Headaches
or Head Pain
Head pain without head trauma has a multiple of possible reasons
for occurring. The vast majority of head pain is not serious
and can usually be controlled with over-the-counter medication
such as Acetaminophen or Ibuprofen. For severe headaches,
you can take up to 800 mg. of Ibuprofen as well as two Acetaminophen
every 6-8 hours. Taking 800 mg. of Ibuprofen can cause gastric
upset.
Major
causes of headaches are migraines, tension and cluster headaches.
However there are other causative factors that would alert
one to seek out medical attention as soon as possible such
as head trauma, concern of stroke or hemorrhage, increased
pressure, headache associated with fever, one must rule out
meningitis, aneurysms, sinus and facial pain.
STRONG
DANGER SIGNS WHERE ONE MUST SEEK OUT MEDICAL ATTENTION AS
SOON AS POSSIBLE:
- Is
your headache of extreme and sudden onset, “thunderclap,”
the worst headache of your life?
- Does
it wake you out of a deep sleep?
- Is
it a new onset headache and you are over the age of 50?
- Does
the headache worsen on exertion?
- Is
the headache totally different than what you have had in
the past?
If you answer “yes” to any of these,
seek out medical attention immediately.
Should
you have a headache associated with a head injury, fall or
banging your head, you should go the emergency department
if any of the following occur:
- Persistent
nausea or vomiting.
- Severe
or increased pain in your head.
- Unusual
drowsiness or difficulty waking up.
- Bleeding
or any clear fluid from the nose or ears.
- Any
unusual behavior such as seizures, dizziness, room spinning,
weakness on one side of the body, trouble walking, visual
disturbances, loss of bladder control, confusion or agitation.
- Check
pupils, the black spot in the center of the eyes for difference
in size.
Try to
take nothing stronger than Acetaminophen for pain until you
are assessed in the emergency department. Please limit your
activity for the next 24 hours and avoid heavy meals.
Basic
First Aid Treatment
There
has been some relief with your basic vascular headaches by
drinking caffeinated drinks such as coffee or a soda. Caffeine
is a vasoconstrictor and has been know to relieve pain as
the pain receptors on the arteries are sensitive when arteries
dilate. So vasoconstrictors do help. After you try that, you
might want to try the Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen and if all
this fails, then seek out medical attention.
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