Farewell to Headaches!

Ladies' Mirror, Volume 4, Issue 10, 1 April 1926, Page 25

Farewell to Headaches !

t ■w'eadache is rarely a disease of pH itself. Far more frequently it is a symptom of some other ailment such as constipation, anaemia, indigestion, or toxaemia. It varies in intensity from mere discomfort to maddening pain. It may be transient or it may last a lifetime. Headache may attack only a small part, e.g., the temples, forehead, the eyes, one side of the head, or it may take possession of the whole head. There is probably no pain which occurs so frequently as headache. It is the unwelcome companion of a great many diseases, inculding most fevers and acute disorders. Causes of Headaches ONE authority lists no fewer than fifty-one different causes of headache! How absurd, then, is the popular practice of relying on one medicine or drug, to cure (?) headache. But these causes may be reduced to the following main categories: Faulty diet, causing a toxic condition of the blood; bad or stale air; smoking, drinking; overwork and worry; too much sleep; lack of sleep; eyestrain suppressed menstration or suppressed haemorrhage; deposits of morbid matter in the head (from fevers, etc.); sunstroke; strong emotions (anger, sorrow, etc.) ; and various primary disorders (of which headache is but one symptom) such as constipation, indigestion, anaemia, rheumatism, toxaemia, gastritis, hysteria, plethora, sluggish liver, etc.

Folly of Palliatives 'C'ORTUNES have been made out of so-called headache cures.” And though the victims •of these quackish remedies know perfectly well that the dope only relieves them for the time being, they still go on using the wretched stuff, instead of seeking out the first cause and removing that. Let me warn the headache sufferer most emphatically that these various headache powders and tablets are disastrously harmful. In relieving the pain they cause other disturbances of the system far more serious in their consequences. Of aspirin, that popular palliative for head pains, a leading English medical authority says, “ It would have been infinitely better for the race if aspirin had never been invented. Its indiscriminate use injures the heart and the stomach.” The same is equally true of phenacetin, antipyrin, and exalgin. The deadly after-effects of bromides on the brain ought to be far better known. Menthol, and evaporating lotions, may give the sufferer slight relief from pain, but is it worth while when they do but cause other troubles, and certainly never by any chance cure headache permanently? The popularity of popularity of these dope-drugs is

eloquent testimony to the inherent laziness of human nature in matters pertaining to health. Unceasing effort is put forth to acquire more money. But for health (more precious than fine gold) we will give no more effort or thought than is required to swallow a few tablets. Nature Cure for Headache THE Nature Cure Practitioner first of all seeks the primary cause of the headache. If there is gastric trouble, or rheumatism, or constipation, or anaemia, or plethoric congestion, it is obvious that these troubles must first be set right before the headache can be cured. The treatment for anaemic headache must, of course, be quite different from the treatment for the congestive type. The treatment for the rheumatic kind of headache is again quite different from that for gastric headache. A permanent cure depends entirely upon removing the primary ailment which is responsible for the headache. The anaemic headache is usually somewhat relieved by lying down. Here the best cure would be to live as directed in my recent article on Anaemia. There could also be local treatment of the head by cool or cold water head baths of five to fifteen min-

utes’ duration. After drying, rub and press the scalp with the fingers the palm of hand. The congestive headache, common in people of the full-blooded type, is usually marked by throbbing pain and flushing of the face. The hot mustard bath, or cold leg packs, to draw the blood away from the head, should be persevered with. A strictly abstemious diet is very important. Alcohol, tobacco, tea, coffee, white sugar, meat extracts and gravies, and red meats should be avoided. Two meals per day, with an . occasional fast for 24 hours, is an extremely good plan for the plethoric type of headache sufferer. This is certainly a good deal harder than swallowing a headache powder, but if you want real cure, you must work for it, you lobster! Nervous Headache “ p\H! my headache is due to nerves, you know.” Is it? Then why on earth narcotise your nerves so that they no longer give you a friendly warning that something is wrong in your upper storey? Give your nerves a chance. Stop poisoning and irritating and weakening them with daily doses of theine, caffeine, tannin, aspirin, phenacetin, antikamnia, nicotine and the like. Strengthen your nerves with fresh, pure air, sensible exercise, adequate rest and relaxation, cheerful thought, cold water inside and out, and last but by no means least, pure food and drink. Sometimes, of course, nervous headache

arises from mental excitement. The obvious remedy is to live less intensely. Cultivate the quieter pleasures of life. In women, menstrual difficulties frequently -cause nervous headache. Only when the irregularity has been put right by improved habits of life or by the restoration of natural functions through natural methods will the headache cease. Migraine '"I 'HIS is a particularly painful -*■ form of headache, chacterised by suddenness of attack, paroxysmal in type, and usually one-sided. There are usually gastric disturbances, vomiting, etc., and visual disorders. The cause is usually disturbance or irregularity in the circulation of the blood. It may arise from stagnation of the blood in the brain, from anaemia, from irregular or suppressed menstruation, or there may be some morbid condition of single nerve trunks. Vigorous massage of the arms and legs is a remarkably good remedy for this condition, by helping a more equalised state of the circulation. A lukewarm hip bath daily for 15 minutes, a cool wet rubbing of the whole body, and the bowel douche are admittedly more trouble than tipping a headache powder on to your tongue. But the former really removes causes,

whilst the powder simply adds more encumbering poisons to your aching head. The most important factor in cure, however, is undoubtedly the diet. A correct, purifying diet will cure the primary cause, whether it be poor blood, toxic blood, a foul colon, or a sluggish liver. Brain Tum our or Abe ess r I "'HE possibility of tumour or abcess of the brain should always be borne in mind where headache is very severe and very persistent. In such cases the headache usually increases at night, is associated with nausea and vomiting, and sooner or later with optic neuritis. Even here the resources of Nature Cure may be hopefully applied. With non-suppressive treatment the morbid matter may be encouraged to vent itself through the ear or the nose. Fortunately such cases are comparatively rare. Eye Strain 'll/'HEN due to over-use or other * » abuse of the eyes headache can, of course, be cured by taking greater care of the eyes. The common advice is to have the eyes seen by a qualified optician. The wearing of suitable glasses will frequently help to relieve eye strain and thus relieve headache.