HEADACHE—1 (Nervous Headaches; Cluster Headaches)
SYMPTOMS—A pain or ache in any portion of the head.
Cluster headaches: Often occurs as a one-sided headache which comes on suddenly, causes debilitating pain, and comes and goes in severity.
CAUSES—Over 45 million Americans repeatedly have headaches. About 18 million have migraines.
Common causes of headaches include eyestrain, tension, poor ventilation (lack of fresh air), sinus pressure, constipation, allergies (food, pollens, chemicals, etc.), stress, anxiety, muscle tension, infection, anemia, hunger, fever, hormonal imbalances, trauma to the head, nutritional deficiencies, sinusitis, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, spinal misalignment, temporomandibular joint syndrome, or airborne pollutants and chemicals (perfume, industrial fumes, etc.). Diseases of the eyes, nose, or throat can also produce them. Niacin or pantothenic acid deficiency, an overdose of vitamin A, a vitamin B deficiency, or disturbances of the digestive or circulatory system can bring them on. Birth control pills can also cause headaches (by causing a vitamin B6 deficiency).
The headache may be caused by a reaction to a certain food, such as chocolate, wheat, sugar, monosodium glutamate (MSG), dairy products, hot dogs, luncheon meats, citric acid, vinegar, or marinated foods. Sulfites, found in certain foods, can do it. Fermented foods, such as sour cream, yogurt, and cheeses can do it also.
There are three important subtypes of headaches. Emotional stress is an important cause in all of them:
Nervous headaches. These are muscle contraction headaches. The experts tell us that 90% of all headaches are caused by tension, worry about problems, conflicts with others, etc. Nervousness causes the muscles to tighten up.
Cluster headaches. These are severe, recurring headaches. These are also called histamine headaches, and are related to allergic reactions. Inhalant allergens may be a cause (including perfume, house dust, cigarette smoke, etc.). They may occur by themselves or be associated with other problems and diseases, including chronic fatigue syndrome (which see). Keep a diet diary. Ninety percent of those with cluster headaches are men.
TREATMENT—
• When a headache comes, apply cold compresses to the place where the pain seems to be originating. This reduces muscle spasms and constricts blood vessels. Leave a damp washcloth in the refrigerator for 10 minutes or dip the cloth in water with ice cubes, wring it out, and apply. Also take an enema.What are sometimes thought to be sinus headaches are actually tension headaches, migraines, or cluster headaches. When the headache is recurring, it is probably not sinus trouble.
• Place a heating pad, hot towel, or hot water bottle on the shoulder muscles, and possibly on the neck. Do that which helps you best.
• Get enough sleep.
• Do not overeat. Include enough fiber in your meals and take an enema weekly.
• The treatment for headache depends on the underlying cause. Headaches caused by a certain problem frequently return. So identify what is causing them and many future headaches will never occur.
• Sometimes repeated headaches are a symptom of a serious disorder.
• Make sure you are taking enough B vitamins, especially niacin and pantothenic acid. Vitamin A and iron are also important (but be sure and get your iron from food, such as blackstrap molasses, not from chemical supplements).
• Consider the lists, given above under "causes."
• Regular exercise can help prevent tension headaches. Exercise when it occurs, but do not exercise if it is severe.
• Get enough sleep, but do not oversleep.
• Eat on time, and do not eat problem foods.
• Stand tall; sit tall.
• Breathe deeply.
• Bright light can cause squinting, eyestrain, and headaches.
• Do not chew gum. The repetitive chewing can bring on a tension headache.
• Do not use much salt.
• Do not overdo. Learn to live within your limits.
• When you have to face high altitudes, take additional vitamin C, to avoid a high-altitude headache.
