Archive for the ‘diagnose’ Category
Friday, June 27th, 2008
Occasional headaches are common. But it’s important to take your headaches seriously. Some types of headaches can be life-threatening.
Headaches that need immediate care
Seek immediate medical care if your headache:
* Is sudden and severe
* Accompanies a fever, stiff neck, rash, confusion, seizure, double vision, weakness, numbness or difficulty speaking
* Follows a head injury
* Gets worse despite rest and pain medication
Headaches that can wait until morning
You may want to consult your doctor if:
* You usually have three or more headaches a week
* You take a pain reliever for your headaches every day or almost every day
* You need more than the recommended dose of over-the-counter pain remedies to relieve your headaches
* Your headache pattern changes
* Your headaches are getting worse
Screening and diagnosis
The doctor will ask a series of questions about your headaches, such as when they started and what they feel like. Be sure to list all the medications you’re taking, including the doses. Remember, your doctor is there to help you. The more the doctor knows about your headaches and medication use, the better care he or she will be able to provide.
Your doctor will probably do a physical exam to check for signs of illness, infection or neurological problems. If the cause of your headaches remains uncertain, you may need blood or urine tests to identify any underlying medical conditions. Sometimes imaging studies — such as an X-ray, computerized tomography or magnetic resonance imaging — are recommended.
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Wednesday, June 25th, 2008
Rebound headaches are also called medication overuse headaches.
These types of headaches tend to:
* Occur every day, often waking you in the early morning
* Hurt worst at the beginning of the headache, as your medication wears off
* Persist throughout the day
Other signs and symptoms may include:
* Nausea
* Anxiety
* Restlessness, irritability and difficulty concentrating
* Memory problems
* Depression
* Trouble sleeping
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Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
Chronic daily headaches can interfere with your job, your relationships and your quality of life. But you can cope with the challenges.
* Take control. Commit yourself to living a full, satisfying life. Work with your doctor to develop a treatment plan that works for you. Take good care of yourself. Do things that lift your spirits. Set aside time for your loved ones — and yourself — every day.
* Seek understanding. Don’t expect friends and loved ones to instinctively know what’s best for you. Ask for what you need, whether it’s time alone or less attention focused on your headaches.
* Check out support groups. When your head is throbbing, companionship may be the last thing on your mind — but perhaps it’s just what you need. A support group can put you face to face with people who share your physical symptoms and emotional responses. You may learn useful coping strategies — or help others by sharing some of your own.
* Consider counseling. A counselor or therapist can help you manage stress and maintain your emotional balance. Through therapy, you can learn to change behavior that’s not good for you and reinforce behavior that’s helping you manage your headaches.
Complementary and alternative therapies
For many people, complementary or alternative therapies offer welcome relief from headache pain. It’s important to be cautious, however. Not all complementary or alternative therapies have been studied as headache treatments, and others need further research.
* Acupuncture. This ancient technique uses hair-thin needles to promote the release of natural painkillers and other chemicals in the central nervous system. There is some evidence that it can help control headaches and other conditions that cause chronic pain.
* Biofeedback. With this relaxation technique, you can learn to control headaches by producing changes in bodily responses such as muscle tension, heart rate and skin temperature.
* Meditation. During meditation, you focus on a simple activity, such as breathing or repeating a single word or phrase. The practice creates a deeply restful state in which your breathing slows and your muscles relax — which can help you manage pain and reduce the stress that can trigger or worsen a headache.
* Massage. Massage can reduce stress, relieve tension and promote relaxation. Although its value as a headache treatment hasn’t been determined, massage may be particularly helpful if you have tight, tender muscles in the back of your head, neck and shoulders.
* Herbs, vitamins and minerals. Some dietary supplements — including magnesium, feverfew and butterbur — seem to help prevent or relieve some types of headaches, but there’s only modest scientific support for these claims. If you’re considering using supplements to treat headaches, check with your doctor. Some supplements may interfere with the effectiveness of prescription or over-the-counter drugs or have other harmful effects.
* Chiropractic care. Spinal manipulation can effectively treat some types of pain, but studies don’t support claims that chiropractic care relieves headaches. Chiropractic manipulation of the neck has been associated with injury to the blood vessels supplying the brain. Rarely, this may cause a stroke.
