TWELVE REMEDIES IN HEADACHE, WITH COMPARISONS By W. A. Dewey

 THE

HOMOEOPATHIC RECORDER.

Vol. X. Philadelphia and Lancaster, Feb, 1895. No. 2.

TWELVE REMEDIES IN HEADACHE, WITH

COMPARISONS

By W. A. Dewey, M. D., 52 West 25th Street, New York.

I. Belladonna. 

Belladonna is probably the first remedy thought of in headache; 

its symptoms, however, are so clear that by rights it should 

only be thought of when indicated. Of course throbbing is the 

great keynote, but violent shooting pains in the head, so severe 

as to drive the patient almost wild, are scarcely less characteristic. 

The patient cannot lie down, must sit up, nor can he bear 

light, noise or jarring; this last is most characteristic. The 

location of the ache is mostly in the frontal region or right side, 

flushed face, dilated pupils accompany. Glonoine is the only 

remedy having throbbing as characteristic as Belladonna. Glonoine, 

however, does not have such a lasting effect as Belladonna, it 

is more relieved by motion, the face is not so deeply flushed and 

there is aggravation from bending the head backwards, all of 

which will serve to distinguish the two remedies. Cinchona also 

has throbbing, but here it is due to anaemia. Belladonna has 

also a symptom common to both Nux vomica and Bryonia, 

namely, a feeling as if the head would burst. The headaches of 

Belladonna are usually worse in the afternoon. 

II. Nux vomica. 

Probably, taken all in all, Nux vomica is more often indicated 

in headache than any other remedy; this is, presumably, 

due in the main to the causes of headache calling for Nux 

vomica; thus, we have headache from the excessive use of alcohol, 

the morning “big head,” tobacco, coffee, headache from digestive 

troubles, constipation, bilious derangement. These are all common 

causes of the Nux vomica headache. The ache is situated 

over one or the other eye, usually the left, or else in the occiput. 

It is apt to begin in the morning and last all day until night, 

and is accompanied with sour taste and perhaps nausea and 

violent retching. The dull, wooden, bursting feeling of the head 

following a debauch is most characteristic of Nux vomica. Head- 

aches of high livers call for Nux. 

There are some modalities to the Nux vomica headache that 

should be carefully noted, as this point will sometime aid greatly 

in making a selection, for instance: Stooping and coughing aggravate 

the headache; it is worse in the morning; moving the 

eyes and motion in general makes the head feel worse. What 

relieves the Nux vomica headache is not so clear; certain headaches 

calling for Nux will be better by wrapping the head up warm 

and by rest, but these conditions are rare ones calling for the 

drug. In general, nothing relieves the Nux vomica headache, 

but it will often disappear after rising and being about for a few 

hours. This is a characteristic point in those headaches due to 

alcoholic excesses. 

III. Sanguinaria 

Genuine sick headache calls for this drug, and the symptoms 

in brief are these: The pain begins in the morning and in the 

occiput; it comes up over the head and settles in the right eye. 

The pain increases in severity until there is vomiting of food 

and bile, then oftentimes the ache is relieved. Noise and light 

are unbearable, and sleep relieves. The pain will be so intense 

at times that the patient will frantically bore her head into the 

pillow for relief. Belladonna may be easily differentiated by the 

following points: It has hot head, more throbbing, flushed face 

and cold feet, and the pain coming up from the occiput is not so 

marked as under Sanguinaria. The Sanguinaria headache is 

relieved by lying down, Belladonna by being propped up in bed, 

and Sanguinaria is more useful in the gastric form of headache. 

There may be also profuse micturition with Sanguinaria relieving 

the headache, as we find under Gelsemium, Ignatia and in 

a less degree under some other drugs. 

IV. Iris Versicolor. 

The Iris headache characteristically commences with a partial 

blindness or blurring of vision, being similar here to Gelsemium, 

and it is especially a remedy for gastric or bilious headaches. 

It is a useful remedy for Sunday headaches, not, however, in 

that form which sometimes occurs as a convenient excuse for 

non-church attendance, which is incurable, but that form which 

occurs in teachers, scholars, professors, etc., in whom a relief of 

the strain for the preceding six days produces the headache. 

The pains are mostly located over the eyes in the supra- orbital 

ridges, usually on one side at a time. The pains are throbbing 

or sharp, and when at their acme, vomiting occurs which is apt 

to be bitter or sour. Especially characteristic is vomiting of 

matters so sour that the teeth are set on edge. The headache of 

Iris is aggravated by motion, cold air and coughing; moderate 

exercise in the open air relieves. In sick headache with continuous 

nausea it is one of our most useful remedies, and if 

indicated closely by the above symptoms it will not fail. 