• Keep a diary, to help you determine the cause of the headaches. Note date, time of day, where the pain is felt, and any comments about what you think might be possible causes.There are many types of headaches. Here are a few of them:
• If any of the following symptoms occur with the headache, the situation may be more serious and you may want to consult a professional: fever and stiffness in the neck, sensitivity to light, loss of speech or confusion, throbbing of the head and temples, pounding heartbeat, pressure in the facial sinus area, visual color changes, or a feeling that your head may explode.
• If you think that something you just ate might bring on a terrible headache, take 5 charcoal tablets within an hour; and, as soon as you can, take an enema. (But do not take charcoal tablets daily.)
• Helpful herbs include valerian, feverfew, balm, fleabane, cowslip, lavender, and white willow.
• Nervous tension headaches: Continual pain in one area or many, with sore muscles in neck and upper back, plus lightheadedness and dizziness. Treatment of this most common of headaches includes application of ice packs on neck and upper back. Take extra vitamin C and P (bioflavonoids). Avoid sugar, caffeine, food allergens, stress. Get enough exercise.__________________________________________________________________________
• Cluster headaches: Strong, throbbing pain on one side of head, tearing of eyes, flushing of face, congestion of nose. May occur 1-3 times a day for weeks or months. Take enough protein, avoid inhalant allergens, and keep a diet diary.
• Hangover headache: This headache has throbbing pain, and is caused by drinking liquor. Put ice on the neck and drink lots of water and fruit juices. Stop drinking alcohol.
• Exertion headache: This headache is caused by physical exertion or sexual excess. Apply ice packs to the point of pain, improve the diet, and stop the excesses.
• Caffeine headache: It is a throbbing pain, and happens when you try to quit your coffee addiction too fast. Drink a small amount of coffee, to stop the headache and then gradually keep getting away from this addiction.
• Sinus headache: A nagging pain to the right and left of the nose and over it. Apply moist heat, to reduce sinus trouble (see "Sinus Trouble"), and take more vitamin C.
• Bilious headache: The temples throb, and there is a dull headache in the forehead. It is caused by overeating, wrong eating, and inactivity. Take an enema; then change your diet and get more exercise.
• Menstrual headache: A headache which feels like a migraine (which see), and occurs at menstruation or during ovulation. Take potassium, magnesium, and vitamin B6.
• Hunger headache: A general headache which occurs just before mealtime, and is caused by skipping meals or excessive dieting. Eat better meals, which include complex carbohydrates and protein, to help carry you to the next meal.
• Eyestrain headache: Pain in the frontal lobes, just behind the eyes. Many think this is caused by uncorrected vision problems, but it can also be caused by too much brain work at late hours. Change your way of life; perhaps you need a change in eyeglasses.
• Arthritis headache: Pain at the back of the head or neck, which increases with movement. Feverfew herb teas are recommended, but not during pregnancy.
• Hypertension headache: A dull pain over much of the head, increased by movement. Lower your blood pressure.
HEADACHE—2 (J.H. Kellogg, M.D., Formulas)
NOTE—The following grouping of headaches is made for practical convenience. Because each type has a different cause, it has a different treatment.HYPEREMIC HEADACHE (caused by excess of blood in the head)—Rest, head and shoulders elevated; heat to feet and legs by means of a Footbath, Leg Bath, Leg Pack, or Revulsive Douche; cold to head and neck, accompanied by Neutral Enema at 1020 F.; Hot Abdominal Pack, well-protected by plastic covering; Wet Sheet Pack; Neutral spray Douche, given for 24 minutes.
ANEMIC HEADACHE (caused by a lack of blood in the brain)—Hot Water Bottle to back of neck; Fomentation over painful part; rest in bed with head low; general treatment for Anemia.
HIGH PRESSURE HEADACHE (head will feel as though it has a great pressure within it)—Abstemious aseptic diet; prolonged Warm or Neutral Bath daily, with Cool Compress to head; Hot Footbath or, better, Hot Leg Bath; Revulsive Douche to legs; Heating Compress over heart.
