SICK HEADACHE.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIV, Issue VIII, 23 February 1895, Page 190

SICK HEADACHE.

The best physicians agree that treatment between the attacks is most likely to cut short their number and lessen their intensity. The cause should be discovered if possible, the overwork stopped, the mental anxiety or distress removed, the errors in diet corrected, or the late hours exchanged for early ones. Then a simple laxative may be needed to prepare the system to benefit by a tonic : codliver oil, iron, gentian, quassia, or whatever the doctor recommends as best suited to the particular case. The diet should be abundant and nourishing, avoiding rich made dishes, pastry, or anything liable to disorder the digestion. Exercise in the open air, stopped before there is any feeling of fatigue, is important. When the first unpleasant symptoms are felt lie down with the head low, and take a teaspoonful of aromatic spirits of ammonia in a little water. If there, is chilliness put a hot water bag to the feet and cover warmly with a blanket. If there is nervousness and depression take half a teaspoonful of tincture of valerianate of ammonia instead of the aromatic spirits of ammonia, and repeat the dose in fifteen minutes. Have the room darkened, keep perfectly quiet and endeavour to sleep. Should these remedies not avert the attack, and the pain and nausea begin to manifest themselves, take a tablespoonful of strong tea or coffee, without milk if possible, very hot, or very cold, and repeat every fifteen minutes for four doses. If the nausea continues the sufferer usually imagines that it will be relieved by the act of vomiting and is anxious to have an emetic. This may be the case if the headache has come on immediately after eating, when the stomach contains a mass of undigested food, otherwise it is better to try to soothe the gastric disturbance and check the desire to vomit. Effervescing citrate of magnesia, iced vichy or soda water will often produce this result. When the pain is severe a piece af linen may be dipped in alcohol and water, and a single fold bound on the forehead, wetting it as soon as it becomes dry. Sometimes a flannel wrung out of boiling water and applied as hot as it can be borne will give more relief. If the feet are cold they can be immersed in hot water containing one or two tablespoonfuls of mustard. This is not impossible even if tbe sufferer cannot sit up. Lying on the back with the knees bent the feet can be put in a foottub of water placed on the bed tfith little or no disturbance. After the nausea has disappeared some easily-digested food should be given. There is no royal road to the cure of sick headache nor any specific that will always relieve it. The cause must be sought for, and, if possible, removed, and the earliest symptoms of an attack watched for, and, if possible, combatted.