Most of have experienced a headache during sometime in our life. As many as 90% of the population has suffered from one headache in a year. Let us look into the common ailment, causes, triggers and how to prevent and manage it.
It is important to understand the type of your headache. The cause of headache can vary and the underlying condition can be identified on the basis of the location, intensity, duration and recurrence of a headache.
Acute new-onset headache:
Heat of the summer, rise in temperature and the glare can cause an acute new headache. The common cause of a headache could be water deprivation. There is excessive sweating and if the fluid intake doesn’t compensate for the loss through perspiration your body tends to get dehydrated. It is a dull headache, less severe than a migraine. There is no facial pain and pain is aggravated by turning the head. Giddiness, weakness, cramps in muscles, lowered blood pressure can present along with the headache.
A new headache presenting with other signs and symptoms such as fever, vomiting before the headache, numbness or weakness in limbs with difficult speech or patient above age of fifty-five describing it as first worst headache ever then immediate hospital care and further investigation is necessary.
The homoeopathic management depends on treating the underlying cause of headache. The complete description of symptoms as to the location, sensation aggravating factors, time and intensity help in prescription. Belladonna is useful remedy for acute onset headaches and can be given as a first prescription. Natrum Carb is a useful remedy for headaches in summer season where the headache is brought on by exposure to the sun. Natrum-mur is useful in headaches of young girls. Medicines such as Glonoine, Sanguinaria, Melilotus etc are important homoeopathic medicines in treatment of headache.
Recurrent headache or chronic headache
A recurrent headache or a chronic headache is usually not dangerous and is a primary type of headache. Location, duration and time of headache is a helpful guide for diagnosis and prescription.
Migraine
Migraine is the most common cause of headache which affects approximately 15 % of women and 6 % of men. It is a harmless recurring headache which presents with nausea and vomiting. Other symptoms along with migraine are dizziness, difficulty in vision, scalp tenderness, sensitivity to light and noise. Migraine is often recognized by its triggers such as hunger, menses, glare, stress, worry and certain food items like chocolates and strawberries. Stress and emotional disturbances can often trigger migraine episodes. As migraine is commonly triggered by psychological factors and therefore often ignored by the family members assuming that patient is feigning an attack. Many patients especially women as used to consume pain-killers to subside the headache. Most patient who suffer from migraines misdiagnose themselves as suffering from acidity and rely heavily on antacids and induced vomiting. Avoid induced vomiting as it has damaging effects on the body. Most migraineurs often have a first relative who has been a migraine sufferer.
Homoeopathic individualized medicines offer treatment in migraine in terms of reducing the acute pain but also preventing further episodes. Natrum Muriaticum is a common medicine used for classic migraines where the headache is along with visual disturbances. Medicines like Lachesis and Secale Cor are used for menstrual migraines where in the estrogen surge is a trigger factor. Remedies for migraine headaches are Lac-D, Lac-Can, Silicea, Epiphagus give excellent results and must be consumed under guidance of a homoeopathic physician.
Tension Headache
This term is used for a chronic headache where there is a bandlike tight discomfort on both sides of head. The muscles on the back of the head are tight and patient describes as if head is pressed from sides. Tension headache is common in all age groups and females tend to be the common sufferers. Anxiety and depression co-exist with tension headache. The headache may be episodic or chronic and present more than 15 days a month. Decreased water intake and dehydrated state can trigger a tension type headache. A tension headache is often confused with a migraine headache. A tension headache doesn’t worsen with physical activity and hence a patient might continue with his daily work despite the distressing symptom.
Homoeopathic medicines such as Cimicfuga, Rhus-tox, Spigelia are excellent choices for tension headaches. Cimicifuga is prescribed when the neck muscles show tightness along with anxious and nervous state of the patient. Rhus-tox helps relieve the muscles tightness and stiffness.
Chronic sinusitis
A sinus headache is often associated with facial pain. Patients complain of facial puffiness, toothache or earache along with it. The dust and pollen exposure can trigger the allergies and in turn the sinus headache. The pain is aggravated by bending forwards. Sinusitis patients often complaint of burning or watering of eyes along with headache. Patients resort to constant blowing of the nose to relieve the heaviness. Forceful blowing of the nose may affect the ear drum or aggravate an existing ear condition. Consumption of cold drinks, ice-cream after travelling in the sun can precipitate a sinusitis episode.
Homoeopathy is of aid in treating chronic sinusitis and also managing an acute attack. Medicines such as Kali-Bichrom and Hydrastis are helpful in cases of chronic sinusitis associated with sticky nasal discharge. Medicines like Belladonna, Sanguinaria help in managing an acute attack.
Cluster headache
Cluster headaches are the most severe forms of headache even more intense than a migraine. They tend to last for a short duration of time. Because they occur seasonally, they are often diagnosed as allergies. A cluster headache is extremely periodical and occurs every month or year same time. The headache is a jabbing and stabbing pain behind the eye associated with watering of eyes and burning of eyes. The patient is usually a male below 30 years. They are often misdiagnosed as migraines for long time. Cluster headaches are aggravated by light or sound. Homoeopathic medicines like Cedron, Spigelia are of great help in Cluster headaches.
Tips
- A patient must maintain a headache diary to identify the trigger factors.
- A healthy diet and good hydration are must not only to prevent an acute episode but also to relieve a chronic condition.
- Regular exercise and pranayama are often advised to keep stress at bay which is a major trigger for headaches.
References:
- Principles of internal medicine by Sir Tinsley Harrison
- Headaches and their concomitant symptoms by King, Jno C
- Headache and its materia medica by B F Underwood.
- Diseases of Ear, Nose and Throat by Dhingra.