V. Gelsemium. 

Gelsemium is another remedy which has a headache commencing 

with blindness, and especially it is a remedy for headaches 

due to eye strain. Onosmodium is another. The ache under 

Gelsemium commences in the occiput or nape of the neck. Comes 

up over the head and settles in an eye like Sanguinaria. There 

is a feeling as if a band were about the head, the patient is dull 

and apathetic, and there is great soreness in the eyes when moving 

them. Occipital headaches often find their remedy in Gelsemium. 

Cocculus is another remedy for these conditions. 

Remember the copious urination which relieves the headache, 

and that the headaches are accompanied with visual troubles, 

such as double vision, squinting and dim sight, and Gelsemium 

will be easily recognized. 

Gelsemium headaches are also relieved by sleep, and dizziness 

may accompany. 

VI. Cocculus. 

Another remedy for occipital headache is Cocculus, and it is a 

most excellent one; the symptoms are these: The ache occurs in 

the lower part of the occiput and extends to the nape, and it is 

nearly always associated with vertigo, the head feels numb, 

empty and stupefied, and with this vertigo there is constant 

nausea. Among the causes of headache calling for Cocculus may 

be mentioned riding in the cars or a carriage. A peculiar symptom 

of Cocculus is the sensation as if the occiput were opening 

and shutting like a door. Cannabis Indica has the sensation as 

if the vertex were opening and shutting. This is one of the 

most characteristic symptoms of Cannabis. 

The headaches of Cocculus in general are worse from mental  

effort, and are better indoors and during rest. 

VII. Spigelia. 

This remedy holds about the same relation to the left side of 

the head that Sanguinaria does to the right side. The pains are 

neuralgic in character and settle over the left eye, and they are 

apt to follow the course of the sun, beginning in the morning, 

reaching the acme at noon and subsiding at sunset. There is 

often a sensation as if the head were open along the vertex. 

Noise and jarring of the bed as under Belladonna aggravates the 

pain, stooping and change of weather also make the pain worse. 

The pure neuralgic character of the pain, and its left side preference, 

should lead to the remedy. 

VIII. Cimicifuga 

This is another remedy for the neuralgic form of headache, 

and it has some valuable symptoms. There is first a sensation 

as if the top of the head would fly off. There are sharp, lancinating 

pains in and over the eyes, shooting to the top of the 

head. The brain seems to move in waves, and there may be the 

symptom of a sharp pain extending from the occiput to the 

frontal region, as if a bolt was driven through the head. Headaches 

which are reflex or dependent on some uterine irritation 

are met by this remedy. When there is a feeling as if the 

patient would go crazy it is especially indicated. Many of the 

pains begin in the occiput and shoot down the spine; there is a 

tendency to bend the head forward, which relieves somewhat. 

IX. Silicea

Silicea is a very useful remedy in headache, but one not very 

often used. When a patient with headache has her head tied up 

with a towel or handkerchief it will probably indicate one of two 

remedies. Argentum nitricum if the head be tied up tightly, for 

here we have relief from pressure, and Silicea if the head is tied 

up simply to keep it warm. The headache of Silicea is nervous 

and caused by excessive mental exertion. It is supra-orbital 

and worse over the right eye, the pains coming up from the back 

of the head. Noise, motion and jarring aggravate. Warmth 

relieves. Menyanthes is similar in some respects to Silicea, but 

pressure rather than warmth relieves, and on going up stairs 

there is a sensation of a heavy weight on the vertex. The 

headache of Silicea, like Ignatia and Gelsemium is relieved by 

copious urination. 

An additional indication for Silicea is an extreme sensitiveness 

of the scalp. 

X. Argentum nitricum. 

A characteristic of this drug is that the head seems enormously 

large. There is much boring pain in the left frontal 

eminence. Thuja has a sensation as if a nail were driven into 

the frontal eminence. Ignatia and Coffea have these sharp, 

nail-like pains also. The pains under Argentum nitricum 

increase to such a degree that the patient seems as if she would 

lose her senses. Tying the head up tightly relieves the headache 

of this drug, it being the pressure that relieves. 

XI. Melilotus alba. 

A remedy often overlooked in the treatment of the congestive 

forms of headache is Melilotus. With this remedy there is a 

sensation of bursting; it seems as if the brain would burst 

through the forehead; the pains are intense and throbbing and 

almost drive the patient frantic. The eyes are bloodshot and 

the headache tends to recur every afternoon. Sometimes the 

headache culminates in nosebleed, which relieves. There is 

with this drug, which reminds of Cimicifuga, an undulating 

sensation in the brain. 

