Medicine and Health related Information

NEURALGIA-

Neuralgia is a painful physical or mental distress following the course of a nerve or its branches. Trigeminal is the 5th cranial nerve. One of the most common neuralgia is trigeminal neuralgia whose cause is unknown and it is the most painful of all the neuralgias. Recurring paroxysms of burning pain occur in one side of the face or in the ear and throat as a result of glossopharyngeal neuralgia. While the glossopharyngeal neuralgia can be cured by cutting the glossopharyngeal nerve but in the trigeminal neuralgia the trigeminal nerve inside the skull can be cut to provide permanent relief.

TEMPORAL ARTERITIS-

The region between and just above our eyes and ears is called the temple. The artery which runs across this region is called the temporal artery. Rarely an inflammation of the tissues inside this artery may occur and such condition is called temporal arteritis. It is not a common disease but if it is ignored and left untreated then it may even cause sudden and permanent blindness. It may result in stroke because of reduced blood supply to the brain.

Mostly the people above fifty years of age are commonly affected by temporal arteritis. If any elder person or someone who crossed fifty years of age complains of pain in the temple region then he should be investigated for temporal arteritis. Some times the temporal artery is promininent and painful to touch. ESR (Erythrocyte sedimentation rate) test is suggested by the doctors if the patient is suspected for temporal arteritis. If the ESR reading is more than 50 mm in first one hour then it indicates temporal arteritis. Biopsy is done for the confirmation of the temporal arteritis and it can be done by removing a small piece of the artery and examining under the microscope.

When it comes to treatment steroids are the only medicines recommended for treatment of temporal arteritis.

HEADACHE DUE TO TUBERCULOMA-

Any tumor, abscess or chronic inflammatory mass such as the tuberculoma causes increased pressure on the brain. It does not cause headaches in the early stages but very often headache is observed only after more serious complications such as paralysis. Tumors inside the skull put pressure on the brain at the site of its growth. It stops the outflow of the cerebrospinal fluid and therefore raises pressure within the skull and this rise in pressure causes dull persistent headaches.

HEADACHE DUE TO MENINGITIS-

Meninges are the loose coverings of the brain. Infection to these meninges is called as meningitis. Cerebrospinal fluid is the fluid in which the brain floats and this fluid supports the brain and protects it from shocks. As mentioned earlier meninges covers the brain and infection to meninges starts producing pus which is full of bacteria and if this pus enters the cerebrospinal fluid then it may directly come in contact with the brain and infect it very quickly. The most common symptoms of meningitis are fever, headache, stiffness of the neck and vomiting. The light becomes intolerable to the patient and soon patient becomes drowsy or unconscious. Anyone who is suffering from fever and stiff neck should be rushed to the hospital immediately. The faster the treatment the greater are the chances of recovery. But remember delayed treatments may often results in death.