the head or neck. Some of these are not harmful, such as cervicogenic headache (pain arising from the neck muscles).

Type of secondary headaches are:

•   Meningitis: inflammation of the meninges which presents with fever and meningismus, or stiff neck
• Bleeding inside the brain (intracranial hemorrhage)
• subarachnoid hemorrhage (acute, severe headache, stiff neck without fever)
• Ruptured aneurysm, arteriovenous malformation, intraparenchymal hemorrhage(headache only)
• Brain Tumor: dull headache, worse with exertion and change in position, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. often, the person will have nausea and vomiting for weeks before the headache starts.
• Temporal Arteritis: inflammatory disease of arteries common in the elderly (average age 70) with fever, headache, weight loss, jaw claudication, tender vessels by the temples, polymyalgia rheumatica
• Acute Closed Angle Glaucoma (increased pressure in the eyeball): headache that starts with eye pain, blurry vision, associated with nausea and vomiting. on physical exam, the person will have a red eye and a fixed, mid dilated pupil.

What Are the Signs and Symptoms

People experience many different types of headache, affecting a number of areas of the head in myriad ways, with differing intensities and for variable amounts of time. Here are the characteristic symptoms associated with some of the more prominent forms of headache:

Tension-type headaches

Tension- type headache is the most common type of headache and the one we think of as a normal, everyday headache. 

It may feel like a constant ache that affects both sides of the head. You may also feel the neck muscles tighten and a feeling of pressure behind the eyes.

Tension-type headaches can be either episodic or chronic. Episodic attacks are normally a few hours in duration, but can last for several days. In contrast, attacks are considered to be chronic if they occur for 15 or more days a month for a period of at least 3 months.

Signs and symptoms of a tension headache include: Dull, aching head pain. Sensation of tightness or pressure across your forehead or on the sides and back of your head. Tenderness on your scalp, neck and shoulder muscles.

Migraines

Migraine is the second most common form of primary headache and has been ranked as the seventh-highest specific cause of disability worldwide. The most common symptom of a migraine headache is a throbbing pain on one side of your head . You also may have other symptoms before, during, and after a migraine. Different people have different symptoms.  A migraine can last for any amount of time between a few hours and 2-3 days.

Symptoms associated with a migraine headache include:

• Nausea.
• Pain behind one eye or ear.
• Pain in the temples.
• Seeing spots or flashing lights.
• Sensitivity to light and/or sound.
• Temporary vision loss.
• Vomiting.

Rebound headaches

Rebound, or medication-overuse headaches are the most common secondary headache, caused by the excessive use of medication to treat headache symptoms. They usually begin early in the day and persist throughout, improving with pain medicine but worsening when its effects wear off.

Rebound headaches can cause a number of symptoms, and the pain can be different each day. Signs and symptoms of rebound headaches may differ according to the type of original headache being treated and the medication used. Rebound headaches tend to:

• Occur every day or nearly every day, often waking you in the early morning
• Improve with pain relief medication but then return as your medication wears off

Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches are a relatively uncommon form of primary headache that affect less than one in every 1,000 adults. They strike quickly, once or more daily at the same time each day and often without warning. They usually last between 45-90 minutes and persist for the duration of a cluster period, normally 4-8 weeks.

The pain caused by cluster headaches is severe, often described as sharp or burning, and is normally located in or around one eye. The affected area may become red and swollen, the eyelid may droop and the nasal passage on the affected side may become stuffy and runny. Infrequently, pain may extend into the ear, neck, or shoulder.

In general, children suffer from the same types of headaches as adults do, but their symptoms may be slightly different. The diagnostic approach to headache in children is similar to that of adults. However, young children may not be able to verbalize pain well. If a young child is fussy, they may have a headache.Just as in adults, most headaches are benign, but when head pain is accompanied with other symptoms such as speech problems, muscle weakness, and loss of vision, a more serious underlying cause may exist: hydrocephalus, meningitis, encephalitis, abscess, hemorrhage, tumor, blood clots, or head trauma. In these cases, the headache evaluation may include CT scan or MRI in order to look for possible structural disorders of the central nervous system.

How Can Headaches Be Prevented?

Muscle-tension headaches can often be avoided by maintaining proper posture and neck movements while performing your normal activities. Prevention methods include:

• Avoid slouching
• Avoid reading with your neck bent forward
• Keep your computer monitor at eye level
• Take frequent breaks from reading and working on the computer.
• Try a low-fat, high-complex carbohydrate diet. A recent study demonstrated that such a diet can dramatically lower the frequency, intensity, and\duration of migraine headaches.

What Is the Treatment for Headaches?

Headache treatment is cause-related. Doctors of chiropractic often treat patients with tension-type headaches and headaches caused by problems with the joints and muscles in the neck, as well.

Joint manipulation and mobilization of the neck, along with stretching and strengthening exercises, have been demonstrated to be effective in the treatment of this type of headache.

Massage and other forms of soft-tissue treatment can sometimes be helpful.

Scientists are also investigating other therapies, such as acupuncture, to prevent and treat this disorder. Over-the-counter pain relievers, such as acetaminophen, can be used for an occasional headache, but not for long-term headache management.

