Headache is a very common problem. It is a condition of pain in the head. The medical term for headache is Cephalalgia. We all suffer from this condition. Some people experience it occasionally but there are many who suffers frequent headaches. It may occur on one or both sides of the head, be isolated to a certain location, radiate across the head from one point, or have a vise-like quality. The pain can be sharp, throbbing, or dull. Headaches may appear gradually or suddenly, and they may last less than an hour or for several days. There are many reasons for headaches. It is important to understand the reasons and then treat the condition accordingly.
Few Common Reasons for Headaches are given below:
- Trauma-related.
- As a symptom of some diseases, meningitis, encephalitis.
- Blood relater disorder, like Migraine, hypertension, cerebral or subarachnoid hemorrhage, drugs like nitrites and histamine. At times it is called menopausal, alcohol hangover or withdrawal, coffee withdrawal.
- Any space-occupying lesions or raised intracranial pressure.
- Cough headache is accompanying by a cough or straining or sneezing.
- Anemia is the main cause of headaches in women. Carbon monoxide or carbon dioxide poisoning can cause headaches.
- Fevers may also cause headaches.
- Drugs like quinine cocaine, and overuse of tobacco. Gall bladder disease. Constipation can also cause headaches.
- Eyes related disorders like Short-sightedness and long-sightedness, glaucoma can cause a headache.
- Ears related disease like Eustachian tube block, tumors of the middle and inner ear.
- Impacted teeth, infected teeth, sockets, and dental roots.
- Depression can also cause headaches.
- Exertion can also cause headaches.
- Deficiency of Vitamin D.
Food Triggers
There are certain food items that can trigger headaches. Few such items are listed below.
- Pickles, Onions
- Bananas
- Coffee, Chocolate
- Noodles, Pizza, Peanut butter
- Monosodium glutamate MSG
- Processed meats (hot dogs and sausages)
Classification of Headaches
- Headache can be broadly categorized as:
- Mild to Severe, it can annoying or incapacitating.
- Frequency and duration: occasionally or daily, lasting a few minutes to hours or days.
- Location: Pain localized in one spot or engulf your entire head.
- Related symptoms: It can be accompanied by other problems, such as nausea or vomiting.
Types of headaches
1. Tension headache: These are caused by muscle tensions in the shoulder, neck, and head. It can be caused by exertion, uncomfortable body position, or stress. It begins in the morning or early afternoon and can get worse during the day. It often a tight pressure feeling like a band around the forehead, but pain may spread over the entire head and down into the neck and shoulders.
2. Cluster headache: These types of pains can be very painful. The pain can one side of the head and spreads around the eye. It starts suddenly and generally lasts about an hour. These attacks come in groups, so it is called a cluster headache.
3. Migraine: It is characterized by throbbing pain and associated with blurred vision, dizziness, or nausea, with sensitivity to light, sound, or odors. It also has a familial tendency.
It is characterized by:
- Unilateral
- Pulsating
- Builds up over minutes to hours
- Moderate to severe in intensity
- The patient is unable to do any work
- Increase by routine physical activity
4. Headache associated with high blood pressure: This kind of pain is a throbbing type of sensation through the body as it affects the blood vessels.
5. Headaches may be also associated with eyes or sinus problems: Sinus congestion can built-up -pressures in the eyes due to glaucoma. This headache often disappears when the underlying condition is treated.
6. Hemicrania continua: It is a continuous strictly unilateral headache that can reduce in intensity without disappearing completely. There may be severe pain which may be superimposed on the continuous headache.
7. Medication overuse headache: Overuse of all acute headache treatments including simple and combination analgesics can cause medication overuse headache
8. Cervicogenic headache: Any cervical spine disorder may lead to migraine and tension-type headache.
Diagnosis for Headache
- Diagnosis to know the reason behind the headache is done by performing certain tests.
- Magnetic resonance imaging MRI
- Lumbar puncture
- Blood count
- X-ray.
Homeopathic remedy for Headache
There is much homeopathic medicine that helps in better management of headaches. Some of them are given below. These medicines are safe to use.
Belladonna
It acts on every part of the nervous system. It is associated with hot, red skin, a flushed face, and throbbing blood vessels.
This patient is sensitive to the least contact. There is severe throbbing and heat feel by the patient.
Pain and fullness especially in the forehead, and occiput (back part of the head), and temples (near ears). Patient in the head from the suppressed catarrhal flow. Pain worse from light, noise, and shaking of the head, lying down and in the afternoon.
