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Tag: headaches

Home emergencies – how to handle a fever

September 22nd, 2020 by The Hello Doctor Team

It’s 3am and your 2 year old, who has been restless all night, wakes up howling. Her skin feels as though it’s burning up, so you grab your thermometer, and her temperature is 39 degrees. What do you do?

Why do we get fevers?

What most of us forget, especially at 3am, is that fever is an important part of our body’s defense against infection. Most bacteria and viruses that cause infections in people thrive best at 37 °C, so by cranking up the internal thermostat, your body is making it difficult for germs to get comfortable.

Many infants and children develop high fevers with minor viral illnesses. Although a fever signals that a battle might be going on in the body, the fever is fighting for the patient, not against them.

When to lower a fever

Take steps to lower a fever if your child is uncomfortable, vomiting, distressed or not sleeping well. Remember, the goal is to lower, not eliminate, the fever.

Here’s what to do:

1. Firstly, remove excess clothing or blankets. The room should be comfortable, not too hot or cool. Try one layer of lightweight clothing, and one lightweight blanket.
2. Then, a lukewarm facecloth on bare skin works well to bring down a raging temp, just make sure it is warmish and NOT cold. Besides, no-one really enjoys having a cold cloth put on them, and it can make the situation worse by causing shivering, which in turn raises core body temperature.
3. Finally, in children older than 3 months you can give an over the counter pain killer like Panado syrup, but stick to the recommended dosage.

Call your doctor if your child:

  • Is younger than 3 months old and has a temperature of 38 °C or higher
  • Is under age 2 and has a fever that lasts longer than 24 hours
  • Is older than 2 and has a fever for longer than 48 hours
  • Has a fever over 40.5 °C
  • Has been having fevers come and go for a week or more, even if they aren’t high.

Kyle Boshoff for HelloDoctor.com

How to prevent and treat early-morning headaches

March 19th, 2019 by The Hello Doctor Team

Waking up with a pounding headache is not a great way to start the day. Headaches are very common. In fact, research shows that tension headaches and migraines are the second and third most prevalent disorders in the world.

But just because they’re common doesn’t mean headaches can’t be incredibly debilitating.

Headaches and sleep disorders

According to the American Migraine Foundation, nearly half of all migraines happen between 4am and 9am. In many cases, these throbbing headaches (often accompanied by nausea and visual disturbances) are caused by sleep disorders.

Doctors know, for example, that there’s a strong relationship between obstructive sleep apnoea, snoring and morning headaches. In fact, it’s estimated that at least 50% of people who wake up with headaches might have sleep apnoea.

This sleep disorder causes breathing to repeatedly stop and start while you sleep. As a result, less oxygen makes its way to your brain, making the blood vessels widen.

“This may present as a migraine, tension-type or other headache,” says the Migraine Foundation. “The key features are the timing of the headache and tendency to come on during, or shortly following sleep. To wake up in the morning often with a headache suggests the need to assess sleep as a cause.”

Apart from sleep apnoea, other possible reasons for morning headaches include:

  • Insomnia, a sleep disorder, which involves difficulty falling or staying asleep, waking up early and/or not feeling refreshed when you wake up.
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), like chronic bronchitis or emphysema. If you have COPD, your headaches may be the result of a build-up of carbon dioxide in the blood from breathing difficulties while you sleep.
  • Psychiatric disorders like depression and anxiety, which may interfere with your sleep.
  • Teeth grinding (bruxism). Your jaw muscles tighten when you grind your teeth at night, causing pain in the jaw. This pain can travel to the skull, bringing on a headache when you wake up.
  • Many medications including antidepressants, corticosteroids and pain killers can interfere with your sleep patterns, leading to a headache or migraine.