XII. Natrum mur 

The headache of Natrum mur. is as if there were little hammers 

beating in the skull, worse from moving the head or eyeballs. 

It comes on in the morning, is worse about 10 A. m., and 

is preceded by partial blindness, as we found under Iris and Gel- 

semium. The little hammer sensation is also found under 

Psorinum. Natrum mur., as well as Calcarea phos., is an excel- 

lent remedy for certain headaches in school girls during menses. 

A malarial basis for a headache will sometimes suggest this 

remedy. 

To read more medicines for headache read Homeopathic medicines for Headache and Migraine.

Homeopathic medicines for Headache and Migraine

Compiled By:

Dr Ravinder S. Mann

Dr. Vandana Patni

Homeopathic medicines for Headache and Migraine

Tweleve remedies in Headache By W. A. Dewey

For prescribing Homeopathic medicines to any patient we need to chose a strict similimum criteria, it means a patient need only that medicine which exhibit the very similar symptoms and signs during the proving of medicine.

Every homeopathic medicine is proved on humans. The signs and symptoms; which every medicine exhibit during proving are recorded in Text Book of Homeopathic Materia Medica. Every Homeopathic medicine exhibit the sign and symptoms of more then one system, it means every medicine has capability to cure diseases of more then one system.

So matching the sign and symptoms, of a patient with medicine, for purpose of prescribing needs lot much expertise. 

Following homeopathic medicines with short indications in headache are just few from long list of medicines.

Aconite – Headache due to Sunstroke, sleeping in direct sun-rays. Burning headache as if brain were agitated by boiling water. Aggravation by noise, light, motion. Amelioration by lying in a dark room, by nosebleed  and by copious urination.

Aethusa Cynapium – Violent pain, as if the brain were dashed to pieces; headache ceases with discharge of flatus downward; distressing pain in the occiput, nape and down the spine, better from bending stiffly backward; sensation as if she were constantly pulled by hair; hemicrania ( One side headache) driving the patient into open air, which relieves; desire to have a band fastened tightly around the head.

Agaricus – Headache from overwork at the desk. Pain as if sharp ice touched the head or cold needles pierced it. Pain remains confined to very small spot. Pain as if fine splinters were driven into the brain.

Agnus Castus – Headaches from sexual debility after sexual excesses or subject to seminal emissions, persons suffering from nervous debility, melancholia and has hypochondriac mood, keeps repeating that he will die. Pains just above the right eye  and temple better by looking at one point.

Allium Cepa – Headache as if whole head is wrapped in hot clothes. Headache ceases during menses and returns back just after cessation of menses. Headache with coryza, lachrymation (watering from eyes), sneezing. 

Aloes – Headaches alternating with low back pains ( Lumbago). Headache increases with every footstep, headache from insufficient stool (defecation), can’t bear mental labor, perfect relief after complete stool. Patients who have headache in winters and diarrhea in summers.

Argentum Nitricum – Headaches of dyspeptic persons. Migraine; headache with sensation as if the head is enormously large; Pain increases by taking coffee and better by eating dinner and taking wine. Patient feel as if his skull bones are separating apart and pains better by pressure and tight bandaging. Pains gradually increasing and then ceases suddenly.

Arsenicum Alb – Hemicranias (one side head pains), Headaches better by cold applications. Anxiety, thirst, fears are another clinical feature.

Belladona - Pains starts suddenly, gradually increase to great severity and then ceases suddenly. Headaches are throbbing, especially on right side, with intolerance of light and noise, hot head and cold feet, headache aggravates when lying down with head low and in open air, pains better by bending head backward and by covering the head.

Bryonia – Headache with vertigo and confusion of mind on slightest motion; sticking, jerking, throbbing pain from forehead backward to occiput. Pains aggravated by any kind of motion, on opening eyes, from stooping, on coughing, on stepping hard, slightest motion. Pains ameliorated by closing eyes, external pressure, by tying up the head. But pain in head always shifts to the side lain on.

Calcarea Carb – Icy coldness in and on head; Headache better by closing eyes and from tight bandaging.

Camphor – Pains ceases when thinking of it.

Carbo Veg – Headache with congestion of head from overheated rooms. Associated symptoms with headache are important here as burning pain in epigastrium, disgust for fat food and milk, belchings and borborygmi offensive, insatiable thirst for cold water.

China – Headaches better by moving the head especially up and down. Headaches caused by loss of fluids eg. Hemorrhage.

Colocynthis – Intermittent and paroxysmal headaches, Pains better by lying on painful side and hard pressure.

Crocus Sativus – Headache and all other symptoms are worse at time of menses.

Gelsemium – Vision lost just before headache, dislike to speak or be spoken to during headaches. Pains better by copious urination and after sleeping.

