Week 2 - Headache Flashcards
What is a primary headache?
- Not associated with underlying illness
- Migraine, tension, cluster headache
What is a secondary headache?
Symptomatic from an underlying condition like trauma, stroke, bacterial or viral infection
What is an acute headache?
Less than 15 days per month
What is a chronic headache?
15 or more days per month for 3 months
What are the self-treatment headaches?
- tension type
- Migraine
- Cluster
- SInus
- Alcohol induced
What are the characteristics of a tension headache?
- Gradual onset
- Bilateral, diffuse pain in head the radiate in other areas
- Tight, pressing, or constricting pain
- Dull pressure that doesn’t throb
- Stress, anxiety, depression, emotional conflict
- Minutes to days
What are the characteristics of a migraine?
- Onset 10-45 years
- Common in females
- temporary narrowing of some blood vessels, decreasing the brain’s supply of blood and oxygen resulting in a compensatory enlargement of other vessels in an attempt to normalize the brain’s oxygenation
- throbbing, pounding, or pulsating ache that is usually unilateral
- Dull ache 6-48hr
- May be preceded by an aura
- Fatigue, photophobia, photophobie, nausea, vomiting, sweating, and chills
What are the characteristics of cluster headache?
- Common in 30-40 YO males
- Unilateral, concentrated in temporal or orbital
- 15 minutes to 3 hr
- Most sever primary headache
- 4-6 attacks a day
- Pain can be clustered in one eye
What are the characteristics of a sinus headache?
- Infection or blockage of paranasal sinuses causing inflammation of the sinus walls
- Pain is around forehead or periorbital area
- Pain stops when sinus pressure is relieved
- Persistent sinus pain with or without discharge are signs of infection
What are the characteristics of alcohol induced headache?
- Overindulgence
- Wine sensitivity
How do you prevent tension headaches?
Avoid triggers, if known. Reduce stress. Get treatment for anxiety/depression
What is the treatment for tension headaches?
APAP/ASA/caffeine/IB U
Avoid triggers
How do you prevent migraines?
Avoid triggers
Prescription medication
What is the treatment for migraines?
APAP/ASA/caffeine/IB U
Avoid triggers/mg supp
How do you prevent cluster headaches?
Prescription only
What is the treatment for cluster headaches?
Prevention is the best
APAP/ASA/caffeine/IB U(may not be very effective)
What is the treatment for sinus headaches?
Analgesic
How do you prevent sinus headaches?
Avoid allergens
What are non-pharmacologic treatment for headaches?
- Stress reduction
- Meditation
- Acupuncture
- Spinal manipulation
- Massage
- Ice pack plus pressure
What are pharmacologic treatment options?
- Asprin
- Acetaminophen
- Ibuprofen
- Naproxen
How is caffeine used to treat headaches?
- Unsafe in high doses – 10-14 grams can be fatal (150-200 mg/kg)
- Pregnant women should avoid more than 300 mg of caffeine a day
- Recommended dose for headache is up to 520 mg daily
What are examples of combo products for sinus headaches?
APAP with diphenhydramine/phenylphrine +/- guaifenesin/ASA/Caffeine
What are examples of combo products for migraines and tension headaches?
APAP and or ASA with caffeine
When do you refer someone about a headache?
- Severe head pain
- Pain lasting longer than 10 days with or without treatment
- 3rd trimester pregnancy
- less than 8 years old
- High fever or infection
- History of liver disease
- Secondary headache
- Undiagnosed migraine
When do you refer someone about a serious headache?
- Doesn’t go away or gets progressively worse
- A headache that is distinctively different from those in the past
- Triggered by activity or aggravated by exertion (e.g. aneurysm)
- Stiff neck, high fever, blurry vision
- Numbness/weakness in an extremity
- Trauma
