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Your healing zone:

Headaches?

 

from A Bloke's DIY Guide to Health by Dr Keith Hopcroft and Dr Allistair Moulds published by Oxford 1999

 

Have you been tense and under a lot of pressure recently or doing a lot of close, concentrated work?

Yes? Check out yellow box below: reasonable bets as to cause; No? scroll down for other possibilities

Tension

  • feels like band round or pressure on the head or back of neck
  • constant but worsens as day goes on
  • similar headaches in past when stressed
Treatment: massage, relaxation, physical exercise

or Eyestrain

  • especially if bashing the books or a lot of work on-screen
  • pain mainly in front of head/round eyes

 

 

or Migraine

  • usually one-sided, throbbing headache
  • may have preceding vision upset, flashing lights/zigzag lines - or numbness, pins and needles
  • may well feel sick or vomit
  • may well be family history of migraine
  • tend to get repeated attacks

Treatment: rest and quiet, strong painkillers. If you get repeated attacks, keep an eye out for what might cause them. Eat regularly.

 

 

 

No? Scroll down

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have you had any symptoms of a cold, sore throat or flu?

Yes? Check out box below: reasonable bets as to cause

Virus

  • mildish headache all over
  • comes and goes
  • associated temperature/muscle

 

Or Sinusitis

  • foul green/yellow snot from nose
  • forehead or cheeks painful
  • worse on bending down/in the morning

Or Meningitis (Needs immediate attention: get to hospital)

  • Increasing severe headache/neck stiffness
  • may be vomiting/dislike bright lights
  • may be red 'pinpoint' rash
  • very ill

 

 

No? Scroll down

 

 

 

 

Have you been hiting the bottle recently?

Yes? Check out box below: reasonable bets as to cause

Hangover

  • not difficult to work out

 

 

No? Scroll down

 

 

Is your headache one sided and throbbing?

Yes? Check out box below: reasonable bets as to cause

Migraine

  • see above

 

 

No? Scroll down

 

 

Is your headache the mother of all headaches, with an explosive onset (like being shot in the back of the neck or hit on head with a hammer)?

Yes? Check out box below: reasonable bets as to cause

Subarachnoid haemorrhage (Needs immediate attention: get to hospital)

  • Well before, but once headache starts may get vomiting, drowsiness, then loss of consciousness

 

 

No? Scroll down

 

Only rare causes left eg

Yes? Check out box below: reasonable bets as to cause

Medication side effect

  • eg from high blood pressure pills

Or Cluster headaches

  • wake during night with headache
  • over one eye/eye watery
  • will come every night for few weeks unless treated

 

 

No? Scroll down

If you get a sudden severe headache/pain in the neck, or increasing headache and neck stiffness, seek medical help immediately to check for subarachnoid haemorrhage or meningitis

If in any doubt or pain, consult your GP! If you don't have a GP, get one!!!!!!!

 

 

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