If you’d like to try a complementary or alternative therapy, discuss the risks and benefits with your doctor.
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Tuesday, June 24th, 2008
The frequency of headaches decreases with age except if for the depressed or psychoneurotic patients. Migraine too decreases with the age and in some cases disappears. Headache due to tension is rare. In case of headache due to cervical spondylosis the pain starts in the hindmost bone of the skull and may radiate forward to the vertex. This limits the movements of the neck and when the patient tries to rotate the neck, pain might aggravate.
Usually, doctors recommend pain-killers or tranquilizers to cure headache. But these pain killers and tranquilizers provide only a temporary relief and do not target the cause. Additionally, they cause nervous debility, weakens the heart and result in other complications. The best remedy to prevent headaches is by developing physical resistance through proper nutrition, exercise and constructive thinking.
The great majority of headaches a physician treats in office practice can be divided into two main categories, muscular contraction headache of tension type and vascular headaches of the migraine type.
The most satisfactory symptomatic therapy for tension headache is by the use of a nonnarcotic analgesic agent combined with a tranquilizer or sedative. On the other hand, symptomatic relief of migraine is best obtained by the use of a suppository of ergotamine tartrate and caffeine combined with an antiemetic or antispasmodic.
Interval treatment of patients with tension and migraine headache centers on helping the patient understand his emotional problems. Prophylactic drug therapy for patients with tension headache includes the limited use of tranquilizers and sedatives. Recently, striking benefits in some patients with migraine have been achieved by the prophylactic use of the antiserotonin drug methysergide (UML 491).
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Monday, June 23rd, 2008
Q: I get sudden nausea and dizziness to the point where I feel like I will faint. During these “spells” I also seem to get very flushed and weak. It’s happened on/off for at least the last 1-2 year and I haven’t been able to pinpoint what precipitates this. I’m a 30 year old female with no known health problems–just got a physical in Sept. and labs didn’t show anything unusual. I eat very healthy and exercise 4-5x/wk.
A: There are other causes which would include a sudden drop in blood pressure but your description sounds to be the below condition. A more prominent problem with dizziness is called vertigo and this can be severe and recurring. It is often an inner ear infection or calcium buildup that is floating in the ear canal.
I would suggest to watch your situation and should this recur again then see your primary for any needed treatment. Most likely though this was caused by allergies or blocked sinus. You may have a condition known as Benign vestibular Vertigo orparoxysmal positional vertigo.
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Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
Taking good care of yourself can help prevent chronic daily headaches.
* Avoid headache triggers. If you’re not sure what triggers your headaches, keep a headache diary. Include details about every headache. When did it start? What were you doing at the time? What did you eat that day? How did you sleep the night before? What’s your stress level? How long did the headache last? What, if anything, provided relief? Eventually, you may begin to see a pattern — and be able to take steps to prevent future headaches.
* Get enough sleep. Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day — even on weekends. If you’re not tired at bedtime, read or watch television until you become drowsy and fall asleep naturally.
* Don’t skip meals. Start your day with a healthy breakfast. Eat lunch and dinner at about the same time every day. Avoid any food or drinks, such as those containing caffeine, that seem to trigger headaches.
* Exercise regularly. Physical activity causes your body to release chemicals that block pain signals to your brain. With your doctor’s OK, choose activities you enjoy — such as walking, swimming or cycling. To avoid injury, start slowly.
* Stop smoking. Smoking can trigger chronic migraine and chronic tension-type headaches. Higher levels of nicotine are also associated with increased anxiety and depression.
* Reduce stress. Get organized. Simplify your schedule. Plan ahead. Stay positive.
* Relax. Try yoga, meditation or relaxation exercises. Set aside time to slow down. Listen to music, read a book or take a hot bath.
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Sunday, June 22nd, 2008
If you have chronic daily headaches, you’re also more likely to experience depression, anxiety, sleep disturbances, and other psychological and physical problems.
Treatment
Treatment for any underlying diseases or conditions often stops chronic daily headaches. When no underlying diseases or conditions are present, treatment focuses on preventing the pain before it starts.
