Headache

Headache (cephalalgia) is one of the most common symptoms of various diseases. Localized from the level of orbits to the suboccipital region. In a broad sense, this concept also includes facial pains. Anatomical formations, with which the development of headache is most often associated, are vessels of the arterial circle of the large brain, venous sinuses, basal parts of the dura mater, V, IX, X cranial nerves and the three upper cervical roots; Painful receptors are rich in all the tissues of the scalp.

In most cases, the headache is of a vascular origin, i.e., due to the dilatation or spasm of the intra- and extracranial arteries: various variants of migraine and adjacent vasomotoral cephalgia, cerebrovascular diseases and headache in hypertension. An intense headache occurs when the meninges are irritated (meningitis, subarachnoid hemorrhage). Cephalgia, caused by volumetric intracranial processes, is often accompanied by vomiting without a feeling of nausea.

Headache is the main component of post-comon syndrome. A large group consists of headaches with common toxic and metabolic diseases. Headache is the inevitable companion of all infectious diseases taking place with a high temperature. Both local and diffuse headache often occurs with eye diseases and paranasal sinuses. Headache with cervical osteochondrosis is not limited to the neck and back of the head, but can radiate into the fronto-orbital region.

One of the common causes of headaches is psychogenic cephalalgia. Persistent long-term headache often serves as the only manifestation of latent depression; At least half of atypical facial pains are also associated with depression. The adjacent group is the tension headaches caused by emotional overloads; While the pathogenetic mechanism is a spasm of the scalp muscles. Rare and therefore difficult to recognize the option of headache occurs with a sharp narrowing of the nasal passages, due to allergic rhinitis.

The diagnosis does not cause difficulties with a typical migraine, trigeminal neuralgia, hypertensive crisis, etc. In many cases, long-term observation is required. The most important role is played by measurements of blood pressure and examination of the fundus for the timely detection of congestive optic discs. To exclude supratentorial bulk processes, an echoencephalography is necessary. Electroencephalography can detect a focus of pathological activity or evidence of general cerebral changes in electrical activity, excluding the neurotic character of cephalgia. In all cases of intense or protracted headaches, craniography, computed tomography, and examination of cerebrospinal fluid are necessary.