HEADACHES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 5141, 20 June 1927, Page 4

HEADACHES.

CAUSES AND TREATMENT.

(Contributed by the Department of Health.) Headache is certainly one of the most frequent complaints that human life is heir to, affecting alike all classes of the community. Headache is a symptom and not a disease, and there is a plentiful supply of drugs that will relieve the symptom and thus postpone an investigation for the true cause. For this reason there is no warning of danger signal so frequently neglected as a headache. There are. so many factors entering into the causation of headaches and so many different ways in which the pain may present itself, that no particular pathological condition can be said to cause apy particular kind of headache. Thus only the more common conditions will be referred to in this article. A very frequent cause is the onset of an acute infection, usually af the upper respiratory tract, such as the “common cold.” Headaches are a usual symptom of the prodromal or preliminary stage of many infectious diseases, such as influenza, typhoid, fever smallpox, etc. Constipaiton is also of importance, but constipation is seldom an isolated cause. It is usually associated with poor hygiene—that is, lack of drinking water and other faults of diet, lack of sleep, and work at home as well as at the place of business all contributing to bring on general fatigue. IMPROPER EATING. Over-eating and improper eating are, of course, frequent causes of head pain. The so-called bilious headjbhe, often ' accompanied by stomach distress and vomiting, has sometimes little to do with bile, and may even be due to eye strain. Poisoning and irritation from undigested food, and not liver trouble, are the immediate cause. "When the distress is obviously in the stomach, the more quickly the stomach is emptied themore quickly the headache and general stress will be relieved. EYE STRAIN. Eye strain is recognised as being a frequent cause of headache. In many cases, however, eye strain would have little effect without a background of nervous insufficiency. By eye strain is meant not only strain due to defects of vision, but to over-use and improper use of the ■eyes—reading or sewing in dim light or in a too brilliant direct light, or facing the light. Eye strain is a possible cause of children’s headaches, and should always be investigated. The provision of suitable glasses to correct the existing defect often converts a mentally dull and distressed child into <3. being of normal and happy mentality. The nasal cavities, like the air cavities, are very close to the brain; thus pressure, ulceration, or affection in these cavities may touch extremely sensitive nerves. A nose headache is usually confined to one side of the head, but it may be located at the back of the head. Brow headache or cheek ache, if accompanied by a discharge from the nostril on the same side, calls for immediate investigation by a nose and throat specialist. The teeth also must not be forgotten as a possible cause of headache, though the pain is remote from the affected teeth. OTHER CAUSES. The feet, while anatomically remote from the head, may, nevertheless give rise to severe headaches. Fallen arches lead to leg pain, back pain, and head pain. Tight shoes, tight corsets, and tight collars must be included in the possible causes, of headaches. Neurasthenia- head pain is a frequent symptom. It is usually relieved by rest and. sleep. When an acute headache is present more than a day medical advice should be sought. When headache persistently recurs, a thorough physical overhauling, commencing with careful test of the vision, is called for. Very often eye-strain is associated with others physical defects, such as enlarged tonsils or bad nasal or ear. conditions, which aggravate the strain from faulty vision. It is not good practice, therefore, to rest content with the mere correction of a visual defect. All organs and functions of the body should be carefully examined to exclude every possible defect. ' In addition, th® living habits must be carefully considered, especially in regard to diet, sleep, recreation, and ventilation. MIGRAINE. Closely allied to the common but less severe headaches is migraine. This unlike many headaches <,is not merely a symptom, but seems to be a clearly defined disease entirely characterised by periodic paroxysmal attacks, accompanied by nausea or vomiting. It is an obstinate, one-sided form of headache, often beginning in early life and resisting all ordinary forms of treatment until abQut the ago of

50 years, when the. attacks subside. There is’frequently a family history of such troubles, GENERAL ADVICE. Mankind generally bears pain badly and for this reason people are apt to’ resort to drugs for treatment of headaches. These drugs were first thought to be harmless, but cases of death from over-doses and heart depression have been reported, and there is every 'reason to believe that the repeated and continuous use of such remdies has a weakening effect on the circulation. There is ample justification, therefore, to warrant the issue of a warning, against the indiscriminate use of headache powders, practically all of which contain powerful drugs. On the other hand, many simple home remedies are available that are absolutely without danger. For nervous forms of headaches rest and sleep in a darkened room are sufficient without aid of drugs- For the congestive throbbing form of headache a hot foot-bath and an ice bag of cold compress to the head often prove effectual. When the bowels are at fault they should be emptied, and then train by diet and exercise to do this work properly. If the eyes are over-strained proper glasses and rest and protection from the light will often prove efficient. Finally, the presence of a persistent or oft-recurring headache should always be the subject of a complete investigation. It is often the premonitory, and for some time often the only, symptom of serious brain disease such as brain tumour inflammation of the coverings of the brain, and other conditions that lead to an increased pressure on the contents of the skull. No persistent or recurring headache should ever be neglected.