DYSPEPTIC HEADACHE (a headache more directly traceable to indigestion)—(1) The immediate pain: Hot and Cold Compress to head; avoid sleeping soon after eating, though a very brief nap is sometimes beneficial. (2) If it keeps repeating, use an enema if constipated; dry aseptic diet, two meals a day or only fruit at night.
HEADACHE DUE TO PROLAPSE (of the intestinal or abdominal organs)—-(1) The immediate pain: Alternate Sponging to spine or Alternate Compress over spine; Hot and Cold Compress to head. (2) If it keeps repeating: Abdominal supporter, Hot Abdominal Pack at night, abdominal massage; Cold Douche to abdomen.
TOXIC HEADACHE (caused by an excess of uric acid, oxalic acid, urea, and other wastes, or as a result of decomposed products absorbed through the alimentary canal)—Sweating baths, followed by a Cold Douche, Wet Sheet Rub, or Shallow Bath. Copious water drinking; Enema or Colonic daily or three times weekly; out-of-door life; aseptic diet.
PERIODIC HEADACHE, NERVOUS HEADACHE, BILIOUS HEADACHE, MIGRAINE, OR LACK-OF-AIR HEADACHE—Dry, abstemious, aseptic diet; out-of-door life; air bath; large Enema the day before the attack is due; Tonic Frictions to build up the body; Hot Abdominal Pack; abdominal supporter, if a prolapsed condition exists.
RHEUMATOID HEADACHE (a headache related to the presence of rheumatism)—Sweating bath daily; Hot Footbath or Hot Leg Pack, Fomentation to the painful part for 10-15 minutes, followed by Heating Compress. See also "Uric Acid Diathesis".
NEURASTHENIC HEADACHE (caused by nervous exhaustion)—Hot and Cold Compress, Revulsive Compress, Alternate Compress to spine or Sponging to spine, Hot Footbath; Footbath under running water.
FRONTAL HEADACHE (often related to fatigue of the eyes or brain)—Revulsive Compress to forehead and eyes; Hot and Cold Trunk Pack; derivative applications to feet and legs (such as Hot Footbath or, better, Hot Leg Bath).
CONGESTIVE HEADACHE—Ice Bag to back of head, with a Cold Compress to the face; Ice Collar; Hot and Cold Compress to the head; Hot Footbath; Hot Leg Pack; Heating Compress to the legs; Cold Footbath in flowing water; Alternate Footbath.
OCCIPITAL HEADACHE (a headache centered on or near the bump at back of the head)—Hot Compress or Hot Sponging to the upper spine and, at the same time, to the area around the occipital region. Revulsive Compress; Hot and Cold Compress to the head.
NERVOUS HEADACHE (a form of headache accompanied by a feeling of nervous tension)—Fomentation to the seat of the pain, with simultaneous Hot Footbath; daily Cold Enema to relieve constipation, if present. Special attention to the diet; a dry aseptic diet is indicated, avoiding milk.
BAND-AROUND-THE-HEAD HEADACHE (a form of an anemic headache)—Hot Sponging or Hot Compress to head; Alternate Sponging on neck and upper spine; massage to head.
VERTEX HEADACHE (a headache characterized by a pain at the top of the head)—Hot Footbath; Cold Compress to head; Ice Collar; sleep with the head elevated; heat to the feet and legs, if they are cold.
EYE HEADACHE (pain in or near eyes, made worse by light)—Gentle Fomentation over eyes and forehead; protect eyes from bright light, facial massage, and massage to eyes; consult an optometrist, for eyeglasses may be needed, temporarily or permanently.
CLAVUS HEADACHE (This headache feels like the sharp pain of a nail being driven into the head.)—Very Hot Footbath, with Fomentation over painful point for 10 minutes, repeated every 2 hours; Heating Compress at night; protect him from the cold during the day. Begin a series of carefully graduated Cool Baths, to build him up.