Banish morning headaches

  • Stick to the same sleep and wake times.
  • Limit electronic devices in the bedroom.
  • Make sure your bed and pillows are comfortable.
  • Your bedroom should be quiet, dark and not too cold or too warm.
  • Exercise most days of the week.
  • Try to relax close to bedtime (e.g. take a bath and read).
  • Eat your supper early in the evening.
  • Limit daytime naps.
  • Don’t drink caffeinated drinks after 4 pm.
  • Drink less alcohol.
  • Quit smoking.

Other important steps include managing day-to-day life stresses as best as you can, using your medication exactly as prescribed, and maintaining a healthy weight. Being overweight is one of the main risk factors for obstructive sleep apnoea.

Beat the pain

If the headaches persist, see your doctor to get a proper diagnosis. The treatment will ultimately depend on the underlying cause. In the meantime, over-the-counter remedies, like paracetamol or Ibuprofen should offer relief. Remember to drink enough fluids throughout the day and to eat regular, balanced meals.

References

Foods that trigger headaches

November 30th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

Your head has been throbbing the entire day and you have no idea why. Before popping a pill, you should probably check your diet.

Healthy food can boost your health and make you feel good, but certain foods can also cause headaches. What’s more; eating habits like fasting, skipping meals and dehydration could also all be headache culprits.

Here are a few of the most common headache and migraine food triggers.

Cured meats

Deli meats like ham, sausage and hot dogs are convenient lunch and breakfast options but these cured meats contain preservatives called nitrates, which is what helps preserve their colour and flavour. Nitrates can release nitric oxide into your blood which can dilate blood vessels in the brain. This can contribute to migraines and headaches.

Alcohol

Have you ever had a terrible headache after a few glasses of wine? Alcoholic drinks like wine, beer and champagne can make your head pound as certain ingredients in alcohol make the chemicals and blood vessels in your brain act abnormally. Hello, headache! Alcohol can also cause dehydration; another headache offender.

Caffeine

Your morning cuppa gets you going, but it could slow you down with a throbbing pain. If you’re a coffee junkie, too much or too little caffeine can lead to a headache. Caffeine narrows the blood vessels surrounding your brain, so if you stop having it, they expand again and this can cause pain. Quitting cold turkey is likely to give you withdrawal symptoms, so don’t give it up all in one go. Stick to a small cup a day.

Aspartame

Swapping out sugar for sweetener may be the reason for your migraines. Many low-calorie options like diet soft drinks, breakfast cereals, puddings and gelatines contain aspartame, an artificial sweetener. Too much of this can trigger headaches and migraines. If you find that you’re sensitive to aspartame, be sure to check food and drink labels to avoid big doses.

Aged cheeses

Aged cheeses like feta, blue cheese and parmesan contain a substance called tyramine. Tyramine forms during the ageing process where proteins in the cheese are broken down. The longer cheese ages, the higher the amount of tyramine it’ll contain. Tyramine has been linked to migraines and may trigger it in those who are sensitive to it.

Salty foods

Salty foods can be headache culprits. Firstly, many salty foods are processed and may contain harmful preservatives that bring on headaches. Too much salt in your diet may also increase your blood pressure, causing headaches and migraines. Finally, salty foods can dehydrate you, and when you don’t have enough water, you can get a headache.

Pickled and fermented foods

Like matured cheeses, pickled and fermented foods contain high levels of tyramine. These foods include kimchi (fermented cabbage), pickles, pickled jalapenos and kombucha (fermented black tea).

Cold foods

It turns out that “brain freeze” is a real thing. Eating something cold, like ice-cream, too quickly can cause a headache. Anything cold can stimulate nerve pain which happens when the capillaries in your sinuses are cooled down and blood vessels narrowed. This is more likely to happen if you’re overheated from exercise or hot temperatures.

Good to know

  • Swap out alcoholic and caffeinated drinks for headache soothers like almond milk and water. Almond milk contains magnesium, which helps treat and prevent headaches. Drink lots of water too to stay hydrated.
  • Eating potassium-rich foods like potatoes and bananas can help relieve headaches
  • Spinach is packed with heart-healthy nutrients like potassium, magnesium and folate. These nutrients can help lower and maintain your blood pressure levels, which may help prevent headaches.
  • Keep a food journal to keep track of and identify your food triggers.
  • Talk to your doctor before drastically changing your diet.

