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Symptoms & Signs Index |
| Headache | |
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Definition: pain in the head. |
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Medical terms related to
headache : Cephalalgia |
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Common
causes of headache: o Bacterial Infections o Caffeine o Cold Drink or Food (Brain Freeze) o Compression of Head (e.g. Helmet) o Sinus Infection o Toothache o Temporomandibular Joint Disorder (TMJ) o Chronic Cough o Tension headache: Tension headache tends to be on both sides of the head. It often start at the back of the head and spread forward. The pain may feel dull or squeezing, like a tight band or vice. The shoulders, neck, or jaw may feel tight and sore. o Cluster Headache: An extremely sharp pain in the head that tends to occur several times per day for months and then go away for a similar period. o Migraine headaches: Severe, recurrent headaches usually accompanied by other symptoms like visual disturbances or nausea. Migraine headache tends to begin on one side of the head, although the pain may spread to both sides. There might be an "aura" (warning symptoms that start before the headache), throbbing, pounding, or pulsating pain. o Stroke o Trauma Injury to Head or Neck o Viral Infection (Inside or Outside of the Head) o Concussion o Dialysis o Fracture (Broken Skull Bone) o Hyperventilation o Illicit Drug Withdrawal o Sexual Activity o Medications o Glaucoma: An eye disease marked by increased pressure within the eyeball resulting in damage to the optic disk and gradual loss of vision, eye pain. o Hypoglycemia (Abnormal decrease of sugar in the blood)
Other Causes of
headache: |
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Call 911
or go to the hospital if headache
is accompanied by: o Explosive or violent headache o Your headache is "your worst ever" headache o Slurred speech, change in vision o problems moving arms or legs, loss of balance o Confusion, or memory loss o Fever, stiff neck, nausea, and vomiting o Head injury o Unilateral redness of the eye |
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Call your
doctor if headache is
accompanied by: o Headache that wakes you up from sleep o Headache that lasts more than a few days o Headaches are worse in the morning |
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Diagnostic tests
that may be performed include: o Head CT scan o Head MRI o Sinuses x-rays o Temporal artery biopsy o Lumbar puncture |
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Prevention and
self-care: o Get adequate sleep o Eat a healthy diet o Exercise regularly o Stretch your neck and upper body often o Learn proper posture o Quit smoking o Learn to relax using meditation, deep breathing, yoga, or other techniques |
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Medications
for headache may
include: o Acetylsalicylic Acid, Aspirin, Ecotrin o Acetaminophen (Tylenol) o Propranolol (Inderal) La o Sumatriptan (Imitrex) o Calcium Channel Blockers o Amitriptyline. Elavil, Endep o Antipyretics, Analgesics o Naproxen, Naprosyn, Naprelan, Anaprox, Aleve o Nortriptyline, Pamelor, Aventyl o Gabapentin (Neurontin) o Ibuprofen, Advil, Motrin, Medipren, Nuprin o Valproic Acid, Divalproex o Zolmitriptan (Zomig) |
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| Diagnosis of headache, Reasons of headache, Prevention of headache, Definition of headache, Treatments for headache | |