RENAL HEADACHE (This headache is caused by a kidney problem.)—Copious water drinking; Enema; Hot Bath; Ice Bag over lower sternum, with Hot and Cold Compress to head. See "Nephritis, Acute," and "Nephritis, Chronic."
HEPATIC HEADACHE (a headache due to a weakened liver)—(1) For the immediate pain: Revulsive Compress to the head; Hot and Cold Compress to the head, with derivative applications to the legs (Hot Leg Bath, etc.); graduated Tonic Frictions. (2) If it keeps repeating: Aseptic diet; fruit diet; water drinking; Graduated Enema; Fomentation over liver twice a day for 15 minutes, with Heating Compress over it during the intervals between. Out-of-door exercise; air bath; breathing exercises; massage to abdomen.
ORGANIC HEADACHES (caused by tumors, inflammation, abscesses, trauma, general paralysis, syphilis)—Very hot and frequently repeated derivative applications to legs (Hot Footbath or, better, Hot Foot and Leg Bath); with short, often repeated Revulsive, Compress to the head, followed by Cold or Heating Compress to the head.
INFECTION HEADACHE (headache caused by infection or disease of the eye, ear, nose, or teeth)—(1) For the immediate pain: Hot Footbath or Hot Leg Bath, with Revulsive Compress over the painful parts. (2) Longer term care: The problem causing these headaches should receive proper attention.
VARYING HEADACHE (with a sense of coldness, numbness, pressure, band sensation, etc.)—(1) For the immediate pain: Massage the head and neck; Revulsive Compress to the spine, head, and face; Hot and Cold Compress to the head. (2) Longer term care: Improve tone of the nerves by Tonic Frictions. See also "Neurasthenia."
SUPRA-ORBITAL HEADACHE (This is a headache felt as a strong pain above the eyebrow.)—(1) For the immediate pain: Hot Footbath with revulsive Compress above the eyebrow, but not covering the eye; avoid exposure to cold; rest the eyes, protecting them from the light; Hot Footbath or Hot Leg Bath. (2) Longer term care: Begin a series of carefully graduated Tonic Frictions.
TEMPORAL HEADACHE (This is a pain over the side of the head, to the right and left of the forehead.)—(1) For the immediate pain: Fomentation over side of head, face, and ear for ten minutes, followed by warm dry Compress, repeated every 2 hours. Massage to the area of the pain. (2) Longer term care: Between attacks give Tonic Frictions to so build the body that the headaches will stop repeating. A nourishing, strengthening diet that avoids all meat is needed. Also see "Lithemia" (Lithemia is an excess of uric acid in the blood.)
MASTOID OR POST-AURICULAR HEADACHE (This is a headache felt as a pain just below the ear.)—Fomentation for 10 minutes to side of head followed by cotton poultice or well-covered Heating Compress, repeated every 2 hours. Pain in the mastoid process must be given immediate attention or major ear infection can result! If pain does not subside fairly quickly, see your doctor.
CERVICO-OCCIPITAL HEADACHE (This is a headache showing itself in a pain extending from the back of the neck, on up to the occipital bump on the back of the head.)—Revulsive Compress to the back of the head and neck. Fomentation over the painful area for 10 minutes, followed by a warm, dry Compress over it. See also" Neurasthenia" for much additional help in building up the nervously exhausted body.
UTERINE HEADACHE (This is a pain or pressure at the very top of the head, caused by uterine problems.)—(1) For the immediate pain: Hot and Cold Compress to the head; massage of the head. (2) Longer term care: Revulsive Sitz Bath; abdominal supporter; Hot Abdominal Pack. Correct any ovarian or uterine disease that is present.
FEVER HEADACHE (a headache caused by a raised body temperature or fevered condition)—(1) For the head pain: Ice Cap or Cold Compress to the head; Ice Collar. (2) To lower the fever: Ice Bag to the heart; Cooling Wet Sheet Pack; Prolonged Neutral Bath. See also under the specific disease causing the fever.
