Causes and treatment of nausea and severe headache

1 Etiology of the disease

Headache in combination with nausea may indicate the following conditions and diseases:

• toxemia in pregnancy;
• menopause;
• a change in the phases of the menstrual cycle( premenstrual syndrome);
• overwork, muscle strain( especially the cervical spine), stress;
• lack of oxygen or nutrients( eg, sugar);
• migraine;
• is a consequence of pain shock;
• various viral infections that cause inflammation in the ear or nasopharynx;
• of eye disease;
• increased pressure;
• diseases of the vascular system;
• hormonal disorders;
• poisoning or diseases of the digestive tract;
• neoplasms in the brain;
• head trauma with hemorrhage, concussion;
• allergic reaction.

2 Symptoms of the disease

Let's look at the details of why the headache. Most often the head hurts as a result of spasmodic( abrupt narrowing) or dilatation( a sharp expansion) of the vessels. It can be vessels inside the skull, in the joints, in the muscles, skin and mucous membranes. Depending on the vessels in which these processes occur, the subjective perception of the headache changes. In order for the diagnosis to be most effective, you need to determine the nature of the pain: how strongly it is expressed, in what area is localized, in what areas it spreads, how long the attack lasts, the patient is slightly nauseated, or nausea so severe that it is impossible to eat. The more characteristics of the headache the patient can note, the faster the diagnosis will be established. An example of a headache caused by vasospasm is a migraine, the symptoms of which are always very pronounced.

When assessing a patient's condition and collecting data for diagnosis, it is necessary to take into account the fact that head injuries, received months and even years earlier, can cause a so-called delayed cephalgia. A constrictive headache with dizziness, a sense of disorientation and nausea can accompany the patient for many years after suffering a concussion.

All symptoms accompanying a malaise should be considered: elevated temperature may indicate an infectious disease, in case of visual disturbances, eye pain may result from improperly selected glasses or contact lenses, and shortness of breath with nasal congestion often leads to oxygen starvation and is easily eliminated by nasal spray. Symptoms such as irritability, tearfulness, swelling of the legs and abdominal cavity in combination with headache and nausea are a typical complex of symptoms in premenstrual syndrome. At the onset of menopause, sweating, dry mucous membranes, so-called hot flashes can add to these symptoms, when it throws in hot weather, then in cold.

Recently, in medical practice, a chronic headache of psychogenic nature began to occur frequently. Nausea, lethargy, lack of appetite, a sensation of a coma in the throat, an overstrain of facial muscles can indicate depression, a strong mental overstrain.

3 Consultation of a specialist

A neurologist needs to be examined if the pain does not pass within 24 hours, even if it is mild, with intense pain, severe malaise, with a regular occurrence of a special complex of symptoms( for example, if the head often hurts in the evenings or when the pose changes abruptly).Headache, lasting longer than two days, may be a symptom of a serious illness, in which case it is impossible to postpone the visit to a specialist. The primary examination can be performed by the therapist, but for the directions for the examinations one has to go to a narrow specialist.

If the headache is associated with the phases of the menstrual cycle or with the onset of menopause in women, it is necessary to consult a gynecologist. Most often, the problem of regular onset of malaise in premenstrual syndrome can be solved with hormonal contraceptives.

4 How to ease the condition of

When the headache is terrible, it is better not to suffer, but to act. One should not wait for the well-being to normalize by itself, since more often idleness in anticipation of relief only worsens the condition. It is best to adhere to this algorithm: try to relax, paying special attention to the muscles of the neck, shoulder girdle, face, give a rest to the eyes, massage the affected areas, provide fresh air, straighten the back. It is desirable to exclude strong stimuli: loud or monotonous sounds, bright light, a source of intense odor. Then you can drink strong sweet tea with lemon, this will help normalize blood pressure, blood glucose level and reduce nausea. If these measures do not help, it is necessary to take an anesthetic( for example, Ibuprofen) or an antispasmodic. In the presence of chronic diseases it is necessary to analyze your condition: whether the intake of prescribed medications is missed, whether familiar symptoms appeared that indicate an exacerbation. Headache and nausea may be a side effect of medications taken or a sign of an overdose.

