Headache is one of the most common complaints when contacting a doctor. The reasons for it can be many, but they all lead to decreased performance and General malaise. When a headache, it is impossible neither to work nor to have a normal rest.
Headache is the most important signal for a person. It can appear after hard work or be a consequence of various problems associated with the activities of the body. It is important to understand its causes and distinguish them.
Causes of headache
Headache, or cephalic syndrome, can be caused by many different pathologies that affect the brain and pain receptors. By their nature, all headaches are divided into two large groups:
- primary (migraine, cluster headache, tension headache);
- symptomatic.
Unlike primary, symptomatic headaches are only one of the signs of some disease. For example, they may be the result of injuries, vascular pathologies, infections or disorders in the internal organs.
Frequent causes of headache:
- mental or physical strain;
- changes in blood pressure;
- hangover;
- change in intracranial pressure;
- intoxication as a result of acute respiratory viral infections.
Less common, but no less dangerous causes of headache:
- stroke;
- temporal arteritis;
- brain tumor;
- osteochondrosis of the cervical spine.
Migraine and methods of fighting it
Among the most common problems include migraine-recurrent headaches neurovascular type, which can last from several hours to several days. Most often, the first manifestations of the disease are observed at the age of 10 to 30 years; women are exposed to it mainly.
Migraine is characterized by severe episodic pulsating pain affecting half of the head and is not associated with changes in blood pressure, vascular disorders and other pathologies. According to the existing international classification of the disease is divided into two categories:
- migraine with aura;
- migraine without aura.
Aura called neurological symptoms of various kinds that occur in the patient before the onset of migraine-for example, “fog” in front of the eyes; violation of the sensitivity of the fingers; tingling or feeling goosebumps; problems with coordination and motor skills.
The disease is chronic with symptomatic treatment. To reduce the number of migraine recurrences, it is recommended to avoid provoking factors, which include:
- hunger;
- alcohol;
- caffeine;
- physical and psychological exhaustion;
- stress.
Stroke: how to recognize and what to do
A stroke is an extremely severe acute violation of cerebral circulation. If medical care for a person with a stroke was not provided on time, it is possible to develop serious consequences, up to a lethal outcome. Therefore, it is important to be able to recognize the problem as soon as possible.
There is a method of emergency diagnosis of stroke, which is easy to remember with a simple mnemonic reception:
- After a stroke, the patient is hard to smile, the smile is asymmetric.
- Ask the victim to raise their hands or feet at the same time. One of the limbs will be raised more slowly, its movement hampered.
- It’s hard for a person after a stroke to talk. Ask him to say a simple sentence or give his name, first name, patronymic — it can be inhibited, indistinct, distorted.
- If you see one or more signs of a stroke in a person, you should immediately call an ambulance. During the call, clearly state the reason for treatment and the symptoms that you see in the victim.
In addition to these symptoms, a person who suffered a stroke may have visual impairment in one or both eyes. But it should be understood that the manifestation of all the signs at once is not necessary; if you find at least one or more symptoms – immediately call an ambulance.
Chronic headaches: what to do?
The causes of chronic headaches are still not exactly clarified, there are only a few theories of their occurrence. Most often, there are chronic tension pain; they can also be a response of the body to long-term use of some drugs. According to statistics, this disease is more common among the female population of the planet.
If the problem is chronic, the pain is frequent and has a long, dull character. A person during a relapse feels very tired, he has increased irritability, and the level of attention is reduced; there may be violations in sleep mode.
For the treatment of chronic headache, there is no clear plan that everyone could follow — effective treatment involves the preparation of an individual program and constant medical supervision. For the relief of single attacks it is possible to use a variety of painkillers.
How to help a person with a headache
First aid for headaches should be based on the clinical picture and symptoms. Remember: it is necessary to identify and eliminate the root cause of pain, and not only to relieve the symptom. And do not just tolerate a headache, hoping that it will pass quickly.
So, if the headache is associated with a change in blood pressure, simple pain pills will help weakly, but a person prone to fluctuations in blood pressure often has the necessary drugs to stabilize it. Help to find and accept them.
For symptomatic treatment, various analgesics can be used.
What if the cause of headaches was taking medication?
In this case, in consultation with the attending physician, the drug is either completely canceled or replaced by another. After that, the patient suffering from chronic headaches, usually there is a significant improvement.
Probably, there is not a single person who would not be familiar with a headache. And your prescription from from this trouble probably every woman has. Share, as you cope with problem?
Leave a Reply