HEADACHES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 3, 5 January 1937, Page 10

HEADACHES.

AN EVERYDAY TROUBLE. MUST FIND OUT THE CAUSE. This is one of the commonest of our everyday sicknesses. It is desirable that it should be fully realised that a headache is not a complaint in itself, but is the symptom of some complaint. Therefore, the treatment should be directed towards finding out the original cause or complaint, and treating that. This, of course, is the work of a doctor, but, in the meantime, your interest lies in the question of the headache itself, and what to do to relieve it. There are a great number of complaints. of which a headache is a marked symptom, such as eye diseases and eye strain, defects of the nose or throat, brain disorders, as well as all the commoner causes such as digestive disorders, etc. Nine out of ten headaches. however, are the result of digestive disorders, and so the best thing to do is to jiive an aperient. Any aperient that suits you will be satisfactory. As digestive disorders, including constipation, are much more common than is generally realised, it is wise to pay marked attention to this matter, and to see that your bowels are kept well cleared out, because otherwise the waste products are dammed back in your body, so poisonous absorption from these waste products can. and does, take place. This, in its turn, then leads to headaches and other disagreeable symptoms. Headaches are also frequently due to eye strain. If this is suspected, the eyes should be examined by" an ophthalmic surgeon. who will give the necessary treatment. Headaches from this cause are much more frequent in the summer months. This is very greatlj due to the glare from the sun. so great relief will often be experienced by wearing suitable dark glasses. Many people suffer from what they call nervous headaches, and are in the haUt of taking various drugs, of which the commonest are aspirin or phenacetin and caffein tablets. These drugs should only be taken with caution, and only after a preliminary examination by a medical man. because there are various conditions of the body in which these drugs are contra indicated. Thus the patient might be doing himself more harm than good. Women, in particular. frequently suffer from headaches due. in many cases to some weakness in their internal organs. So those who suffer from frequent or persistent headaches must realise that a headache is merely Nature's way of telling you that there is something definitely wrong with some part of your body. This. then, being the case, it is desirable that you have a thorough medical examination to find out the cause, and then to have whatever treatment is considered necessary. This is the only permanent cure for any headache; all the other so-called cures are only temporary measures and do not touch the real seat of the trouble.