Specific prevention strategies vary, depending on which type of headache you have and on whether medication overuse is contributing to these headaches. If you’re taking pain relievers more than two days a week, the first step in treatment may be to stop using these drugs. When you’re ready to begin preventive therapy, your doctor may recommend:
* Antidepressants. Tricyclic antidepressants are the most common preventive medications for all types of chronic daily headaches except hemicrania continua. These medications can also help treat the depression, anxiety and sleep disturbances that often accompany chronic daily headaches. Another antidepressant such as the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) fluoxetine (Prozac) may occasionally be an effective alternative for some people.
* Beta blockers. These drugs, commonly used to treat high blood pressure, are also a mainstay for preventing episodic migraines. Beta blockers include atenolol, metoprolol, nadolol and propranolol. Sometimes beta blockers are prescribed in combination with antidepressants for better results.
* Anti-seizure medications. Some anti-seizure drugs seem to prevent migraines. Now these medications may be used to prevent chronic daily headaches as well. Options may include divalproex, gabapentin and topiramate.
* NSAIDs. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs may be helpful, especially if you’re going through withdrawal from other pain relievers. They may also be used periodically when the headache is more severe.
* Others. Injections of a local anesthetic around a nerve (nerve block) or injections of a numbing agent and corticosteroid at the point of pain (trigger point injections) are sometimes recommended for chronic daily headaches. Although their role needs to be better defined, botulinum toxin type A (Botox) injections provide relief for some people as well.
Unfortunately, some chronic daily headaches remain resistant to all medications.
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Saturday, June 21st, 2008
Occasional headaches are common. But it’s important to take headaches seriously. Consult your doctor if:
* You usually have three or more headaches a week
* You take a pain reliever for your headaches every day or almost every day
* You need more than the recommended dose of over-the-counter pain remedies to relieve your headaches
* Your headache pattern changes
* Your headaches are getting worse
Seek prompt medical care if your headache:
* Is sudden and severe
* Accompanies a fever, stiff neck, rash, confusion, seizure, double vision, weakness, numbness or difficulty speaking
* Follows a head injury
* Gets worse despite rest and pain medication
Screening and diagnosis
The doctor will ask a series of questions about your headaches, including when they started and what they feel like. Be sure to list all the medications you’re taking, including the doses and frequency.
Your doctor will probably do a physical exam to check for signs of illness, infection or neurological problems. If the cause of your headaches remains uncertain, you may need blood or urine tests to identify any underlying medical conditions. Sometimes imaging studies — such as an X-ray, CT or MRI scans — are recommended.
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Monday, June 16th, 2008
There’s no cure for cluster headaches. The goal of treatment is to help decrease the severity of pain and shorten the headache period.
Acute medication
The purpose of acute treatment is to stop or reduce pain after a cluster headache starts. Because the headache peaks quickly, acute medications must be fast-acting and delivered quickly, using an injection or inhaler rather than oral tablets. You must be ready to take the medication as soon as an attack starts. And you may want to teach family members about your medications so that they’ll be able to help you when you have an attack.
Because the pain of a cluster headache comes on suddenly and may subside within a short time, over-the-counter pain relievers such as aspirin or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others) aren’t effective. The headache is usually gone before the drug starts working. Fortunately, other types of acute medication can provide some pain relief. Treatment of cluster headache is focused more on prevention, with more medication options available to choose from.
Acute treatments include:
* Oxygen. Briefly inhaling 100 percent oxygen through a mask at a rate of 6 to 8 liters a minute provides dramatic relief for most who use it. Occasionally, a higher flow rate may be more effective. The effects of this safe, inexpensive procedure can be felt within 15 minutes. The major drawback of oxygen is the need to carry an oxygen cylinder and regulator with you, which can make the treatment inconvenient and inaccessible at times. Small, portable units are available, but some people still find them impractical. Sometimes, oxygen may only delay rather than stop the attack, and pain may return.
* Sumatriptan. The injectable form of sumatriptan (Imitrex), which is commonly used to treat migraine, is also an effective acute treatment for cluster headache. Some people may benefit from using sumatriptan in nasal spray form, but for most this is not as effective as an injection. Sumatriptan isn’t recommended for people with uncontrolled high blood pressure or ischemic heart disease.
