Headache - Common Problem

Simply means Head pain

As seen per clinical data, it is among the most common reasons for people to seek Medical attention. The causes may vary and it may be primary problem itself or may be Secondary to other causes.

Anatomy And Physiology Of Headache

- Head pain is produced once the peripheral pain receptors are stimulated in response to tissue injury, distension and other factors

- Pain producing structures in skull are -scalp, middle meningeal artery and dural sinus

- Ventricular ependymal, choroid plexus and muscles of brain parenchyma are insensitive to pain

Structures Involved in are:-

- Large Intracranial vessels and Dura

- Peripheral terminals of Trigeminal nerve that innervate the structure.

- Caudal portion of Trigeminal nucleas

- Pain modulatory systems in the brain that receive input from trigeminal nociceptors

Classification:

According to the International Headache Society:

Primary:-

- Migraine

- Tension Headache

- Cluster Headache

- Idiopathic headache

- Exertional

Secondary:-

- Systemic Infections- Meningitis, Typhoid, encephalitis, UTI etc

- Head Injuries

- Vacular disorders

- Subarachnoid hemorrhage

- Brain Tumor

Headache Symptoms sometimes suggest serious underlying disorders. It is time to seek medical help when following features appear with headache.

- It is the worst headache ever

- First Severe Headache

- Mild but worsening over days and weeks

- Loss of function of any body parts

- Fever with headache

- Vomiting preceding headache

- Headache when causes blurring of vision

Most of the headaches are simple and are relieved by simple Analgesics, Sleep or Rest.

For more severe ones more potent Analgesics may be required.

Eye problems like Refractive error commonly give rise to Headaches, Sinusitis is another common cause and can cause severe headache. Stress may cause office headache which is mild to start with but gets aggravated in the afternoon and remains for days to weeks. It gives you the sensation of a band like pressure around the head. It is relieved by rest, ananlgesis and antispasmodics, yoga or any thing that relieves stress.

A peculiar symptom of headache is that of a Brain tumor. It is a mild constant type of headache or feeling of tightness in the head due to raised Intracranial pressure. It remains for weeks. Usually it is associated with vomiting in the morning and later neurological defects may appear as the tumor progress such as- blindness, facial palsy, paralysis of hand etc.

So, Headache although a common problem can be a sign of something going wrong with in. Seeking Medical help in time and knowing the Headache well can lead to timely diagnosis of your problems and cure the source.

So know it so that you know when you need help.

Read about migraine by Dr. Sujit Shrestha in: http://medchrome.com/major/medicine/neurology/migraine-headache/

From the writer of Medchrome
http://www.medchrome.com