References:

Why is your jaw hurting?

September 18th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

We don’t tend to think much of our jaws…until it gives us problems. Your jawbone connects to your skull with two joints; called temporomandibular joints (TMJs). These are found just in front of your ears and allows you to open and close your mouth. Your jaw also holds your teeth and gums.

If you experience jaw pain, you’ll struggle to do everyday things like eating and speaking, and it’s usually due to something that’s gone wrong with your teeth, gums or the TMJ.

Common symptoms of jaw pain include a clicking sound when you open your mouth, pain or aches around your face, ears, or, headaches, dizziness, vision problems and ringing in your ears.

Reasons for jaw pain

Sinus problems

Your sinuses are filled with air and located close to the jaw joint. If they become infected with a virus or bacteria, then excess mucus will be produced. The mucus puts pressure on the jaw joint which causes pain.

Teeth clenching or grinding

Grinding your teeth and clenching your jaw (also known as bruxism) can happen even when you’re not conscious of it, like during sleep. This can lead to both tooth damage and jaw pain. Stress can also cause you to clench your jaw or grind your teeth.

Dental problems

Conditions like gum disease, damaged teeth, abscesses, and tooth gaps can cause jaw pain.

Cluster headaches

This kind of headache is severe, causing pain behind or around your eyes and one side of your face. It can affect your jaw as well.

Arthritis

Some types of arthritic conditions like osteoarthritis and osteoarthrosis can affect both sides of the face, causing swelling, jaw pain, limited movement of the jaw, stiffness and tenderness.

Neuropathic pain

Long-term pain which happens when nerves become damaged. It sends pain signals to the brain which can affect the jaw.

Prevention

  • Take small bites of food when eating.
  • Avoid crunchy foods, chewing gum, and biting your fingernails.
  • Eat soft, liquid foods like pasta and soup.
  • Avoid yawning widely.
  • If you’re often stressed you may suffer with frequent jaw pain. Try getting a massage, meditating and aerobic exercise for relief.
  • Avoid grinding your teeth.
  • See your dentist regularly to keep your teeth and mouth healthy.
  • Avoid carrying bags on your shoulders for long periods.

Jaw pain treatment

Heat or ice packs

To relax your jaw, run warm water on a washcloth and apply to your jaw. For jaw pain, put ice into a plastic bag or on a thin cloth. Apply it for 10 minutes. Give your jaw a break and then apply the coldness again. Use at 10-minute intervals for either option.

Over-the-counter pain medication

Ask your pharmacist or doctor about pain relievers like ibuprofen or acetaminophen to help with jaw pain.

Massage your jaw

Press the sore areas of your jaw using your index and middle finger, including the areas near where your jaw joints attach. Rub in a circular motion five to 10 times. Open your mouth, and repeat. To decrease tension, massage the sides of your neck as well.

Antibiotics

If your jaw pain is caused by an infection, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics.

If you’re not sure what the cause is, why not chat to one of our doctors? They can help you get to the bottom of it!

References:

What is Alice in Wonderland syndrome?

July 11th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

In the book and movie, Alice in Wonderland, the world doesn’t quite look or feel as it should: she tumbles down a hole, steps through a tiny door, and meets a giant caterpillar. As unimaginable as it sounds, this experience can be real for some.

Strange, right?

Alice in Wonderland syndrome (AIWS) is a rare condition where you experience distorted perception and disorientation. Common experiences with this condition may include feeling smaller or larger than you actually are. You may also feel like the room, or objects in the room seem to move around, or that they are closer or further than normal.

This syndrome can affect many senses and multiple ones at a time. Your sense of time may also suffer. Time may seem to pass slowly or faster than you think.

AIWS commonly affects children and young adults and most people grow out of it.

