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Thursday, April 26, 2007

HEADACHE

“Do not undervalue the headache. While it is at its sharpest it seems a bad investment; but when relief begins, the un-expired remainder is worth $4 a minute.”- Mark Twain quotes.

Cephalalgia, sometimes spelled cephalgia is the medical term for headache. It means pain in the head caused by dilation of cerebral arteries or muscle contractions.

Its origin can be traced back to the Bible and the medical books of ancient Egypt, Babylonia, Greece, Rome, India, and China. In ancient medical papyri, headache emphasizes the role of head trauma and of 'pain matter' occurring in the body. A headache is known to be one of the most common universal ailments. It is more of a symptom than a disease. It is a sign of a serious health problem. It can be either a disorder of its own or a symptom for an underlying disease.

The term “Headache” might sound simple; but it is like any other chronic ailment, which has to be controlled. A headache is not the same for everyone. The pain varies from mild to severe. It has several characteristics like mild, intermittent, throbbing, sharp and constant which can last from a few seconds or minutes to long hours.
Some headaches can occur in the forehead, neck region, temple alone, one sided, just above the ears, back of the head (almost in the neck region) and in the center. For a few people, the headache may occur rarely (once in a month), while for others very frequently or in clusters that occur frequently over several weeks, and then disappear for months or even years. The most problematic headaches are those that occur frequently, or even daily, over months or years.
The reasons for headaches vary from simple tension, stress, eye, ear or teeth problems to major problems in the head like bleeding, tumor or infection in the brain. Immediate medical attention is required if any of the following symptoms persist.
1. There is a sudden onset of headache, which is different from the previous time you had a headache.
2. If it is persistent for many days and worsens day by day.
3. Accompanied by Concomitant infection (infection in the lung).
4. Headache is accompanied by stiff neck, body pain, fever, nausea and vomiting or altered mental status.
5. Decreased level of consciousness.
6. Persistent tachycardia.
A headache is a day-to-day issue for pregnant women. The reason for the same is due to a sudden increase in the hormone level. High sexual excitement, people with high blood pressure, misuse or persistent use of medication or using over the counter medication, lazy posture that exerts pressure on the neck and scalp muscle, sleeping for very long hours or dozing on the bed and also sudden withdrawing of caffeine can induce dull headaches, which last for about half an hour.
Headache may sometimes take the person into a vicious cycle. Mostly headaches dampen the enthusiasm of an individual in their day-to-day activities and limit their ability to work. This, In turn leads to feelings of depression and exhaustion, which are strong triggers for headaches. Whatever may be the case, never allow it to take control over your life.

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