Headache

Description and Symptoms

(Describe the nature of illness, background, history and symptoms)

A headache is a condition of pain in the head; sometimes neck or upper back pain may also be interpreted as a headache. It ranks amongst the most common local pain complaints.

Headaches have a wide variety of causes, ranging from eye strain, sinusitis, migraine and tension to life-threatening conditions such as encephalitis, meningitis, cerebral aneurysms, and brain tumors (although more than 95% of headaches are not life-threatening). When the headache occurs in conjunction with a head injury the cause is usually quite evident; however, many causes are more unclear.

The most common type of headache is a tension headache which may be caused by posture. Some experience headaches when dehydrated, or suffering from caffeine withdrawal symptoms. Headaches may also be caused in some people by certain foods, such as peanuts, or food additives, such as tartrazine. They may also be caused by fumes, such as from a faulty heating boiler or from vehicles.
Treatment of uncomplicated headache is usually symptomatic with over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin, paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen, although some specific forms of headaches (e.g. migraine) may demand other, more suitable treatment, usually triptans. It may be possible to relate the occurrence of a headache to the consumption of a particular food, which can then be avoided.

Prevention

(Discuss here prevention tips, natural way of healing, myths and superstition of the illness)

Some forms of headache, such as migraine, may be amenable to preventative treatment. On the whole, long-term use of painkillers is discouraged as this may lead to "rebound headaches" on withdrawal. Caffeine, a vasoconstrictor, is sometimes prescribed or recommended, as a remedy or supplement to pain killers in the case of extreme migraine. This has led to the development of Tylenol Ultra, a paracetamol/caffeine analgesic. One popular herbal preventive treatment for migraines is Feverfew. Magnesium, Vitamin B2, and Coenzyme Q10 are "natural" supplements that have shown some efficacy for migraine prevention

OTC Medicine

(Place here the over the counter medicines that will heal or control the illness, describe the medicine, its advantages and side effects, scientific uses, where it can be bought, etc.)

Diclofenac is marketed locally under several brand names, the most notable are Cataflam, Acuflam, Dycon SR, Lofenax, and Voltaren. Ibuprofen, on the other hand, is easily recognized as Advil, Alaxan, Medicol, Midol, and Skelan.

Herbal

(Herbal medications that may prevent or control the illness. The alternative of OTC medicine)