Typical symptoms may include:

  • Body parts or surroundings that seem bigger, smaller, closer or further away than they actually are.
  • Objects that are still may seem to move.
  • Objects seem to change colours.
  • Colours seem brighter than usual.
  • Distorted faces.
  • Objects or people look stretched out.
  • Straight lines look curvy.

What are the causes?

It may sound like AWIS involves hallucination, but this isn’t the case. Although the cause is not clear, what we do know, is that AWIS involves how parts of the brain perceive sensory information, specifically what you see or hear. The way your perception is changed by AWIS affects the way you see your own body and environment.

Some doctors believe that AWIS may be a type of migraine aura as the condition’s symptoms commonly happen before or after a headache. Auras are sensory problems and commonly include visual issues. These include seeing flashing lights, shimmering spots and ringing in your ears, and tingling sensations in your hands.

Diagnosis

If you suspect that you may have AWIS, talk to your doctor immediately. AWIS is commonly diagnosed by a neurologist (brain, spinal cord and nerve specialist). Possible tests include blood tests, an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to get clear images of your brain and an EEG (Electroencephalogram), to check the electrical activity in your brain.

Treatment

For now, there’s no treatment for AWIS, but the symptoms can be managed by treating the underlying cause. For example, as migraines are commonly linked to AWIS, treating and preventing migraines could help. Talk to your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medication.

Your doctor may suggest some of these medications to help treat migraines:

  • Anti-seizure drugs.
  • Calcium channel and beta-blockers (blood pressure medication).

Besides medication and stress control, your doctor may also suggest diet changes:

  • Smaller meals throughout the day instead of big ones to prevent hunger headaches.
  • Eating fresh food including fruits, vegetables, fish, meat and poultry.
  • Staying away from foods which may trigger migraines. The usual culprits are alcohol, processed meat, cheeses with high doses of tyramine (cheddar, Swiss, mozzarella, blue cheese etc.), MSG (flavour enhancer), and sweeteners.

Good to know

Although AWIS symptoms are linked to migraines, other triggers include epilepsy, depression, schizophrenia and stroke.

References:

5 unusual causes for headaches

June 6th, 2018 by The Hello Doctor Team

You’ve been hit by a sudden storm of pain. Your head is pounding and you have no idea why. What could have triggered your headache?

Headaches are categorised as primary or secondary headaches. The most common types are primary headaches that include tension, muscle and cluster headaches. These are caused by spasms in the neck muscles. Secondary headaches happen when an external factor triggers the sensitive pain nerves in the head. This could a hangover, a concussion, dehydration, blood clots, brain freeze (ice-cream headaches) and the flu.

There are also a few unusual reasons for headaches:

Your hairstyle

Sure, that high ponytail or carefully pinned bun looks great, but it’s not doing your head any favours. The City of London Migraine Clinic found that more than half of all women experience tension headaches from tight hairstyles. This is usually due to the pull on the scalp, which causes pressure.

Avoid it: If you feel a headache coming on and suspect it may be from your hairdo, loosen it and the pain should subside. Alternatively, stick to a looser hairstyle and use softer hair ties.

Your sex life

It’s hard to feel sexy if you’re in pain, but unfortunately, getting it on may cause headaches for some people. A study by the British Journal of Medical Practitioners found that one in 100 people may experience “orgasmic headaches”. It’s described as a slow-building headache during sex. Most headaches may last several minutes and men are more likely to experience it.

Avoid it: Don’t worry, you don’t have to stop having sex forever to avoid headaches. If your headaches are mild, your doctor may suggest a painkiller an hour before sex. If you experience severe headaches or headaches which last for more than a few hours, talk to your doctor. Sex headaches may be linked to other conditions, like a stroke or inflammation.

Your weekend

Catching up on some z’s sounds like bliss, but it may be causing your headaches. There are two reasons why you may experience headaches over the weekend. One could be because you’re waking up and going to bed later than you usually do during the week. This messes with your circadian rhythm (sleep cycle). Another reason could be that you have caffeine withdrawal. Waking up later means getting your coffee fix later, and this upsets your system, which may cause a headache.

