Menopause A to Z.pdf - Medwords.com.au

MENOPAUSE A to Z
common headaches to fit into this category are tension headaches, migraine and cluster headache.
A tension (muscle spasm) headache causes a dull, persistent pain with varying intensity that is often described as a
pressure or tightening around the scalp. It occurs as a localised band around and across head, and is not aggravated
by exercise or alcohol. The muscles at the top of the neck, in the forehead and over both temples go into prolonged
contraction, which tightens the scalp, causing pressure on the skull, and further increases the strain on the muscles.
Tension headaches are episodic, often in association with stress. Depression and anxiety are common accompanying
symptoms. The pain may last for 30 minutes or a week. Muscle spasm headaches usually have a cause (eg. stress,
infection, psychiatric disturbance, eye strain), and if possible this should be rectified. Simple medications such as
aspirin or paracetamol, sometimes in combination with muscle relaxants, are readily available to ease both the muscle
spasm and pain. Commercially available combinations (eg. Fiorinal, Mersyndol, Panalgesic) are useful in the short
term, but often cause drowsiness. Mild heat and massaging the tense muscles will give temporary relief. Relief of
chronic anxiety by talking through the problems with a doctor or counsellor, accepting help to deal with a stressful
situation, and using an anti-anxiety medication may also be useful.
Migraines are often associated with visual symptoms including flashing lights, shimmering, seeing zigzag lines and
loss of part of the area of vision. They usually occur on only one side of the head, are described as throbbing, and
cause intolerance of exercise, light and noise. Nausea and vomiting are common. Migraines occur periodically, and
may last for a few hours to several days. The patient often looks pale and drawn.
Cluster headaches are not common, but cause a very characteristic pattern of headache, usually associated
with excess sweating of one or both sides of head. They occur in episodes once or twice a year to cause severe pain
around or behind one eye, which spreads to a temple, the jaw, teeth or chin. They often begin during sleep, and other
effects may include a red, watery eye, drooping eyelid, altered pupil in the eye, stuffy nose and flushed face. Cluster
headaches may be triggered by alcohol, temperature changes, wind blowing on the face or excitement. They usually
last for 15 minutes to three hours, and are named because of their tendency to occur in clusters for several weeks.
Many people fear that their headache may be due to a brain tumour, but this is actually very rare, most brain tumours
causing other symptoms that lead to their diagnosis well before a headache develops. Cancerous and benign tumours
may develop not only in the brain tissue itself, but also in the other structures within the skull such as the pituitary
gland, membranes around the brain (meninges), sinuses and eyes. Most brain tumours are benign and can be cured
by surgery.
Anything that puts abnormal pressure on the brain may cause headaches. An abscess caused by an untreated
infection in the brain or an injury that penetrates the skull, is one possibility. Bleeding inside the skull caused by an
injury or rupture to a blood vessel is another. An aneurysm is the ballooning out of one side of an artery. The aneurysm
may put pressure on the brain to cause a headache, or rupture to cause very severe effects on the brain function.
Viral or bacterial infections of the brain (encephalitis) or surrounding membranes (meningitis) will almost invariably
cause a headache.
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