Headache Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prevention

By

What Is a Headache?

A headache is diffuse pain in the head not confined to the area of distribution of any nerve. By headache, we usually mean pain anywhere between the back of the head and front (like tension headache), or pain in one half of the head (like migraine or cluster headache).

Head pain confined to particular parts of the head usually has more specific names, like earache, toothache, sinus headache, TMJ pain.

Headache Types and Causes

1. PRIMARY Headaches

Click Here to Read More …

Types of Headache

By

Primary Headache

Primary headache is a headache not caused by another medical condition. Neurological examination, results of CT, MRI and other tests are usually normal (1). Your doctor can make a diagnosis on the basis of your personal medical history and physical examination. Primary headaches include (2):

1. Migraine

Symptoms:

  • Aura (for example, flashing lights) within 1 hour before a headache onset. Often there is no aura.
  • Pounding, throbbing pain, usually on one side of the head (sometimes on both sides), lasting from 4 to 72 hours.

Click Here to Read More …

Headache and Constipation

By

Health Conditions With Headache and Constipation

Any headache can be followed by constipation, because the pain limits your activities, and when you reject food. On the other hand, constipation may be followed by headache, because of stress, dehydration and hunger (due to avoiding food). Headache and constipation may be present in several acute or chronic diseases, where their cause is more or less obvious. Constipation and headache are also common symptoms in pregnancy.

Both headache and constipation can be symptoms in the following health conditions:

1. Depression or Anxiety

Symptoms:

  • Feeling sad or anxious
  • Poor appetite
  • Headache
  • Constipation
  • Suicidal thoughts

Click Here to Read More …

Types of Constipation

By

Types of Constipation

1. Atonic Constipation

Atonic (Gk. atonos = unaccented, without tension) constipation results from reduced muscle tone (tension) of the colon, abdominal wall or pelvic floor. Causes include:

  • Habits, like sedentary life style, irregular meals, low-fiber diet, postponing bowel movement, overuse of laxatives resulting in a lazy colon that does not react to stimuli, like eating and presence of the stool in the rectum. Affected person simply does not feel the urge to defecate even when his colon is full of stool.
  • Loose rectal muscles, mainly in old people
  • Weak pelvic floor muscles, often in women after giving birth
  • Damage of the intestinal nerves in long-term, poorly controlled diabetes or congenital disorders, like Hirschsprung’s disease.

Change of life habits, or surgery (in Hirschsprung’s disease) can help.

Click Here to Read More …

Do Calcium Rich Foods or Calcium Supplements Cause Constipation?

By

Does Calcium Cause Constipation?

It has not been scientifically proven that either dietary calcium or calcium supplements would cause constipation. However, some people complain about constipation after eating dairy products (which are high in calcium), taking calcium supplements or other medications containing calcium.

On the other hand, elevated level of calcium in the blood serum (hypercalcemia) does cause constipation (1).

Constipation as a Side Effect of Calcium Containing Medications

The following calcium containing medications mention constipation as a possible side effect:

  • Calcium supplements, like calcium carbonate or citrate (oral), or calcium chloride (intravenous)
  • Acid lowering drugs (tums): calcium carbonate

Click Here to Read More …

« First...«23456»102030...Last »