COMMON ACUTE EMERGENCIES

—Headache, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Hyperacidity, Hiccups, Stomach   pain, Hypoglycemia, Hypotension (BP), Hypertension (BP), Fainting, Sprain, Spasm, Bleeding due to injury, Swelling, Muscle cramp, Bleeding in nose, Sore throat, Fever, Cough, Cold, Severe Dysmenorrhea (painful menstruation), Excess bleeding during menstruation, Acute neck & back pain, Knee & Ankle pain.

Headache

• in 99.9% of people with headache there is no sign of tissue damage
• injuring the brain itself does not cause pain – it causes altered brain function
• however the membrane and blood vessels of the brain are very pain sensitive

Headache: causes

Primary (99%+)

• Tension – type  69
• Migraine  16
• Stabbing  2
• Exertional  1
• Cluster  0.1

Due to something else (<1%)

• Systemic infection  63
• Head injury  4
• Vascular  / bleeding  1
• Braintumour  0.1

Headache diagnosis

• almost entirely on the patients story
• tests, scans etc rarely helpful.

Headache: history

How old were you when the headaches started?

How often do they come?

Do they come in relationship to anything else?

At what time do they come on?

How do they start?

Where is the pain?

How long does it last?

How bad is it?

Are there other symptoms?

Does anything bring it on?

What helps?

How long does it last?