Avoid it: The National Headache Foundation suggests waking up at your regular weekday hours. Avoid sleeping in for longer than an hour, too.

Your snoring

Also known as sleep apnoea, snoring causes you to stop breathing repeatedly while you’re sleeping. Dr Vernon Williams, sports neurologist and director of the Kerlan-Jobe Centre for Sports and Neurology and Pain Medicine in America, says that this can cause a lack of oxygen and pressure in your head. The absence of oxygen and pressure in your head may cause painful headaches.

Avoid it: Talk to your doctor about a treatment. Left unchecked, sleep apnoea can cause more problems down the line.

Your cellphone addiction

Scrolling through your social media feeds may seem harmless, but doing it for hours on end can wreck your head. Looking down at your phone, a laptop or computer screen for long periods strains your neck. This can cause headaches at the back of your head and around your temples. Your eyes are strained too, which can intensify the pain.

Avoid it: Try to take breaks while you’re using your phone. When you’re using a laptop or desktop, sit back and upright to support your neck and back. This will help you avoid headaches.

Good to know
The most common way to treat headaches is with over-the-counter medication, but ask your doctor’s advice for specific headaches and for different severities.

References

When does flu become dangerous?

October 27th, 2017 by The Hello Doctor Team

Are you prepared for the flu season? Find out what you should watch out for, and whether you’re at risk for complications.

What is Flu?

Influenza (flu) is a viral disease that develop very quickly, spreading through your upper respiratory tract and sometimes progressing to your lungs. It’s highly contagious and it’s spread through airborne water droplets (when someone coughs or sneezes) or through close contact with an infected person.

What are the Signs and Symptoms of Flu?

General flu symptoms include a

  • fever
  • sore throat
  • headache
  • muscle pain
  • stuffy nose
  • cough
  • body discomfort

Certain, more severe strains of flu can also cause vomiting and diarrhoea.

How do I Treat Normal Flu?

Most mild flu symptoms improve over 2 to 5 days, but it’s normal to still feel run down for a week or so. Make sure you get plenty of rest, continue drinking fluids, and take paracetamol or ibuprofen to help reduce pain and fever.

Antibiotics aren’t prescribed for flu, as they have no effect on viral infections, however your doctor might prescribe antiviral medication if you’re considered high risk.

How do I Know if I’m High Risk?

People who are high risk include those who are over the age of 65, pregnant women, young children, or people who have been diagnosed with:

  • Kidney disease
  • Liver disease
  • A weakened immune system (for example HIV)
  • Chronic lung disease (for example COPD)
  • Heart disease
  • Diabetes

When Should I See the Doctor?

If symptoms persist for longer than 2 weeks, or if you develop any of these serious symptoms, it’s time to see the doctor:

  • Shortness of breath
  • Severe chest pain
  • Severe headache
  • Confusion or dizziness
  • Persistent vomiting

In the case of children, watch for rapid breathing or difficulty breathing, blue skin tone, refusing to take fluids, or if symptoms suddenly get worse.

How Can I Prevent Flu?

During flu season, wash your hands with warm water and soap every time you shake hands with someone or touch a surface that might be contaminated. Also, stay healthy by eating plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables, exercising regularly, and taking a multivitamin and mineral supplement. You can also get a flu vaccine, which is available from most pharmacies, and recommended if you fall into the high risk category.

Headaches: What’s causing yours?

December 26th, 2015 by The Hello Doctor Team

Headaches are one of the most common ailments in the world, yet there are so many different kinds of headaches and each of them are caused by something else. We take a look at the different headaches and what you can do to treat them.

A headache is a pain that stems from your head or neck – and the source of the pain can from the muscles, sinuses eyes or ears.

Continue reading “Headaches: What’s causing yours?”

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