Types and Treatment for Chronic Headaches
Types and Treatment for Chronic Headaches
It is estimated that between 40 and 50 million Americans suffer from chronic headaches. Headaches are believed to be the result of an electrical and chemical imbalance at centers in the brain that regulate blood vessels around the head and neck. Headaches may be caused by a wide variety of factors including stress, reactions to certain foods, hormonal imbalances, genetic predisposition, fatigue, noise, and glare.
Tension headaches are the most common type and are typically caused by muscle contraction in the head and neck. Lasting between five and six hours, a tension headache is characterized by dull, steady pain that feels like a band tightening around your head. Vascular headaches, which include cluster and migraine headaches, are the result of overactive blood vessels. A migraine can last between 12 and 24 hours and is often accompanied by nausea and other symptoms. Cluster headaches, which typically affect men, are accompanied by throbbing pain around one red, watery eye, and nasal congestion. A sinus headache is characterized by congestion and steady pain behind your face that worsens if you bend forward.
A headache may involve pain in the head, visual impairment such as blurred vision, nausea and vomiting, hearing impairment, irritability, confusion, malaise, or a general feeling of discomfort. Tension-type headaches are often brought on by stress, overexertion, loud noise, and other external factors. The typical tension-type headache is described as a tightening around the head and neck, and an accompanying dull ache.
Types of Chronic Headaches
Chronic headaches may be caused by other chronic pain diagnoses, but the three most common types are migraines, muscle tension headaches and cluster headaches.
Migraines. The exact cause of migraine headaches are still under debate, but most researchers agree that they are neurological in nature. In addition to head pain, migraines are usually accompanied by other symptoms such as visual disturbances, nausea or a funny taste in the mouth.
Tension Headaches. Formerly believed to be caused by muscle tension in the neck and shoulders, tension headaches may actually be a result of the pain control center in the spine receiving too much input from muscles of the head. A tension headache often feels like a band of pressure around the head, and may be accompanied by pain in the neck and shoulders.
Cluster Headaches. Cluster headaches are a bit of a medical mystery. They may be caused by vascular changes in the brain, or by a series of activations in certain areas in the brain. Cluster headaches are distinct in that they occur in short bursts over time.
Treating Chronic Headaches With Medications
Depending on the type of headache, a number of different medications are effective in treating migraines, tension headaches and cluster headaches. Some medications are prophylactic, meaning they are taken regularly to ward off a headache before it happens. Others are abortive medications, which are designed to control headache pain once it has begun.
Many chronic headache medications are available over-the-counter, however some require a doctor’s prescription. Also, not all of them are taken orally: some chronic headache treatments are available in topical form, such as pain creams or patches.
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Migraines are intense throbbing headaches occurring on one or both sides of the head. The pain is accompanied by other symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, and aversion to light, sound, and movement. Migraines are often triggered by food items, such as red wine, chocolate, and aged cheeses. For women, a hormonal connection is likely, since headaches occur at specific points in the menstrual cycle, with use of oral contraceptives, or the use of hormone replacement therapy after menopause.
Cluster headaches cause excruciating pain. The severe, stabbing pain centers around one eye, and eye tearing and nasal congestion occur on the same side. The headache lasts from 15 minutes to 4 hours and may recur several times in a day. Heavy smokers are more likely to suffer cluster headaches, which are also associated with alcohol consumption.
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Causes, Symptoms an Home Remedies for Leg Pain Treatment
Causes, Symptoms an Home Remedies for Leg Pain Treatment
While leg pain is a common occurrence after an injury, there are many non-traumatic causes of leg pain. Pain in the legs can be present because of conditions that affect bones, joints, muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves, and skin. Most often, inflammation of tissues is the end result of these diseases, and the inflammation is the source of pain. Back ailments may also present with leg pain.
Leg Pain Causes
Trauma
Trauma is the most obvious cause of leg pain. Falls, near falls, and twisting injuries can damage bones, muscles, and joints or a combination of all three. Pain from an injury to the back can inflame the sciatic nerve and cause sciatica, or pain that radiates down the leg. Overuse injuries also can cause pain and may be thought of as multiple minor traumatic injuries.
Fractures: The terms fracture, broken, and cracked all mean the same thing when referring to a bone. It means that the integrity of the bone has been compromised. The most common symptom is pain which arises from the nerve endings located in the fibrous tissue lining of the bone, called the periosteum (peri=surrounding +osteum=bone). As well, the muscles surrounding the bone go into spasm and intensify the pain.
Shin splints can be thought of as an overuse injury to the tibia or shin bone. This condition is also known as tibial stress syndrome. Running, jumping, and dancing are the most common causes.
Sprains and strains: A ligament injury is called a sprain and occurs when the ligament fibers are stretched, or partially or completely torn. Muscles and tendons can also be stretched or torn, causing a strain. Both sprains and strains result in swelling and inflammation that causes pain.
Bleeding: Injuries can also cause bleeding into tissues and joints. Since blood, like any fluid, cannot be compressed, the swelling causes significant amount of pain as the pressure increases. Compartment syndrome may occur after an injury in which excessive swelling can cause increased pressure in the sections (compartments) that contain muscles. Pain, numbness, and an inability to move the foot or ankle may be signs of compartment syndrome.
Leg Pain Symptoms
Depending upon the cause and the individual situation, symptoms of leg pain may have a wide range of presentation. The pain may be described in varying ways, for example, as sharp, dull, heavy, aching, or burning. It may be constant or intermittent, or made better or worse with activity or rest. There may be other associated symptoms, depending upon the cause.
Pain from muscles and joints often can be felt or palpated, meaning that touching the area reproduces the pain. However, the pain may radiate from its source to another location, sometimes confusing the patient and the health-care practitioner. For example, hip problems may initially present with knee pain. With some injuries and arthritic conditions, pain gradually resolves as the muscle or joint warms up during activity, but other times, the pain may be made worse with use.
Home Remedies for Leg Pain
Steam baths and massage once a week are beneficial leg pain treatment.
Take 10 grams of camphor and 200 grams of mustard oil. Mix in a glass bottle and keep the bottle in the sun till the camphor dissolves. Massage the affected area daily. This is very good home remedy for leg pain.
A red flannel can also be wrapped around the area with pain.
Use of coconut helps in curing the leg and knee pains.
To improve the general weakness of the body a well-balanced diet including all the three basic food groups is recommended.
Eating 3-4 walnuts with an empty stomach in the morning provided relief from leg pain in a short duration and is also effective home remedy for leg pain.
Leg pain treatment – Intake of cod liver oil also helps in curing all types of leg pains and general weakness of the body.
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1-2 teaspoonful of fenugreek powder in the morning water is also effective leg pain remedy.
Boil 1-teaspoon saffron in 1/2 cup water and divide this solution into three portions and take with equal quantities of water, thrice daily for a week. This is one of the effective home remedies for leg pain .
Various yogasanas like janusandhi, uttanpadasana and gomukhasana are the beneficial natural remedies the leg pain.
A gentle massage with Arthcare Oil is recommended to leg pain cure and to strengthen the bone tissues.
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