Another triptan medication can be taken orally for relief of cluster headache. Although oral meds isn’t as effective as injectable sumatriptan, it may be an option for people who can’t tolerate other forms of acute treatment.
* Dihydroergotamine. This ergot derivative is available in intravenous, injectable and inhaler forms. Dihydroergotamine (D.H.E. 45, Migranal) is an effective pain reliever for some people with cluster headache. When administered intravenously, the drug requires you to go to a hospital or doctor’s office to have an intravenous (IV) line placed. The inhaler form of the drug works more slowly. The dosage must be limited to avoid side effects, especially nausea.
* Octreotide (Sandostatin, Sandostatin LAR). This drug, a synthetic version of the brain hormone somatostatin, has traditionally been used to control severe diarrhea. However, some studies have shown that the injectable form is an effective treatment for cluster headache and is safe for people with high blood pressure and ischemic heart disease.
* Local anesthetics. The numbing effect of local anesthetics may be effective against cluster headache pain when used in the form of nasal drops.
Surgery
Rarely, surgery is recommended for people with chronic cluster headache who don’t respond well to aggressive treatment or who can’t tolerate the medications or their side effects. Candidates for surgery must have headaches only on one side of the head because the surgery can be performed only once. People with headaches that alternate sides of the head risk the chance that the procedure will be unsuccessful.
Several types of surgery have been used to treat cluster headache. These procedures attempt to damage the nerve pathways thought to be responsible for pain. However, residual muscle weakness in your jaw or sensory loss in certain areas of your face and head may result. The most common procedures are directed at the trigeminal nerve. They include:
* Conventional surgery. Using a conventional invasive procedure, your surgeon cuts part of the trigeminal nerve with a scalpel or uses small burns to destroy part of the nerve. This form of surgery provides relief for most people with chronic cluster headache.
* Radiosurgery. In a procedure called radiosurgery, a focused beam of radiation is used to destroy part of the trigeminal nerve. Radiosurgery is a noninvasive procedure that may have fewer side effects than does conventional surgery, but some studies have questioned the effectiveness and permanency of the results.
Potential treatments
As scientists learn more about the causes of cluster headache, they’re able to develop more selective treatments for the condition. One development that shows promise is the use of a device to stimulate the occipital nerve, which influences the trigeminal nerve. To treat people with frequent cluster headaches, researchers are testing a stimulator — a pacemaker-sized device that sends impulses via electrodes — that is implanted over the occipital nerve. A Mayo Clinic study of implanted occipital nerve stimulators found that the devices reduced chronic headache pain by an average of about half.
Similar research is under way using an implanted stimulator in the hypothalamus, the area of the brain associated with the timing of cluster periods. Stimulation of the hypothalamus in a small number of people with severe, chronic cluster headaches has produced complete and long-term pain relief with no significant side effects.
In addition, researchers are studying new medications for use in treating and preventing cluster headache.
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Sunday, June 15th, 2008
Cluster headache has a characteristic type of pain and pattern of attacks. A diagnosis depends on your description of the attacks, including your pain, the location and severity of your headaches, and associated symptoms. The frequency and duration of your headaches also are important factors.
If you have chronic or recurrent headaches, your doctor may try to pinpoint the type and cause of your headache using certain approaches.
Examinations and tests
* Neurological examination. A neurological examination may help your doctor detect physical signs of a cluster headache. Sometimes the pupil of your eye may appear smaller, or your eyelid may droop, even between attacks.
* Imaging tests. If you have unusual or complicated headaches or an abnormal neurological exam, you may undergo other diagnostic testing to rule out other serious causes of head pain, such as a tumor or aneurysm. Two common brain-imaging tests are computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans. A CT scan uses a series of computer-directed X-rays to provide a comprehensive view of your brain. An MRI doesn’t use X-rays. Instead, it combines magnetism, radio waves and computer technology to produce clear images of your brain.
Headache tracking
One of the most helpful things you can do is keep a headache journal for at least two months. Each time you get a headache, jot down the following information:
* A description of the pain
* The severity of the pain
* The location of the pain
* The duration of the pain
* Any medications you’re taking
A headache journal can offer valuable clues that may help your doctor diagnose your particular kind of headache and discover possible headache triggers.
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