HEADACHES ARE ONE OF THE MOST COMMON HEALTH COMPLAINTS. POSSIBLE CAUSES OF HEADACHES INCLUDE TENSION,
INFECTION, ALLERGY, INJURY, HUNGER, CHANGES IN
THE FLOW OF BLOOD IN THE VESSELS OF
THE HEAD OR EXPOSURE TO CHEMICALS.
MAJORITY OF HEADACHES ARE CAUSED BY
TENSION AND CAN BE PREVENTED BY ;
·
REDUCE EMOTIONAL STRESS. TAKE TIME TO RELAX
BEFORE AND AFTER YOU DO SOMETHIING THAT CAUSES A HEADACHE.
·
REDUCE PHYSICAL STRESS. CHANGE POSITIONS DURING
DESK WORK AND STRETCH FOR THIRTY SECONDS EACH HOUR. MAKE A CONSCIOUS EFFORT TO RELAX YOUR JAW, NECK,
SHOULDER AND UPPER BACK MUSCLES.
·
EVALUATE YOUR NECK AND SHOULDER POSTURE AT WORK
AND MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IF NEEDED.
·
DAILY EXERCISE HELPS RELIEVE TENSION.
·
TREAT YOURSELF TO A MASSAGE. SOME PEOPLE FIND
REGULAR MASSAGES VERY HELPFUL IN RELIEVING TENSION.
·
LIMIT YOUR CAFFEINE INTAKE TO ONE OR TWO CUPS A
DAY. PEOPLE WHO DRINK A LOT OF CAFFEINATED BEVERAGES OFTEN DEVELOP A HEADACHE SEVERAL
HOURS AFTER THEY HAVE THEIR LAST BEVERAGE OR MAY WAKE UP WITH A HEADACHE.
MIGRAINE HEADACHES
MIGRAINE HEADACHES HAVE VERY SPECIFIC
SYMPTOMS WHICH INCLUDES THROBBING PAIN
ON ONE OR BOTH SIDES OF THE HEAD AND SENSITIVITY TO LIGHT OR NOISE. MIGRAINES
ARE ALSO CALLED ‘ SICK’ HEADACHES BECAUSE THEY MAY ALSO CAUSE NAUSEA OR
VOMITING. THEY ARE ALSO CALLED VASCULAR HEADACHES BECAUSE THEY ARE BELIEVED TO
BE CAUSED BY CHANGES IN THE FLOW OF BLOOD IN THE VESSELS OF THE HEAD.
ALTHOUGH A MIGRAINE HEADACHE COMES QUITE SUDDENLY, IT IS SOMETIMES PRECEDED BY VISUAL DISTURBANCES
SUCH AS ZIG ZAGGED LINES, DIZZINESS, AND NUMBNESS ON ONE SIDE OF THE BODY.
MIGRAINES LAST FROM A FEW HOURS TO A FEW DAYS, SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK OR ONCE
EVERY FEW YEARS.
MIGRAINES ARE MORE COMMON IN WOMEN. THEY
MAY BEGIN DURING CHILDHOOD BUT MOST OF THEM BEGIN DURING THE TEENS AND EARLY
TWENTIES.
PREVENTION
·
AT THE FIRST SIGN OF A MIGRAINE, LIE DOWN IN A
DARKENED ROOM WITH A COOL CLOTH ON YOUR
FOREHEAD. RELAX YOUR ENTIRE BODY STARTING WITH THE FOREHEAD AND EYES DOWN TO
THE TOES.
·
SLEEPING CAN ALSO RELIEVE MIGRAINES.
·
ASPIRIN AND IBUPROFEN FOR EXAMPLE HELP RELIEVE MIGRAINE.
·
IF YOU ARE ON MEDICATION FOR MIGRAINE, TAKE IT
AT THE FIRST SIGN THAT A MIGRAINE IS STARTING.
TENSION HEADACHES
MORE THAN 90% OF HEADACHES ARE TENSION HEADACHES WHICH
BECOME MORE FREQUENT AND SEVERE DURING TIMES OF PHYSICAL OR EMOTIONAL STRESS.A
PREVIOUS NECK INJURY OR ARTHRITIS IN THE NECK CAN ALSO CAUSE TENSION HEADACHES.
A TENSION HEADACHE MAY BE IDENTIFIED WITH THE FOLLOWING ;
·
TIGHTNESS OR PAIN IN THE MUSCLES OF THE NECK,
BACK AND SHOULDERS.
·
PAIN ALL OVER THE HEAD.
·
PRESSURE OR A FEELING OF HAVING A BAND AROUND
THE HEAD.
·
THE HEAD MAY FEEL LIKE IT IS IN A VISE.
·
A DULL, PRESSING, BURNING SENSATION ABOVE THE
EYES.
·
PAIN MAY AFFECT THE JAW, NECK AND SHOULDER
MUSCLES.
·
YOU CAN RARELY PINPOINT THE CENTER OR SOURCE OF
PAIN.
CLUSTER HEADACHES
CLUSTER HEADACHES ARE
SUDDEN, VERY SEVERE, SHARP, STABBING HEADACHES THAT OCCUR ON ONE SIDE OF
THE HEAD, USUALLY IN THE TEMPLE OR BEHIND THE EYE. THE EYE AND NOSTRIL ON THE
AFFECTED SIDE MAY BE RUNNY.
THE PAIN OFTEN BEGINS AT NIGHT AND MAY LAST FROM 30 MINUTES
TO A FEW HOURS. THE HEADACHE MAY REOCCUR SEVERAL TIMES A DAY. ATTACKS MAY LAST
4 TO 12 WEEKS, THEN DISAPPEAR FOR MONTHS OR YEARS.
CLUSTER HEADACHES ARE FIVE TIMES MORE COMMON IN MEN BUT MANY
MEN WHO GET THEM ARE HEAVY SMOKERS AND
DRINKERS. AVOID ALCOHOL AND CIGARETTES DURING AN ATTACK.
IT IS ADVICEABLE TO
SEE YOUR DOCTOR IF
·
YOU HAVE PERSISTENT, SEVERE HEADACHES WITH
NO APPARENT CAUSE OR REASON .
·
IF A HEAD ACHE
IS SEVERE AND CANNOT BE RELIEVED WITH HOME TREATMENT.
·
IF UNEXPLAINED HEADACHES CONTINUE TO OCCUR MORE
THAN THREE TIMES A WEEK.
·
IF HEADACHES BECOME MORE FREQUENT AND SEVERE.
·
IF HEADACHES AWAKEN YOU OUT OF A SOUND SLEEP OR
ARE WORSE FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.
No comments:
Post a Comment