The first idea that the child must acquire, in order to be actively disciplined, is that of the difference between good and evil; and the task of the educator lies in seeing that the child does not confound good with immobility and evil with activity. Maria Montessori
Headaches - Treatment With Surgery or Drugs
It is not an easy task in deciding which method of treatment to use in dealing with headaches. Drugs, surgery, and other natural methods are all possible treatments for headaches sufferers. Your condition, your level and type of pain, and your doctor's recommendations will all help you determine the appropriate treatment.
There's no unique correct answer to which option, surgery or drugs (or some other), is best. The answer depends on individual factors, not least of which is the specific condition the patient suffers from that produces regular headaches.
The causes of migraines, for example, are not well understood. Currently, surgery is rarely used. But when the underlying cause is, for example, a brain tumor or cancer, surgery may well be the best course of treatment. For the majority, treatment with triptans and other drugs continues to be the most common route.
Cluster headaches - intense, but usually short-lived pain behind the eye or temple that occurs regularly for weeks or months, then disappears - is rare and mysterious. But researchers are leaning toward the view that some abnormality in the hypothalamus is responsible. Radiotherapy techniques are beginning to be used to treat the condition, with some success, which promises to eliminate any need for surgery.
Currently heavy doses of pure oxygen breathed for a few minutes at the onset of symptoms is the most common treatment. In this sense, the oxygen is performing the role of a drug.
Even ordinary or tension headaches can be treated with surgery in some cases. When the headache is the result of misalignment, it's possible to correct the condition surgically. For a type often misdiagnosed, sinus headaches, the condition that produces pain may be the result of a deviated septum. When that is so, surgery has been used in some cases to correct what is in essence a mild birth defect.
For the vast majority of tension-type headaches, over the counter drugs continues to be the preferred option. This is sensible when the headaches are mild, relatively infrequent or responsive to those medications. In more severe cases, the treatment options become muddier.
In all these instances, good diagnosis is vital. CT (Computer Tomography) scans, MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging) and blood tests continue to be among the best tools available.
With a dynamic, 3-D image of the head it's possible to visually detect a very wide range of possible circumstances. After years of research, those are well correlated in many cases with a specific, treatable condition. Combining that information with blood tests provides a very full set of data about any chemical or physical abnormalities.
Naturally, only a physician can provide the proper tests and analysis. In the case of severe, repeated headache episodes - since the condition is often neurological at base - it is, unfortunately, often necessary to seek the advice of one or more specialists.
There are risks associated with drugs as well as with surgery. Adverse side affects can be serious and are associated with medicine. Surgery carries it's own unique risks. An informed doctor who is up to date on the latest research can evaluate all options and help you determine the appropriate course of action. Maintaining a headache diary will help your doctor in this process.
Though it requires self-reminding and discipline, it's possible to make long-term changes to optimize posture and minimize headaches.
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NovaDel Pharma Inc. (AMEX: NVD), a specialty pharmaceutical company developing oral spray formulations for a broad range of marketed treatments, today announced data from its Pilot Efficacy Study of its Oral Spray formulation of sumatriptan (Sumatriptan OS) compared to sumatriptan tablets, marketed as Imitrex/Imigran, the leading triptan indicated for the treatment of migraine headaches.
Migraine With Aura May Be Linked To Increased Risk Of Stroke And Heart Attacks And Must Be Taken Seriously By GPs
Doctors need to pay special attention to people with migraine with aura as they could be at increased risk of stroke or heart attack, a London conference heard today. Professor Tobias Kurth, a leading neuroepidemiologist from Harvard Medical School, USA, has found the links between migraine with aura and cardiovascular events are now so strong that GPs need to take them seriously.
MAP Pharmaceuticals Reports Positive Pharmacological Response Data For Migraine Product Candidate At The American Headache Society Annual Meeting
MAP Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq: MAPP) presented data from an in-vitro study evaluating receptor pharmacology of MAP0004, orally inhaled dihydroergotamine (DHE) for the potential treatment of migraine, compared to intravenous (IV) DHE. The study results were among six posters relating to the MAP0004 program that the Company presented at the American Headache Society 50th Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, MA.
UPMC Conference To Discuss Newest Scientific Knowledge Forcing Doctors To Re-Think How To Safely Manage Concussions In Athletes Of All Levels
Treatment of concussions remains arguably the most complex and controversial issue in sports medicine for athletes of all ages, yet concussions occur in millions of athletes each year. The good news is that new scientific research continues to provide clearer knowledge for team doctors and athletic trainers, helping them to recognize and quantify the symptoms and effects of concussions.
Tension-type headaches or cluster headaches are the result. The first generation had some drawbacks, but the new designs are safe, effective and have few side effects. Ibuprofen is particularly to be avoided in the third trimester. Of the 28 million Americans who suffer from migraines, nearly three times as many women as men are afflicted. Those who have experienced lack of sleep can be at higher risk, though getting too much sleep has been correlated with a higher incidence. For many years it was suspected they were the result of dilation of blood vessels, but contemporary research leans to other explanations.
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