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headache
The common symptom of an ache or pain affecting the head or neck, with many possible causes including fever, emotional tension (with spasm of neck muscles), or nasal sinus infection.
Migraine, due to abnormal reactivity of blood vessels, is typified by zigzag or flashing visual sensations or tingling in part of the body, followed by an often one-sided severe-throbbing headache. This may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light. There is often a family history.
Meningeal inflammation, as in meningitis and subarachnoidhemorrhage, may also cause severe headache. The headache of raised intracranial pressure is often worse on waking and on coughing and may be a symptom of brain tumor, abscess, or hydrocephalus.
Headaches are often controlled by simple analgesics, while migraine may need drugs that act on blood vessels, (e.g. ergot derivatives).
Related category
• HEALTH AND DISEASE
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