Educational Information On Recurrent Headaches

Headaches are common in the land of rigorous air-conditioning, high environmental humidity, pollution and dust-mite levels. Technology, continual computer work and stress add to the cocktail.

Pain can be debilitating and affect daily life. More than half of the population have had worldwide headaches, with migraines making up 10% of the studies in the western pacific region (WHO, 2011). In the UK, cost of absenteeism during acute attacks is estimated at 25 million days of missed work or school each year (Lancet, 2004).

It is important to have recurrent and/or intense headaches evaluated by medical professionals to rule out any pathology. Once any underlying disease is ruled out pain relief is the line of treatment.

Experienced Homeopath Dr. Sonal Hattangdi-Haridas offers insight on dealing with discomfort of recurrent headaches naturally.

Types of Headaches

4 main types of headaches have been identified. Once, pathological situation for headaches are ruled out, symptomatically relief is required.

Tension-type headache (TTH), affecting over 70% of some population is of muscular origin, associated with neck and postural issues. Students and office workers after long hours of study and computer work are common victims.
TTH suffers describe mild to moderate pain, pressure or tightness, like a band around the head, sometimes spreading into or from the neck.
This is very similar to symptomatology described under the Homeopathic remedy Bryonia and Gelsemium.

Migraines, infamous for the debilitating pounding pain with nausea and sometimes vomiting, start often at puberty. Attacks are often related to lifestyle, food habits, hydration and environmental
factors. Women are more commonly affected than men. Agonising attacks are accompanied by photophobia as pupils dilate at the onset of attack. Lights appear brighter with the sufferer preferring dimer lights or dark environment.

Homeopathically remedies such as Belladonna and Aconite alleviate manifestations. More recently a gastric allergic response to suspect foods called an FPIES reaction has symptom overlap with classical migraine symptoms. An attempt to identify trigger foods, maintaining optimum hydration and electrolyte levels is worthwhile.

Cluster Headaches are rarer and of neurological origin noted in adults. It is characterized by frequent recurring, brief but extremely severe one-sided headache with pain around the eye, tearing and redness. The nose runs or is blocked on the affected side. Drooping of the eyelid is documented in severe cases.

Sanguinaria, Hypericum are indicative of such one sided headaches

Medication-Overuse Headache are secondary, chronic daily headaches due to constant use of unnecessary headache medication. More prevalent than recognized, these headaches can last upto 15 or more days every month.

Ferrum Phosphoricum , Hypericum are given homeopathically to reduce the discomfort of such medicine withdrawal headaches.

Homeopathic remedies alleviate discomfort without creating a dependency. A homeopath will characteristically aim to reduce the acceleration of the pain and then to heal the root cause thereby reducing recurrence.

Homeopathic remedies : a brief description of symptomatology

Bryonia – specific for headaches over the forehead. The pains feels better when lying in a dark quiet room. Useful when weather changes with hot days and cold nights trigger dim headaches

Sanguinaria – for throbbing one sided headaches with flushing of the face and tearing of the eye

Cyclamen – a remedy for excellence in sinus headaches and heaviness of eyes and pain at the root of nose. Sometimes accompanied by dizziness

Gelsemium – Headaches over the eyebrows with heaviness of the eyes and pain in the nape of neck

Homeopathy contains many remedies indicative of different types of headaches. Appropriate evaluation and accurate prescription by an experienced professional ensures relief.

The remedies mentioned above are for information purposes and not for self-medication.

Maya Health Institute, founded by Dr. Sonal Hattangdi-Haridas, brings together almost 2 decades of experience from 3 global cities including 9 years in Hong Kong. Our well-stocked Dispensary has a range of high quality natural remedies, Homeopathic remedies of varying potencies and natural health food supplements sourced from reputable pharmacies in U.K, Australia and U.S.A.

For more information on sinus headaches, please click here