When taking painkillers, you need to carefully study the annotation. Typically, it indicates the duration of the drug. This information will help to assess whether the drug has eliminated the cause of the ailment or just for a time stopped the pain. If within 12 hours after the action the headache with nausea does not go away, self-medication should be discontinued and consult a doctor.

5 Therapy with folk remedies

Phytotherapy can act as an adjunctive treatment in the following cases:

• if diagnosed, if approved by the attending physician and used in complex treatment;
• with mild ailment to relieve the condition;
• for overwork and lack of sleep.

Relying on folk recipes should not be given with intense, unusual pains, severe nausea, leading to vomiting and a prolonged loss of appetite, with chronic illnesses without consulting a doctor, after a head injury. Pregnant and lactating women, phytotherapy is contraindicated in most cases, since herbal preparations( in contrast to synthetic medicines), in addition to the active substance, can have many impurities, which makes it difficult to predict side effects. In addition, dried plants are difficult to accurately dose.

The most effective is the decoction of elderberry. In a glass of boiling water a pharmacy mixture is made( 2 teaspoons).The broth should be drunk before meals 15 minutes after cooking, pour the remains and do not reuse.

St. John's wort is effective for long mental and emotional loads. Such a broth is prepared similarly, it can take no longer than three weeks.

When the head hurts and vomits, it helps the oregano: it can be taken in the form of a decoction( 1 tablespoon with a slide per liter of water), or you can simply add it to the tea.

Mint, which can also be added to tea in small quantities, helps to relieve nausea and improve appetite. However, it must be borne in mind that it has a sedative effect and rather helps to relax and calm down rather than relieve pain. Under reduced pressure, it is best not to use it.

A common and rather safe remedy is the usual valerian, and it is better to refuse from alcohol tincture in favor of tablets or a dry root for preparation of decoction.

6 Danger to pregnant women

Most often, a headache, nausea, weakness accompany a woman from the first to third trimester of pregnancy. In most cases this is not associated with dangerous pathologies and is caused by a global restructuring of the organism of the future mother. With migraine, most women face for the first time precisely in this period, and taking serious measures makes sense only after the birth of the child.

Despite the fact that headaches with nausea in pregnant women are frequent and do not cause particular concern, this information must be included in the medical record, so you should not talk about your ailment at the doctor's appointment.

The main causes of headaches in pregnant women: hunger, dehydration, insomnia and general fatigue. To avoid these problems, it is best to try to observe the normal regime of the day, eat on time and rationally, lead an active lifestyle, but do not overwork, avoid strong emotional experiences.

The pregnant woman should accept any medication( including natural origin) with the doctor, so it is advisable to consult in advance about which drugs are safe and should be in the "on-call first-aid kit" of the future mother. There is no question of any self-treatment of herbs in this situation.

7 Treatment for a child

If a headache and nausea comes with regular bouts between which the child feels well, migraines can be diagnosed. The predisposition of blood vessels to spontaneous narrowing and expansion is usually inherited, so if parents have migraine attacks, it is necessary to inform the doctor about it. A peculiarity of migraine is that before the attack of pain there is a special complex of visual, tactile and olfactory precursors: sparks before the eyes, numbness of fingers or face, strange smells. Then begins a headache, accompanied by a strong, right up to vomiting, nausea. With migraines, analgesics and antispasmodics are ineffective, and it is necessary to treat it with the help of a neurologist.

At elevated temperatures, weakness, depression, headaches and nausea, vomiting are most likely a sign of infection. And it can be not only ORVI or the flu, but also meningitis, encephalitis, poliomyelitis. Such diseases are treated only in the hospital, since the consequences can be very serious.

If a child experiences dizziness, pain and vomiting after a bruise, it is necessary to call a doctor as soon as possible. And the symptoms can occur and after a while after the injury, so you need to ask the child and examine his head for abrasions and bruises.

If nausea, headache and lack of appetite torment the baby in the morning, and the rest of the time it feels good, this may be a sign of tumors in the brain. Although such diseases are not common in children, it is advisable to reinsure and examine the child from a neurologist.

Separately, it should be noted that frequent ailments from parents can lead to the fact that children will complain about poor health in an attempt to attract attention or from the desire to imitate.

Therefore, one should be especially attentive to children's complaints, so as not to take serious symptoms for whims and start treatment in a timely manner.

Stay healthy!