Question: What are the causes of headache?
Answer:
The causes of headache may be classified in 3 types:-
1. Primary (without any obvious pathological state) - e.g. Migraine, Cluster headache, Tension type headache, Psychogenic headache.
2. Secondary (due to some underlying pathological conditions) e.g. any SOL (space occupying lesion)-Tumor, T.B., Meningitis, Encephalitis, Hydrocephalus etc.
3. Other causes: Sinusitis (Microbial infections of Para nasal air sinuses with flue like symptoms, Coryza, running nose, burning lacrymation etc), occipital headache due to Cervical spondylosis or spondylitis or due to high blood pressure after waking up from sleep with vertigo, Nausea & vomiting, Refractive errors of eye or change in power of spectacles/lens etc.
Question: What are the symptoms of primary headache?
Answer:
Migraine:
1. Pain in one side or both side
2. Pain behind the eyeball
3. Throbbing sensation
4. Nausea with vomiting
5. Intolerance of light/ Photophobia
6. Intolerance of heat, lower room temperature is comfortable to patient
N.B.: These patients are prohibited to eat butter, cheese, noodles, chocolate, coffee, Azinamoto (Monosodium Glutamate) etc. as those can worsen the headache.
Cluster Headache:
1. Pain usually in 1 side
2. Intermittent type, recurs in few days interval
3. When the attack starts, the patient suffers from headache for 3-5 times a day
Tension type Headache:
1. Pain usually occurs in whole of the brain
2. There is a constrictive sensation
3. Regular and continuous type of pain
Psychogenic Headache: Due to physical or mental stress, anxiety, insomnia etc.
Question: How to understand if the headache is fatal i.e. due to some big pathological condition?
Answer:
There are some indications:-
If the nature of the headache-
1. Sudden in onset and then continuous
2. Have a particular time in day/ night
3. Pain felt while sneezing, coughing etc.
4. Pain during night when in attempt to sleep or pain preventing sleep or pain when rising from sleep
5. Certain Neuro-deficit, such as weakness of limbs and lack of tone, reduced visual capability by time etc.; then there may be some pathology for this and a qualified doctor should be consulted with.
Question: What are the symptoms of secondary headache? How to identify them?
Answer:
1. Inflammatory States: e.g. Meningitis, encephalitis etc.
Symptoms: Headache is associated with
i) High fever
ii) Nausea & vomiting
iii) Neck stiffness
iv) Unconsciousness
v) Convulsion etc.
Identification:
a. CT scan or MRI scan of brain
b. Lumbar Puncture, can confirm the diagnosis
2. Any SOL ( space occupying lesion) of brain such as tumor:
Symptoms : Headache associated with
i) Nausea with vomiting
ii) Headache reduces after vomiting
iii) Paralysis
iv) Convulsion
v) Neuro-deficit, such as reduced visual capacity, hardness of hearing, forgetfulness etc.
Identification: Done by CT scan or MRI scan of brain.
Question: Are there any other Nerve system diseases, where convulsion or paralysis is seen?
Answer:
Yes. There are some diseases.
In Epilepsy convulsion is seen. During the attack patient becomes unconscious. When patient gets all right, can't remember what actually happened (N.B- difference with Hysteria; in Hysteria patient can remember the event of attack phase , usually seen in female , catching the attention is the main object). Convulsion of limbs seen. Alternate clonic and tonic spasm present. Tongue bite is common. CT scan or MRI scan of brain along with EEG of brain required for confirmation of the diagnosis.
Paralysis is seen in 2 types of diseases-
1. Vascular diseases: e.g. CVA (Cerebro-vascular Accident) or Stroke Syndrome.
Here hemiplegia (paralysis of one side of body), Paraplegia (paralysis of either upper or lower part of body) or Quadriplegia (complete paralysis of all 4 limbs) seen. Incoherent and jumbled speech, tongue deviation, neuro-deficit regarding speech, hearing, vision, memory are also seen. Unusual behavior, delirium, difficulty to recognize relatives also are the effects. Severe headache may or may not present. CT scan or MRI scan of brain is required.
Risk factors: High blood pressure, Hypercholesteraemia, previous history of stroke, stress, anxiety etc.
2. Demyelinating diseases:
Here principally brain and spinal cord is dangerously affected. Here paralysis not as sudden like stroke, but it sets in gradually. Along with this incoherent speech, locomotive difficulties are seen. CT scan or MRI scan of brain with lumbar puncture required for diagnosis.
Question: Does forgetfulness a symptom of nerve system disease?