The patient is better with pressure. It is a very good remedy for meningitis and hydrocephalus where the patient has a boring head into the pillow and drawn backward and rolls from the side. Patients always cry and complain. Headache worse on the right side and on lying down. There are ill effects of cold. The patient also has bad effects from having a haircut.
Dosage: Take in 200 potencies. 3 pellets 3 times a day with less frequency as improvement is made.
Glononinum
It is a great remedy for congestive headaches (feeling of fullness) with hyperemia of the brain from an excess of heat or cold.
There is the tendency of the rush of bold to the head and heart. There is a tendency for sudden and violent irregularities in the circulation of blood. There are violent pulsations throughout the body.
There is confusion with dizziness. The patient has bad effects of sunstroke. The patient is extremely sensitive to the heat of the sun.
Headache in this remedy is seen mainly in people who work under gas and electric light. The patient has the heaviness of their head but cannot lay it on a pillow.
The patient cannot bear any heat around the head. The patient feels better from uncovering. The patient is very irritable. The Head feels enormously large as if the skull was too small for the brain.
This remedy is good for Sun headaches and headaches during menses.
Dosage: Take in 30 C potency. 3 pellets 3 times a day with less frequency as improvement is made.
Ignatia Amara
It produces hypersensitivity of all the senses. The patient is nervous and sensitive. The patient is dark and mild in nature. The patient has effects of grief and worry. The patient feels hollow.
There is heaviness which is worse from stooping. There is congestive headache following anger or grief. The headache is worse from smoking or smelling tobacco.
Dosage: Take 200 potency3 pellets 3 times a day with less frequency as improvement is made.
Onosmodium virginianum
It is a very good remedy for migraines. There are headaches from eyestrain and sexual weakness.
It has pain which is along the course of nerves. There is a general weakness. The patient acts as if born tired. There is a loss of memory. There is a dull heaviness in the head with dizziness. Pain which is pressing upward in the occiput (Backside of head). Pain in the head in the morning on waking which is mainly in the left side.
Dosage: Take in 30 C potency. 3 pellets 3 times a day with less frequency as improvement is made.
Pulsatilla
There is great sensitiveness in this remedy. It is basically a female remedy that is gentle, mild in nature. She is very sad and cries readily, weeps when talking and she is very changeable and she keeps on changing. Thirst lessness is key to this remedy, which is associated with every complaint. There is wandering pain around the head, which extends to the face and teeth. There is frontal and supra-orbital pain. The headache is usually seen from overwork.
Pain around eyes in the right temporal region flowing from the affected side. Feeling pressure on the vertex. The patient is worse from heat and fatty food, lying on the left or painless side. Feels better from open-air, cold application, and cold drinks.
Dosage: Take in 30 C potency. 3 pellets 3 times a day with less frequency as improvement is made.
Sanguinaria canadensis
It is a right-sided remedy, it mainly acts on the respiratory tract. The patient has circumscribed redness of the cheeks and flashes of heat, the rush of blood to head and chest, and the burning of palms and soles. It has a sun headache. This type of headache periodical sick headache.
Pain begins in the occiput (backside of head spreads upwards which settles over the eyes, especially right. Pain is better lying down and sleep. Headache return at climacteric every seventh day. Burning in the eyes is present with a headache. Pain in the back of the head “like a flash of lightning.
Dosage: usually tincture is given in headache 3 times of the day.
Sepia
The patient has a yellow complexion with a bearing down sensation. This is especially in women who have a tendency to abortions. It is very important to remedy the bad effects of menopause with weakness and perspiration. There is stinging pain in the head mostly on the left side and in the forehead with nausea and vomiting. This pain is worse on lying on the painful side. Headache is seen during the menstrual period, with scanty flow. There are dandruff and hair falls out. Roots of hair sensitive. Pain is worse in forenoons and evenings, washing, left side, cold air. And feels better by pressure, the warmth of the bed, hot applications, after sleep.
Dosage: Take 200 potency 3 pellets 3 times a day with less frequency as improvement is made
Spigelia
Pain is seen in frontal eminence and temples, which extend to the eyes. It involves the left eye.
Pain in the head is violent and throbbing sensation. Pain as if a band around the head. Pain is worse from touch, motion, noise, washing. And better by lying on the right side with head high.
Dosage: Take in 30 C potency. 3 pellets 3 times a day with less frequency as improvement is made.