Medizines: headaches

Showing posts with label headaches. Show all posts

Saturday, February 28, 2015

A Headache Can Be Helped With Hot And Cold - Try Both

9:46:00 AM

Some headache sufferers swear by a brisk walk in the cold air to clear their heads. For others, this would be a trigger to bring on a humdinger that would fell an elephant. Some leap into a hot shower at the first sign of a headache. For others, this would be just the thing to bring one on.

Both hot and cold treatments can be hugely effective with bringing relief from headaches. Some people prefer hot, some cold and some like to alternate. This is such an individual thing. You have to cautiously experiment and find out what works for you.

Why do hot and cold work so well?

It's all to do with the muscles and the blood vessels. Many headache pains are caused by enlarged blood vessels pressing on surrounding nerves. Applying something cold to the area can help to constrict those vessels, reducing their diameter and lessening the pounding headache.

Some headaches are caused by tension and anxiety. This tightens up the muscles which then pinch nerves and enlarge blood vessels. Applying cold or heat to them (or alternating between the two) can loosen them up, releasing the pinched nerves and calming down the blood vessels.

Diversion tactics

Another great way to use get rid of a headache is to sit and soak your feet and ankles in a bowl or bucket of hot water. This works because the heat dilates, or enlarges the blood vessels in your feet and legs and helps to draw the blood away from the head. This releases pressure and calms the headache.

You may find this even more effective if you apply cold to your forehead and temples at the same time. This is because it will stop the heat from the foot-bath heating up your head as well - which is what we're trying to avoid. When you're finished, put on some thick, fluffy socks, to keep your feet warm and keep the blood flow diverting away from your head.

Note of caution

If you don't own a cold pack - or you are trying out the different variations before investing in one, be careful how you apply cold.

A bag of frozen peas is ideal as it has a soothing weight to it and it molds to your face, neck or head. Be sure to wrap it in a cloth or thin towel to avoid getting 'freezer burn' on your skin. If you're making your own pack from ice cubes, put them in a strong plastic bag and then wrap in a towel as before.

In either case, don't leave the cold pack on for more than half an hour. You can always apply it again after a short rest.

Cool your brain with ice cream!

You know that piercing headache that you get when you eat an ice cream? Some people call it 'brain freeze'. It's not very comfortable but only lasts for a short time and is a great way to cool your brain down. It can stop a bad headache and can prevent a migraine developing further by cooling down the hypothalamus of your brain. This area is thought to be involved with the creation of migraines.

Got your ice cream ready? Put a spoonful of ice cream right into the back of your mouth. Keep it there with your tongue until it melts. If it becomes uncomfortable you'll have to swallow it and try again.

What is the best hot or cold pack to buy?

If you've decided to go for a hot, or cold pack, or both so that you can alternate, there are many to choose from. They range from simple stick-on cold forehead patches, to squashy rectangular packs and fully fitted masks. Take some time to decide which will be best for you.

I'm too busy to stop and apply a pack. What can I do?

This is a common problem for full-time workers and moms at home with small children. But remember, this is a damage limitation exercise. If that headache or migraine gets a grip, you will be out of action, no matter how busy you are. There are cold packs available in the form of a band that you wear around your forehead and temples. They fasten with velcro, so you can put it on...and carry on.

My neck and shoulders are so tight and giving me a headache

Try a moist heat neck wrap. It may help to relieve that tension.

My headache is from dental problems or TMJ

Try a cold wrap that sits under your chin and fastens over the top of your head.

My whole head is throbbing and hot. Help!

Invest in a cooling ice pillow. These are also great for menopausal women or those on tamoxifen, who suffer from hot flashes and night sweats.By David Wilding

Wednesday, June 11, 2014

A Burning Headache And Some Of Its Causes

1:48:00 AM

Many people suffer from this common nuisance called burning headache every day, in some cases which can even last for days. Burning headache is not a medically recognized term if you were to look around in medical journals and clinical documents, but it's pretty much commonly used. There are many different causes of burning headache, and different people have different parts of the head which aches. Besides, there are also many different causes of this headache, some of which we will be looking at today.

Different Parts of the Head

In many instances, burning headache is related to sinusitis. In that case, the pain is usually on the frontal part of the head, on the forehead, upper cheeks, and sometimes can even travel around the whole face. In other cases, this burning headache can be caused by fever. In this, the pain is usually on both sides of the forehead, which are the weakest points of sensitivity in our head.

Causes

As we have already known, the common reasons for burning headache would be fever, flu, and sinusitis. In these cases, the pain is constant, and can be stinging and tingling, and not to mention burning. It can originate from any side of the head, but usually after a while it will travel to other areas as well.

Some people tend to get thrusts of extreme pains. Although medically there is no proof as to what causes this sudden uprising in the burning headache symptoms, it is believed to be caused by pulsating nerves due to tension.

Burning headache can also be caused by certain other reasons besides the above listed. These are more serious cases such as tumors or growth in the head. In such cases, the pain is not constant like the ones listed above, but comes on and off. The pain is usually violent, far stronger than the ones you get for fever, and not to forget; it pulsates often.

It is also believed that toxins and chemicals can also cause acute or burning headache. This is pretty common to many people, especially those who are not so favorable of newly painted houses, chemical labs, and so on. On top of these, even certain edible toxins and foods can cause burning headache, such as alcohol, caffeine, and so on.

Alcohol and caffeine especially, are believed to be causes of many serious headaches that can cause the whole head to ache severely, with the nerves being extremely tensed.

Author: Ann Marier