Headaches Flashcards
Headaches
- Common symptoms at all ages
- May result from brain tumors, meningitis, head injuries stress, muscle tension, or a combination of factors
- Can be acute or chronic
Three common types of headaches
Migraine
Cluster
Tension
Migraine
- Familial, episodic disorder whose maker is a headache and is defined as repeated episodic headache lasting 4 - 72 hours
- Usually affect women 25 - 45 years old
- Caused by combination of multiple genetic and environmental factors
Why does a migraine occur
External stimuli:
- Bight lights, strong smell, and sounds, weather changes
Psychological factors
- High mental and emotional load
Physiological factors
- Changes in hormonal balance, fatigue, insomnia
Taking meds
- Nitroglycerin, estrogens can also cause an attack
Nutritional factors
- Caffeine, alcohol, dark chocolate, smoked meats, red wines
Migraine manifestations
- May or may not have an aura
- Severe throbbing one sided headache
- Nausea & vomiting
- Photophobia
- Photophobia
- Increases with activity
What is a Cluster headache
Characterized by repeated headaches that occur for weeks or months at a time, followed by periods of. remission.
one of the most severe forms of head pain
Occur less frequently than migraine
Cluster headaches most common
Men 20 - 50 years old
How long is the series of Cluster headaches
2 -3 months
Where is the pain found in a Cluster headache
Severe unilateral pain, located around or behind the eye.
Can also cause nasal congestion, tearing and facial flushing
Can be triggered by alcohol
Cluster headache patho
- Neither cause or patho mechanism is known
- Extracramial vasodilation occurs in affected part of face
- Trigeminal nerve is implicated
Cluster headache
Clinical manifestations
Severe unilateral orbital, supraorbital, or temporal pain
- Conjunctival injection
- Lacrimation
- Nasal Congestion
- Rhinorrhea
- Forehead and facial swelling
- Mitosis
- Ptosis
- Eyelid edema
- Onset is abrupt usually without prodrome
- Peaks in 5 - 10 mins and leasts 30 - 90 mins
- Common start at night
Recur several times a dat for several days - Partial Horner’s syndrome (drooping eyelid) may be seen
- Described as deep, steady, and penetrating, but not
throbbing - Client often paces floor, cries out, and resents
being touched
What is a tension headache
Most common form of headache
Average onset 2nd decade
Occurs in episodes and may last for several hours or several days
Occurs at least 15 days per months for at least 3 months
Causes of tension headaches
- Tension in the neck, jaw and face muscles
- Spine misalignments
- TMJ disorder
- Arthritis of the neck
- Depression & anxiety
- Dehydration
- Lack of sleep
- Stress
- Overexertion
- Bad posture
Tension-Type Headache
Clinical Manifestations
- No prodrome
- Classification system lists tension-type as having at
least two characteristics of - Gradual onset
- Pressure or tightness sensation, pain
- Mild-to-moderate severity
- Bilateral feeling of pressure around the head
- Worsening with physical activity
- May experience photophobia or phonophobia
