HEADACHE

You are a big headache to me”, the landlady shouts at her servant. The poor servant does not understand how he could become a headache to her.

“Oh, my head is splitting, don’t bother me”, says an exhausted father after his return from office. His six-year-old body wonders and waits to see how his father’s head would split – vertically, horizontally or just fall to pieces.

Headache, sometimes, comes handy as an excuse to escape from unwanted situations. But what is real headache like?

Headache in very young children are peculiar. The same child who complains of severe headache when asked to do his homework or get ready for school, would forget all about it the moment it is time for his favourite TV show.

Likewise, the housewife who has been suffering from headache throughout the day, would find it gone the moment her friend comes for a session of gossip.

A person whose head was splitting inside an overcrowded and warm room, would feel fresh after going out in the fresh air.

Hungry children who complain of headache will be all smiles once they eat.

There is hardly anyone who at sometime or the other has not experienced headache in his or her life. This is so because the causes of headache are many and varied as illustrated above.

Headache, a symptom not a disorder

Headaches are the symptoms of some underlying cause like eye strain, insomnia, hunger, common cold, allergy to some type of food etc. There are deeper causes, psychological in origin which include irritation, anger, hatred, indifference, anxiety, stress etc. Such headaches can be controlled or got rid of by engaging in some activity, going for a change of place or by avoiding persons and situations that cause an attack. But, headaches caused by emotions are certain to return even if they disappear for the time being if the emotions are encouraged in a regular pattern.

Headaches can be classified into various types as below:

Toxic headaches

What is a hangover that heavy drinkers complain of? It is nothing but a heavy head that aches severely. The eyes feel as though they will burst through their sockets. No amount of medicine seems to relieve such headaches, driving the sufferer crazy.

Alcohol and drugs and even coffee and tea cause toxic headaches where the toxins have been absorbed in the system. Most of us erroneously believe that coffee and tea relieve headache. Temporarily, yes. But coffee and tea have created more headaches than they have cured. Over-indulgence in these and other soft drinks actually causes headaches in a regular pattern.

Rheumatic headache

Change of seasons especially from hot weather to cold or damp conditions, affect some people who are very sensitive to such changes. Such persons are prone to headaches which get aggravated during nights and early mornings. As the sun rises the headache becomes less severe. It may be tolerable or disappear when in movement or action. It is relieved towards noon only to return as the sun sets. Rest only increases the pain which affects the skull, jaws and temples. Heavy rains and dampness bring about these headaches in a regular pattern.

Headache due to cold and sinus

Inflammation of mucus membranes and swelling and dryness in the nasal cavity, cause this type of headache. It is felt above the eyebrows, nose and forehead. Heaviness is felt on the head and face which is relieved while sneezing accompanied with profuse discharge from the nose.

Headache caused by indigestion

At times headache starts after heavy meals and drinks. Severe ache and heat in the head produces nausea. It is relieved after vomiting or even purging.

Reflex headache

These are caused by disturbance of the uterus during menstrual periods, gastric trouble and eye strain.

Nervous headache

When the body reserve is at its lowest, any change in place, unexpected situations, untimely meals, excitement, apprehension, all of these contribute to nervous headaches. Though this type of headache starts mildly in the forehead, it becomes intense and spreads to the whole head including the eyes.

Neuralgic headache

Irritation and inflammation of the facial nerves above the eyes on the cheek and jaws (usually unilateral) causes this type of headache. Loss of sleep aggravates the pain which persists for some time until nausea and vomiting occurs. The pain often extends to the back of the head too.

Anaemic headache

Anaemic conditions cause dull and nagging headaches followed by anxiety, palpitation, giddiness and depression. This mostly occurs in girls and women due to loss of blood during menses.

Cluster headaches

These are the type of headaches that affect the adolescents more than the adults. It appears and disappears periodically but regularly. As it lasts for a few days, it reappears after a period equal to the duration for which it had lasted. Mostly these headaches occur some time after falling asleep or upon rising in the morning. The sudden pain wakes one up from even sound sleep. Such headaches cause one sided discomfort as one stuffed nostril, redness of one eye and throbbing of one side of the temple.

Some of the other types of headaches are psychogenic headaches, headaches triggered by dental disorders, dilation of arteries as in fever and high blood pressure, headaches due to hysteria, cervical sodalities, middle ear infections and headaches of any other origin all of which respond to simple nature cure.

Treatment for headache

General instructions
Include plenty of fresh fruits and fresh green vegetables preferably raw, fruits and vegetable juices, and sprouted grains in the food. Avoid all artificial food until cure is obtained.

Hydrotherapy for headache
Hot foot bath for fifteen minutes twice daily for some days, weeks or even months depending upon the type and chronicity of the headache.

Yogasans
The exercises recommended are Makarasana, Vajrasana and Shavasana.

Breathing exercise
No. 1 should also be practiced. (See page 189)

Massage
See chapter 27.

Household remedies

• Try one at a time; do not take other remedy with in half an hour after taking the first one.
• Take apple slices with a little salt applied on them for a month during breakfast for headache with indigestion.
• Mix equal quantities of carrot, beet and spinach juices to make one full glass and take during breakfast for a month.
• Rub sliced onion in the soles briskly to relieve headache due to heat.
• Mix juice of one lemon, one spoon ginger juice and one spoon honey in half a glass of hot water to be sipped very slowly for almost any type of headache.