4 Noticeable signs include nasal congestion, excessive tearing of
the eye, and possibly one "bloodshot" eye.
5 Length of time of the headache may be from a few minutes to
hours but usually not more than two hours. The average duration of such a headache is
30 to 90 minutes.
(b) Treatment of a cluster headache. Treat with ergotamine tartrate
(Gynergen). Ergotamine tartrate will relieve a cluster headache quickest if given by
intramuscular injection (may cause vomiting) or administered sublingually. Oral
medications which are available act too slowly to be of much help. Usually, this type of
headache lasts such a short time that medication does not have time to be effective.
(3) Hypertensive headache. Increased blood pressure causes a
hypertensive headache.
(a)
Signs/symptoms of a hypertensive headache. Included are the
following:
1 Throbbing.
2 Sudden onset, frequently at the top of the head but may also be
generalized in the head.
3 Elevated blood pressure and retinal hemorrhages.
(b) Treatment of a hypertensive headache. Lower the blood pressure
by giving a combination of analgesic (pain killer medication) and tranquilizer. Try to find
out the cause of the raised blood pressure.
(4) Muscle tension headache. Tension and emotional stress cause this type
of headache. What happens is that the muscles in the neck and the scalp contract
causing pain.
(a) Signs/symptoms of muscle tension headache. Such a headache is
usually characterized by steady pain which is non- throbbing. The pain may be on one
or both sides of the head but is often in the frontal region of the face.
(b) Treatment of muscle tension headache. Treatment consists of mild
analgesic, rest, and removal of the situation which produced the anxiety.
MD0572
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