Gloninum – Violent headache with menses, headache from exposure to sun; sunstroke; Pains worse by motion and better by bandaging head.

Iris V – Great medicine for migraine, sick headaches of gastric and hepatic (liver) origin. Head pains always beginning with blur before eyes and followed by sour vomiting.

Kali Bichrom – Blindness before headache which disappears as headache increases. One sides pains in small spots, sharp stitches in bones of head.

Kalmia – Sun headache, shooting from nape up into head; especially right side better by profuse urination.

Lachesis – Head pains relieves as soon as menses starts; burning on vertex in climacteric; aggravations during and after sleep.

Lycopodium – Headache of intellectuals, headache from brain overwork. Pains worse by from rising up, from stooping, followed by weakness, from warmth of bed, mental exertion, mainly of right side, extending down to neck, pains better by lying down, from open cold air and from uncovering the head.

Magnesia Carb – Headache relieved by wrapping up the head, pains worse when among many persons, pain on top of head as if hair were pulled, aggravations standing and ameliorates sitting.

Melilotus – Congestive headaches with violent palpitations, especially in winters. Sensation as if brain would burst through forehead. Pains are severe better by nosebleed, frequent urination.

Natrum Carb – Sun Headaches, chronic effects of sunstroke. Head pain starts every time patient exposes to heat of sun, pains increases during a thunderstorm and from electric changes in atmosphere, headache from working under gaslight, pains from turning head rapidly and mental labor increase the pain.

Natrum Mur – Periodically appearing frontal headaches of great severity as if bursting and beating from little hammers. Pain aggravated from moving head and eyes, increases in forenoon, by warmth and motion, pains better by sitting, lying and perspiring; headache from sunrise to sunset; head pains before, during and after menses.

Nux Vomica – Congestive and abdominal headaches, with nausea and vomiting, worse by coughing and stooping; pain as from a nail driven into the brain. Head pains worse towards morning on waking, after eating, in the open air, pains on stopping and on motion, pain after drinking coffee.

Many more medicines can be described here, but prescribing true similimum to any case of headache need very expertise. Some more medicines are named here:-

Nitric Acid, Opium, Palladium, Phosphorus, Phosphoric acid, Phytolacca, Picric acid, Psorinum, Pulsatilla, Rhus Tox, Sabadilla, Sanguinaria, Selenium, Sepia, Silicea, Spigelia, Sulphur, Thuja and more.

The Language of the Repertory – J T Kent

If you've come to this page directly via a search engine, please note this article is mainly for homeopaths and students of homeopathy, so assumes a certain level of understanding of homeopathic concepts and terminology.
 


This Article originally published in The Homoeopathician, A Journal For Pure Homoeopathy, Vol. III January,1913 No. 1, from page no. 8 to 10.

The Language of the Repertory
By James Tyler Kent, A.M., M.D., Chicago, III.

Introductory Note: To many who have not been thoroughly trained in repertory study, the practical value of such work remains uncomprehended. The following article has been prepared to shed light on some of the difficulties that confront those who have not learned to appreciate the immense value of such an index as is afforded in the modern Repertory, and how familiarity with it unlocks the store-house of our materia medica in the future to that rubric or symptom.
Many fail to use the repertory because they think of symptoms in pathological language or because they look for expressions in the language of tradition. It must be remembered that symptoms come to us from lay provers; that sick people are lay people. Both of these express sicknesses in the language of the layman and the repertory must be an index of the materia medica. Every effort to convert either the materia medica or the repertory into the language of traditional medicine must result in total failure. Technical language condenses the thought of a given sickness. That is all that is needed to convey all there is knowable from one physician to another until the question of the remedy comes up, and there the new question comes up: What is the remedy? The answer comes by asking another question: What are the symptoms? The symptoms are the speech of the Patient.
THE physician must study the homoeopathic principles until he learns what it is in sickness that guides to the curative remedy. He must study the materia medica until he learns what is needed to meet these demands.
He must then study the repertory until he learns how to use it so that he can find what he wants when he needs it. It must be admitted that many do mechanical work and fail to realize that any other kind is possible. The physician must read over and over the rubrics in the repertory in order to learn what is in it and how symptoms are expressed. Often he will see a rubric or a symptom that he would not have thought of seeking in that place; he should then settle in his own mind where he would have looked for it; then he should make one or several cross-references to guide him laity and of nature: uneducated nature—simple nature—appealing to an educated physician. The symptoms of a patient have no meaning whatever to an untrained physician—to a physician untrained in the significance of symptoms of the patient, of the prover—hence the repertory is meaningless to him. This explains why so many try to use the repertory and fail: they have had no teaching in our so-called homoeopathic colleges.
All who know how to use a repertory succeed, and not one has ever discarded it. It appears strange that all do not try to find some one to teach them to use it when there are so many willing to do it; it appears strange that they do not desire to know how to use the repertory; it appears strange that they have not learned to note the precise language of the patient, the language of the materia medica, and the language of the repertory.
Physicians who are ignorant in these methods see no difference when the same symptom appears in three different patients in the same family, though one has this symptom at 10 a.m., another at 1 a.m., and another at 4 p.m.; one is better from heat, another from cold, and the third not affected by either, and I have known them to ask very promptly: "What has that to do with it?" Three patients suffer from a similar headache: one is better in the open air, one is better from applied cold, and the third, from applied heat; and again comes the question: "What has that to do with it?"  Yet these are only the first and simplest differences to be mentioned.
The inexperienced physician in our art trains his mind to lump and condense and concentrate and this leads in the opposite direction to what is required. We have large groups or rubrics but these are next split up into conditions, circumstances and modalities until every least difference in time, place, degree and manner is brought before the mind so that distinction and individualization may appear. "What has that to do with it?"
I will mention the word "weakness" and even our own students may say: "What a common general symptom to mention," but if he is weak—after eating, must lie down for a while, in hot weather, after stool, after mental and physical exertion, after sleep, who would not wonder if Selenium would not cure such a case? When such a group of circumstances is associated in catarrh of nose, throat and larynx, or carcinoma, and there are desire for open air, lack of vital heat, emaciation in advanced years, extreme sensitiveness to drafts—even warm drafts, there is nothing left for the homoeopathist but to give Selenium.
How can the inexperienced physician work this out without a repertory, properly used? The proper use of the repertory will lead to correct offhand prescribing in simple cases, in from ten to twenty years. The mechanical use of the repertory never leads to artistic prescribing nor to remarkable results. Certain mental characteristics go hand in hand; some characteristics of mind are necessary to good, artistic repertory-work, others are equally prohibitory.
Some minds cannot comprehend that potentization of any given drug is possible in proportion to the homoeopathicity of that drug to a given group of symptoms, and that when the drug is not similar, only attenuation is present. When attenuation becomes potentization is a question that the healing-artist alone can comprehend otherwise than theoretically. The physician who can clearly comprehend this can learn to comprehend the value of symptoms and therefore learn, by the aid of a repertory, to compare the symptoms of his patient; otherwise repertory-work is purely mechanical.
Perhaps a clinical case will best illustrate the subject.
Mrs. S., aged 47, a very excitable—almost hysterical—woman, for many years has suffered—  violent occipital headaches.
Compelled to take strong medicines for years.
Occur every few days; never passes a week without one. Continue three days.
Heat and pressure give most relief.
Bowels constipated; for a week has no desire; then takes cathartics.
Says: "I have taken everything."
Stool hard and small, resembling sheep-dung.
Craves open air; cool air.
Heat flushes.
Menstruation absent lately.
Urine scanty and strong.
Eyes have sensation that they do not belong to her.
Cold knees and below knees.
Very tired and excitable.
Over-sensitive; extremely sensitive to touch over entire body.
What are the strange, rare and peculiar symptoms in this patient?
The remedies that have stool in round, hard balls resembling sheep dung that also have strong craving for open air are: 
Alum., bar.-c, carb.-an., carb.-s., caust., graph., kali-s., mag-m., nat-m., nat-s., op., sulph.
No desire for stool for many days;
Alum., carb.-an., carb.-s., caust., graph., kali-s., mag.-m., nat.-m., op., sulph., and many        others not related to the case.
Occipital headache: Alum., carb-an., carb-s., mag-m., nat.-m., op., sep., sulph.
jarring agg.: Carb-s., mag-m., nat.-m., sulph.
pressure amel.: Mag-m., nat-m., sulph.
heat amel.: Mag-m.
March 4th. Mag.-m. 10m.
April 9th. Mag.-m. 10m.
May 20th. Mag.-m. 50m.
There has been no headache since and she has been in good health. In this case the headache is a common one, but it was what she came to have cured. The peculiar symptom is the one difficult to explain, viz.: stool in hard balls resembling "sheep dung."
It is certainly uncommon; it is not the stool natural to healthy human beings; it is not a diagnostic symptom of any disease. One might wonder what kind of commotion in the intestine could break up a hard stool into lumps so small and tumble these around until they were flat, oval and round and small as sheep's dung; the normal stool and the common stool are quite different Then it must be "strange, rare and peculiar." Now as she so longs for the open air it will be best to eliminate with the above rubric from remedies that have craving for open air; this gives the start. Then taking the next most important rubric, viz., inactivity or no desire for a week what remains can be seen in the anamnesis above. So proceed to the end, taking the symptoms in the order of their importance. The result is a cure.
Most all recent discoveries are verifying what Homoeopathy has been trying, for more than a century, to have the medical profession realize. All Hahnemann has ever asked his enemies to do is to "put the law to a test and publish the failures.
Why do they not do it.

Migraine

This type of Headache occurs when blood vessels of the head and neck constrict, resulting in a decrease in blood flow to the vessels. A severe pain felt on one, and sometimes, both sides of the head, mostly in the front around the temples or behind one eye or ear, with an associated feeling of nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, sickness and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraine can occur any time of the day, though it often starts in the morning. The pain can last a few hours or up to one or two days.

It is more common in females than males (3:1) and may occur in childhood, adolescent and adult life. Most often, migraine affects people between the ages of 15 and 55.

Factors that have been identified as being associated with migraine:

• family history of migraine.
• prolonged muscle tension and stress.
• alcohol use.
• smoking or exposure to tobacco smoke.
• lack of sleep.
• for women, menstrual periods and the use of oral contraceptives.
• They are more common in women.
• Migraine often becomes less severe and frequent with age.
  certain foods such as chocolate, nuts and fermented or pickled condiments, as well as foods containing the amino acid tyramine (aged cheese, red wine, smoked fish) and foods containing preservatives and artificial sweeteners.

Causes of migraine

One theory about the cause of migraine is the blood flow theory. Blood vessels either narrow or expand. This type of Headache occurs when blood vessels of the head and neck constrict, resulting in a decrease in blood flow to the vessels. And when the blood vessels expand, they press on nerves nearby, which causes pain.

Next theory is related with chemical changes in the brain. Migraine may be due to abnormalities in the channels within cells that transport the electrical ions calcium, magnesium, sodium, and potassium. Calcium channels appear to play a particularly critical role in migraine patients:

Calcium channels regulate the release of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter in the migraine process. (A neurotransmitter is a chemical messenger that allows communication between nerves in the brain.)

Abnormalities in serotonin levels have been observed in both tension-type and migraine headache sufferers. Altered levels of other neurotransmitters, importantly dopamine and stress hormones, also occur with migraine and tension-type headaches

When some Chemical changes are interrupted like if messages from one cell to another, including the messages to blood vessels to get narrow or expand, is interrupted, migraines can occur.

The latest theory believes that some Genes are responsible for migraine; about 50% of People who get migraines may inherit abnormal genes that control the functions of certain brain cells.

Diagnosis of migraine

There are no blood tests or imaging techniques that can be used to diagnose migraine headaches. A diagnosis will be made on the basis of history and physical exam, and, if necessary, tests may be necessary to rule out other diseases or conditions that may be causing the headaches. It is important to choose a doctor who is sensitive to the needs of headache sufferers and aware of the latest advances in treatment.

What a patient should describe for Accurate Diagnosis :

1. Duration and frequency of Headache.
2. Recent changes in their character.
3. The location of the pain.
4. The type (e.g., throbbing or steady pressure).
5. The intensity of the headache.
6. Associated symptoms, such as visual disturbances or nausea and vomiting.
7. Behaviors during a Headache. This may help distinguish between migraine and tension headaches.

Treatment

The first and the foremost aim of treatment is to find out precipitation factors and to avoid them i.e. alcohol, oral contraceptives, dietary factors should be stopped immediately.

Acute attacks of migraine should be treated by medicines, On the advice of the physician, choose drugs with as few side effects as possible. Patients should discuss various methods for administering the medication (pills, injections, nasal spray, or rectal suppositories) and begin with one they believe will be the least distressing.

Treat the attack rapidly, within an hour of symptom onset if possible. Start with low doses first and build up dosage slowly.

Homeopathic Treatment

Homeopathy has more then 100 medicines for Migraine. Homeopathic medicines are prescribed on individuality of patient, detail symptoms, modalities of pain symptoms, mental attitudes, behavior pattern of patient, environmental liking and disliking, eating habits and so on. Homeopathic medicines not only prescribed on pain symptoms but it take note of patients detail study.

Headache

 Headache is most common local pain complaint in all ages and stages of life. Pain and aches localized to head. Headache may be caused by general fatigue, tension or stress -that is reversible and headache may be caused by some serious pathology of head as tumors -that may be not reversible. But more than 80% cases of headache have simple and reversible causes.
Headache has many different patterns and different causes. Very strangely, brain is not a pain sensitive organ, brain lacks any pain sensitive nerve fibres. But outer covering(Meninges) of brain, muscles of head, blood vessels in head, subcutaneous tissue and skin are pain sensitive parts. Pain due to eyes, ear and nose may start headache. Spondylitis of neck is a common cause of headache these days.


Homeopathy offers best alternative treatment for headache by a long range of homeopathic medicines.

Types of Headache

Different Types of headache are-

1.Tension Headache
2.Migraine
3.Cluster Headache
4.Chronic Headache
5.Trigeminal Neuralgia
6.TMJ-Temporo Mandibular joint
7.Pregnancy Headache
8. Ice cream Headache
9. Sinus Headache
10.Gastric Headache
There are many other pattern of headache beside these common pattern.

Tension headache

It is the most common form of headache and accounts for 70 per cent of headaches.This type of headache results from contraction of head and neck muscles. It is most common in adults and adolescents. The sensation is that of a dull ache on both sides of head. This type of headache is the one that feels like a tight band, or a vice grip, is running across forehead. Possible causes of muscle contraction associated with tension headaches are- stress, fatigue, wrong posture, eye strain, tobacco and alcohol use, in women- hormonal changes occurring before and after a menstrual period.

Migraine headache

20 per cent of all headaches are Migraine . This type of headache occurs when blood vessels of the head and neck constrict, resulting in a decrease in blood flow to the vessels.

Migraine is usually experienced as a throbbing pain on one side of the head with an associated feeling of nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, sickness and sensitivity to light and sound. In many patients, it may be bilateral and generalized. It is more common in females than males (3:1) and may occur in childhood, adolescent and adult life.

Diagnostic pointers for migraine-

Attacks last from 4 to 72 hours
Patients are usually symptom-free between attacks
Headache is at least two of the following
a. Unilateral (on one side)
b. Pulsating
c. Moderate to severe
d. Aggravated by routine activities

Associated symptoms may include
a. Photo phobia (more sensitive to light)
b. Phonophobia (more sensitive to noise)
c. Nausea and Vomiting

Factors that have been identified as being associated with migraines:

1. Family history of migraine.
2. Prolonged muscle tension and stress.
3. Alcohol use.
4. Smoking or exposure to tobacco smoke.
5. Lack of sleep.
6. For women, menstrual periods and the use of oral contraceptives.
7. Certain foods such as chocolate, nuts and fermented or pickled condiments, as well as foods containing the amino acid tyramine (aged cheese, red wine, smoked fish) and foods containing preservatives and artificial sweeteners.

Cluster Headache

Cluster headache is one of the most painful types of headache. Cluster headache is an excruciating condition but fortunately it is rare. It affects 1 in 1000 men and 1 in 6000 women; mostly found in adults or older and in habitual smokers.
Cluster headache is distinctive in ways other than the severity of the pain. A striking feature of cluster headache is that the attacks occur in cyclical patterns, or clusters — which gives the condition its name. Bouts of frequent attacks, known as cluster periods, may last from weeks to months.
Pains are unilateral, intense, around the eye, make eye red and watering, ptosis (droopy eyelid) may occur, followed by a remission period when the headache attacks stop completely. Although the pattern varies from one person to another, most people have one or two cluster periods a year. During remission, no headaches occur for months, and sometimes even years.

Chronic daily Headache

Chronic Daily Headache is defined as a headache type, which is present on most days for example :- more than four hours per day, and 15 or more days per month. The chronic daily headache usually evolves over a period of months or years, typically occurring over a six-month period or longer. Males are two times more affected than females. It can occur in children as well as in very old persons.
About 50% of cases a doctor attends everyday are of chronic daily headache. Chronic Daily Headache Type is characterized by a combination of background, low-grade muscle contraction-type symptoms, often with stiffness in the neck, and superimposed migrainous symptoms, history of injuries to the head and neck, such as a whiplash injury may be found. Patients might have had migraine in the past, prompting them to increase their analgesic intake. These analgesics can then lead to a worsening of the chronic headache pattern resulting in analgesic dependence, a combination of treatments includes:

1. Identify Stressors in life and reduce sources of stress
2. Physical measures in the neck and shoulder areas (eg, exercises or formal physiotherapy, acupuncture or osteopathy or chiropractic).
3. Avoidance of analgesics and ergotamine to break the cycle.
4. Use of effective, regular prescription medicines, usually drawn from the antidepressant or anti epileptic groups.

Causes of headache that must not be missed:

1. Meningitis: usually accompanied by fever and neck stiffness in an obviously ill patient.
2. Intracranial tumours: produce headache when they are large enough to cause raised intracranial pressure, which is usually apparent from the history. Papilloedema or focal neurological signs, or both, will usually be present. Fortunately these are very rare.
3. Subarachnoid hemorrhage: headache is often described as the worst ever, and is usually (but not always) of sudden onset. Neck stiffness may take hours to develop. In elderly patients particularly, classic symptoms and signs may be absent.
4. Temporal arteritis: headache is persistent but often worse at night and sometimes severe, in a patient over 50 who does not feel entirely well. It may be accompanied by marked scalp tenderness.
5. Primary angle closure glaucoma: rare before middle age, may present dramatically with acute ocular hypertension, a painful red eye with the pupil mild dilated and fixed and, essentially, impaired vision, and nausea and vomiting. In other cases, headache or eye pain is episodic and mild. The diagnosis is suggested if patient reports colored halos around lights.
6. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension: rare cause of headache; occurs especially with obese young women. May not be evident on history alone; papilloedema indicates the diagnosis.
7. Subacute carbon monoxide poisoning: uncommon but potentially fatal. Symptoms include headaches, nausea, vomiting, giddiness, muscular weakness, dimness of vision, and double vision.

Pregnancy Headache

Headaches, like many ailments, can occur in pregnancy just as they do at other times of life. However, there are a few causes of headache that are related to pregnancy.

During pregnancy headache can be miserable and debilitating, but in most cases they're not dangerous. Pregnancy headaches tend to diminish or even disappear during the second trimester, when the flood of hormones stabilizes and the body grows accustomed to its altered chemistry.

Warning signs that a headache needs urgent evaluation by a physician include:
1. if it is severe and different than any headache you have had before;
2. if it occurs immediately upon wakening in the morning or wakes you from sleep;
3. if you are already being monitored for high blood pressure and the pain doesn't respond to acetaminophen;
4. if it is associated with neurological symptoms, such as vision problems or numbness or weakness, that you have not previously experienced.

Facial Headache Types
Sinusitis is caused by infection of one or more of the cranial (skull) sinuses. These are the bony inner structures of the skull. Acute sinusitis lasts for days up to three weeks. The International Headache Society's criterion of purulent discharge and acute febrile illness is indicative of acute sinusitis (sinus headache). The site of the pain varies according to the location of the infection. Maxillary sinusitis pain is mostly in the cheek, gums, teeth and upper jaw. When pain is presented between and around the eyes this is referred to as ethmoidal sinusitis. Frontal sinusitis pain is seen in the forehead and sphenoidal sinusitis presents with pain at the crown of the head. The pain often has a a dull aching quality which is worsened by bending. Very rarely complications can occur such as meningitis or abscesses.
Post Herpetic Neuralgia Shingles (herpes zoster virus) can cause pain resulting from various cranial nerves. The pain may start during an acute rash of herpes but the main problem is pain that persists after the herpes rash has gone. Common symptoms include a constant deep pain, with repeated stabs, or needle pricking pain. Even light touch can trigger these symptoms which may be accompanied by itching. Half of patients have no pain after three years.

Trigeminal Neuralgia

Trigeminal neuralgia is considered to be the most common neurological syndrome in the elderly. Women are three times more likely to get it than men. Over 95% of cases are unilateral. The pain is often described as an electric shock or spasm or burning sensation in one or more of the three divisions of the trigeminal nerve. The pain lasts from 2-120 seconds. The ophthalmic division supplies the forehead, eyes and scalp, the maxillary supplies the cheek and the mandibular supplies the lower cheek, lower lip and chin. The condition has been called 'tic douloureux' because the facial muscles may twitch. Patients can sometimes have a dull ache as a continuous symptom. The trigger can be cold air, washing the face or cleaning the teeth. The pain can be excruciating. The most common cause is thought to be vascular compression resulting from abnormal arterial roots near the nerve root. MRI scans can confirm this. Other possible causes include malignancy, multiple sclerosis, intrac cranial aneurysms and cranial arteritis.

Treatment of Headache

Conventional Treatment

Treatment of uncomplicated headache is usually symptomatic with over-the-counter painkillers such as aspirin, paracetamol (acetaminophen) or ibuprofen, although some specific forms of headaches (e.g., migraines) may demand other, more suitable treatment, usually triptans.

Homeopathic Treatment

Homeopathy has very specific approach to treat headaches. Homeopathic medicines not only relieve headache but cure permanently. Acute headache, Chronic Headache, Sun headache, Gastric Headache, Migraine headache, Sinus Headache, headache related to pregnancy and even homeopathy has wide scope in serious headache cases.

Homeopathy offer wide range of 500 medicines for headache. Medicines are prescribed on individuality of patient according the symptoms, modalities of time, weather, position. Treatment remains continue according the chronicity of case.