Conclusion

More serious causes of headache require aggressive treatment, and your doctor of chiropractic can assist you in finding a medical headache specialist.  The majority of patients with headache recover completely after treatment. Unfortunately, the recurrence rate is relatively high, particularly with tension-type headache. If you have any questions or concerns about headache, feel free to discuss them with your doctor or chiropractic.

HEADACHE

Types, Causes, Symptoms, Preventions and Treatments
Headache

A headache or cephalalgia is pain anywhere in the region of the head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of the head and neck.

Headaches are one of the most common ailments; with most people experiencing a headache at some point in their life. They can affect anyone regardless of age, race and gender.

Headaches can result from a wide range of causes both benign and more serious.

Brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain as it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of the pain-sensitive structures around the brain. Nine areas of the head and neck have these pain-sensitive structures, which are the cranium (the periosteum of the skull), muscles, nerves, arteries and veins, subcutaneous tissues, eyes, ears, sinuses and mucous membranes.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that around 47% of adults worldwide will have experienced a headache within the last year.

As well as being symptoms of other conditions, headache disorders can lead to the development of other illnesses. Depression is three times more common in individuals with severe headaches than in healthy people.

Although there are more than 200 types of headaches, they are broadly classified as "primary" or "secondary” Some are innocuous while some are detrimental.

Types of Headaches

Primary Headaches
Primary headaches are benignant, repetitive headaches not caused by underlying disease or structural problems.

Causes

A primary headache is caused by problems with or overactivity of pain-sensitive structures in your head. A primary headache isn't a symptom of an underlying disease. Some people may carry genes that make them more likely to develop such headaches.

Types of primary headaches include:

• Cluster Headaches: short episodes (15–180 minutes) of severe pain, usually around one eye, with autonomic symptoms (tearing, red eye, nasal congestion) which occur at the same time every day. Cluster headaches can be treated with triptans and prevented with prednisone, ergotamine or lithium.
• Trigeminal Neuralgia: shooting face pain
• Hemicrania Continua: continuous unilateral pain with episodes of severe pain. Hemicrania continua can be relieved by the medication indomethacin.
• Primary stabbing headache: recurrent episodes of stabbing "ice pick pain" or "jabs and jolts" for 1 second to several minutes without autonomic symptoms (tearing, red eye, nasal congestion). These headaches can be treated with indomethacin.
• Primary cough headache: starts suddenly and lasts for several minutes after coughing, sneezing or straining (anything that may increase pressure in the head). Serious etiologies(see secondary headaches red flag section) must be ruled out before a diagnosis of "benign" primary cough headache can be made.
• Primary exertional headache: throbbing, pulsatile pain which starts during or after exercising, lasting for 5 minutes to 24 hours. The mechanism behind these headaches is unclear, possibly due to straining causing veins in the head to dilate, causing pain. These headaches can be prevented by not exercising too strenuously and can be treated with medications such as indomethacin.
• Primary Sex Headache: dull, bilateral headache that starts during sexual activity and becomes much worse during orgasm. These headaches are thought to be due to lower pressure in the head during sex. It is important to realize that headaches that begin during orgasm may be due to a subarachnoid hemorrhage, so serious causes must be ruled out first. These headaches are treated by advising the person to stop sex if they develop a headache. Medications such as propranolol and diltiazem can also be helpful.
• Hypnic headache: moderate-severe headache that starts a few hours after falling asleep and lasts 15–30 minutes. The headache may recur several times during night. Hypnic headaches are usually in older women. They may be treated with lithium.

To be continue............

World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day is held on the 1^st December each year and is an opportunity for people worldwide to unite in the fight against HIV, show their support for people living with HIV and to commemorate people who have died. World AIDS Day was the first ever global health day, held for the first time in 1988.

Its origin can be traced to August 1987 when it was first conceive (much to be unravel).

Why And Reasons For The Celebration Of World AIDS Day

World AIDS Day was meant or designated to be an inspired and educative day , it was  dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and mourning those who have died of the disease. Since its inception, it has been used to  receiving of major boost yearly from the participations of world government and health officials, non-governmental organizations and individuals around the world , not because of anything else , rather than educating peoples on AIDS prevention and control.

Globally there are an estimated 34 million people who have the virus. Despite the virus only being identified in 1984, more than 35 million people have died of HIV or AIDS, making it one of the most destructive pandemics in history..

World AIDS Importance

World AIDS Day is important because it reminds the public and Government that HIV has not gone away there is still a vital need to raise money, increase awareness, fight prejudice and improve education to avoid stigmatization of any forms.

World AIDS Day is a great opportunity for groups and for individuals to show support for people living with HIV be it by holding an inspired event that could be of help to the campaign or to raise money for NAT (National AIDS Trust) .

Conclusion
World AIDS Day was meant or designated to be an inspired and educative day , it was  dedicated to raising awareness of the AIDS pandemic caused by the spread of HIV infection, and mourning those who have died of the disease. Since its inception, it has been used to  receiving of major boost yearly from the participations of world government and health officials, non-governmental organizations and individuals around the world , not because of anything else , rather than educating peoples on AIDS prevention and control.