Answer:
Yes, it may. The medical term of forgetfulness is Dementia. In some persons Degenerative Dementia is seen due to the degeneration of nerve tissue. They may be of 2 types-
a. Alzymer's Dementia
b. Fronto-Temporal Dementia
In these cases memory decreases gradually by time. Patient even forgets how to perform the common daily business, such as how to eat, how to wear clothes, how to brush his teeth etc. Forgets own name, can't recognize relatives etc.
Another type of Degenerative disease of Nerve system is Parkinson's disease. In advanced stages of the disease , Dementia is common . In this disease patient suffers from difficulty in movement and other motor functions. Coarse tremor is seen ( also known as PARALYSIS AGITANS ) .
Question: Some people complain of numbness or tingling sensation of hands & feet. Does there any association of Nerve system disorder?
Answer:
There may be the disease of Nerve system present, known as Peripheral Neuropathy. Along with numbness of limbs and tingling sensation there also may be the presence of motor delay, wasting of muscle tone and power etc. To detect this abnormalities a Nerve conduction study is essential.
Risk factors: Diabetes Mellitus, smoking, alcoholism, familial association etc.
Question: So, how do patients of nerve related diseases can get benefited by Homeopathic treatment?
Answer:
Though treatment of Nerve related diseases is all time challenging matter, but now with recent advancement in Homoeopathic practice, it is a hopeful way and quite promising , to get cured. Here I will discuss about the Homoeopathic management procedure of these diseases in brief.
For different types of headaches, first of all different queries are done about the causation, sensation, location and sides affected, any associated symptoms if present, nature of pain, time etc. to identify the type of headache .e.g.
1. Location & sides:
One side - Migraine (??)
- Cluster headache (??)
From neck to back of head - High blood pressure (??)
- Cervical spondylosis (??)
Frontal area - Sinusitis (??)
- Refractive errors of eye (??)
Temporal area - Otitis (??)
- Dental caries (??)
2. Sensations: either dull aching, Throbbing type or diffuse etc., which helps to identify the cause.
3. Associated symptoms: It is vital to get detailed account of the disease e.g. fever, convulsion, neck stiffness, photophobia as in Meningitis, Encephalitis etc, Nausea, Vomiting in SOL, Tumor etc.
4. Nature: Either the pain is intermittent or continuous type.
5. Time: Is there any particular time of pain, how long it exists, how often it comes etc.
6. Finally it should be assessed , the mental state of the patient, anxiety, stress etc. to find out any Psychogenic cause.
If necessary CT scan, MRI scan, Lumbar puncture, X-ray of Cervical spine etc are advised to confirm the diagnosis.
The primary headaches i.e. without any pathological cause can be cured completely. Medicines are prescribed according to the symptom similarity. This can cause great relief to patient. Then antimiasmatic constitutional medicines are prescribed according to the rules of classical Homoeopathy to prevent further recurrence.
In case of secondary headaches, first the cause is identified, if inflammatory or due to any tumor etc. For inflammatory cases Homoeopathy is quiet successful. Homoeopathy can boost the patient's immune system to get rid of the influence of morbific pathogens. Additional care is given to treat the associated complaints like fever, convulsion, neck stiffness, nausea, vomit, photophobia etc. For benign tumors, there are several evidences that, under Homoeopathic treatment sizes of tumors reduced gradually. Associated treatment for headache, convulsion, paralysis or any neuro-deficit may be required.
In Convulsive disorders (such as Epilepsy), the attack phase of convulsion, its duration and frequency is gradually decreased to complete cure by Homoeopathic treatment. Antimiasmatic, constitutional Homoeopathic drugs are required to stop reappearance.
In Hysteria counseling is essential along with Homoeopathic treatment.
In Cerebro-vascular Accident (CVA) or cerebral stroke, there is internal Haemorrhage. Homoeopathic drugs help to absorb the extravasation of blood. By following the treatment schedule strictly, there may be marked improvement in mental aspect (reasoning, consciousness, memory etc.). For neuro-motor impairment, paralysis etc. physiotherapy is advised along with Homoeopathic medicines. Patients who suffer from speech difficulty (incoherent, jumbled speech) may be benefitted by speech therapy along with Homoeopathic medication. Further, if high blood pressure, Diabetes Mellitus, high cholesterol in blood etc. are found in case history, they are also should be treated to prevent any further stroke or Myocardial Infarction (M.I.).
Degenerative diseases of Nerve system cannot be cured by any medical system till date, but by Homoeopathy the process and rate of degeneration can be retarded to some extent.
In Peripheral Neuropathy, if patient complains for tingling sensation with numbness in limbs, investigations should be made to find out if the patient is Diabetic or addicted to smoking, alcoholism or any other predisposing factors behind. Smoking, alcoholism etc are strictly prohibited to those. Diabetes Mellitus if present, should be treated to get free from the tingling, numb sensations of limbs and Homoeopathic treatment is very best for this purpose.
