Dr. Mark Clayson asked:
Headaches come in many forms, all are unpleasant and some more debilitating than others. Primary headaches, while painful, are not harmful and can be treated with various medications with varying degrees of success. What a patient should be aware of, however, is whether or not the headache is indicative of a larger and potentially serious, life-threatening condition or disease. The classification of headaches into primary and secondary has been documented since 400 B.C. when Hippocrates designated headaches into these two categories. Secondary headaches are always indicative of an underlying condition or disease that should be taken seriously. Some diseases and conditions the sinister secondary headache could be indicative of are meningitis, cerebrovascular disease, infection, brain tumor, head trauma, diabetes, thyroid disease, TMJ (temporomandibular joint pain), glaucoma or withdrawal from painkillers.
How do we know whether or not a headache is primary or secondary? If a patient experiences a secondary headache, medical attention should be sought immediately. There are factors for recognizing a secondary headache. Some systemic features which can be symptomatic of a secondary headache are higher body temperature, rash, swelling of glands in the neck or neck stiffness. Some people have predisposing risk factors which result in a secondary headache, the most common being old age. An individual suffering from this type of headache should seek medical attention for the possibility of cancer. If the person has a family history of brain hemorrhages this can be an extremely dangerous incidence where a secondary headache is life threatening. If the individual has a sudden onset of a dramatic and painful headache, this could mean there is leakage of blood from a vessel in the brain.
A ruptured blood vessel of this type is a very serious condition referred to as subarachnoid hemorrhage and the person should be rushed to the hospital immediately to prevent further attacks of this type and continued leakage of blood. If a headache sufferer notices extreme weakness or even subtle weakness combined with visual anomalies, vertigo or half of the body feeling altered, this is a sign of a problem in the brain which is manifesting in headache form. A neurologist should be contacted, in this case, and the symptoms are often subtle to the individual. When a person has a headache attack, this may not be something new as many people experience primary headaches fairly regularly. One thing to look out for is whether the headache feels different. This ‘new’ type of headache can also indicate that something else is wrong. People suffering from long-standing headaches, persistent for a few days or longer, can be indicative of further complications. Most primary headaches do not have a long life span and can be ruled out in this instance.
If a person has any doubt about their headache it is advisable to seek medical help promptly as it is always better to be safe than sorry. When nausea, convulsions, disorientation, fever, pain in the eye, loss of consciousness, collapse, vomiting are symptoms of headache do not waste any time debating whether or not the headache is primary or secondary. Seek medical attention immediately with your health care provider.
FIoricet side effects
Headaches come in many forms, all are unpleasant and some more debilitating than others. Primary headaches, while painful, are not harmful and can be treated with various medications with varying degrees of success. What a patient should be aware of, however, is whether or not the headache is indicative of a larger and potentially serious, life-threatening condition or disease. The classification of headaches into primary and secondary has been documented since 400 B.C. when Hippocrates designated headaches into these two categories. Secondary headaches are always indicative of an underlying condition or disease that should be taken seriously. Some diseases and conditions the sinister secondary headache could be indicative of are meningitis, cerebrovascular disease, infection, brain tumor, head trauma, diabetes, thyroid disease, TMJ (temporomandibular joint pain), glaucoma or withdrawal from painkillers.
How do we know whether or not a headache is primary or secondary? If a patient experiences a secondary headache, medical attention should be sought immediately. There are factors for recognizing a secondary headache. Some systemic features which can be symptomatic of a secondary headache are higher body temperature, rash, swelling of glands in the neck or neck stiffness. Some people have predisposing risk factors which result in a secondary headache, the most common being old age. An individual suffering from this type of headache should seek medical attention for the possibility of cancer. If the person has a family history of brain hemorrhages this can be an extremely dangerous incidence where a secondary headache is life threatening. If the individual has a sudden onset of a dramatic and painful headache, this could mean there is leakage of blood from a vessel in the brain.
A ruptured blood vessel of this type is a very serious condition referred to as subarachnoid hemorrhage and the person should be rushed to the hospital immediately to prevent further attacks of this type and continued leakage of blood. If a headache sufferer notices extreme weakness or even subtle weakness combined with visual anomalies, vertigo or half of the body feeling altered, this is a sign of a problem in the brain which is manifesting in headache form. A neurologist should be contacted, in this case, and the symptoms are often subtle to the individual. When a person has a headache attack, this may not be something new as many people experience primary headaches fairly regularly. One thing to look out for is whether the headache feels different. This ‘new’ type of headache can also indicate that something else is wrong. People suffering from long-standing headaches, persistent for a few days or longer, can be indicative of further complications. Most primary headaches do not have a long life span and can be ruled out in this instance.
If a person has any doubt about their headache it is advisable to seek medical help promptly as it is always better to be safe than sorry. When nausea, convulsions, disorientation, fever, pain in the eye, loss of consciousness, collapse, vomiting are symptoms of headache do not waste any time debating whether or not the headache is primary or secondary. Seek medical attention immediately with your health care provider.
FIoricet side effects
Related posts: