LESSON 2
TREAT COMMON HEADACHES AND TOOTHACHES
2-1.
GENERAL
Headaches and toothaches are also common ailments and complaints by
patients. They both can be very disturbing and might cause a person to not function as
he normally would. It is your duty to assess these ailments and provide treatment for
relief.
2-2.
HEADACHES
This section of the lesson will present the etiology of the different types of
vascular and sinus headaches, signs and symptoms, and treatment for the headaches.
a. Vascular Headaches. A term applied to a variety of entities produced by
reversible, segmental, arterial constriction and dilation; vascular headaches are all
characterized by their intermittence and throbbing pain. The components of the group
are distinguished by differences in cause, temporal sequences, and the location of the
affected blood vessels. Vascular headaches include migraine, cluster, muscle tension,
and hypertensive headaches.
(1)
Types of vascular headaches.
(a) Migraine. A recurrent, intense headache usually confined to one
side of the head and associated with nausea, vomiting, and visual disturbances.
1 Etiology. The exact cause of a migraine is not known, it may be
hereditary; triggered by emotional stress, physical activity, fatigue, smoking,
consumption of certain foods, and excess of alcohol intake.
NOTE:
The nature of attacks varies between persons and from time to time in the
same person.
2 Classic symptoms of migraines may appear in the following
sequence:
a Inability to see clearly, followed by seeing bright spots and
zigzag patterns. Visual disturbances may last several minutes or several hours, but
disappear once headache begins.
b Dull, boring pain in temple that spreads to entire side of
head. Pain becomes intense and throbbing (sometimes pain may affect both temples
simultaneously).
c
Nausea and vomiting, sweating.
MD0 550
2-2