headaches Flashcards
(53 cards)
epidemiology of headaches:
- affects everyone occasionally
- higher in women than men
- most common a&e reason
- most self-manage
aetiology (causes)
most people have headaches occasionally which resolve relatively quickly
Usually a physiological response to circumstances
DIFFERENT CAUSES FOR DIFF TYPES (see below, mainly medication overuse)
symptoms
pain:
- acute or chronic (>3 months/beyond expected)
- subjective, emotional symptom: defined as unpleasant sensory or emotional
experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage
4 types: Nociceptive (stimulation of specific pain receptors), Somatic (musculoskeletal pain), Visceral (internal organs), Neuropathic (peripheral or central nervous system)
primary headaches
not associated with underlying condition
most common type
patients present OTC
migraine, tension type, cluster etc
secondary headaches
precipitated by another condition or disorder
origins include:
trauma, injury, drug induced, psychiatric
require referral
If headache does not improve or resolve over 1-2 weeks, what do we do
Refer (unless tension headache)
if the headache is progressively getting worse, or non responsive, what do we do?
refer
clinical assessment tool for pain = mneumonic
Site
onset
character (of pain e.g. sharp, dull)
radiation (does it spread to other areas)
associated symptoms
timing
exacerbating and relieving factors
severity
what are migraine headaches like / where
moderate to severe, throbbing pain, on both sides of the head: pain, nausea and visual changes are typical of the classic form
what are tension headaches like / where
mild to moderate, dull ache on both sides of the head, like a band squeezing the head, constant and nagging
what are cluster headaches like / where
severe poker hot piercing pain is in / around / behind one eye
what are sinus headaches like / where
pain is behind the browbone / cheekbones
what pain is a migraine characterised by?
unilateral, moderate-severe, throbbing pain
how long does a migraine build up over
minutes - hours
how often does a migraine occur
every few weeks
what are migraines associated with
nausea + vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound
migraines are ‘with or without aura’ what does this mean?
aura = includes visual symptoms, sometimes sensory and speech disturbances
- usually disappears within an hours, followed by severe headaches lasting 4-72 hours
whats the prodomal phase
sensing the migraine coming
are migraines disabling
yes they can limit daily acitivity
migraines are maybe related to the dilation of blood vessels where
within. or around the skull
tension headaches info:
- episodic or chronic or both
both
what pain is associated with tension headaches
bilateral pain, generalised ache, tight band around head spreading to top of head
what might be the cause of tension headaches e.g. they are maybe related to what
muscle spasms in the neck and scalp tension in muscles resulting in constricted capillaries, reducing blood flow = lack of O2
are migraines or tension headaches pulsating
migraines are pulsating, tension are not
