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Ecstasy

What is Ecstasy?

Ecstasy is a hallucinogenic amphetamine, it is a recreational drug that’s widely used in many countered. Ecstasy is popular as a companion at parties and nightclubs because it produces a combination of heightened arousal, mellowing effects, and enhanced self- and group-consciousness. The drug is illegal. It has been associated with a rise in body temperature usually resulting in acute dehydration. This is important since dancing for hours without enough breaks and water is pretty common while on ecstasy.

Studies have shown that ecstasy uses serotonin, a chemical in the brain that affects your moods, so that after the initial high,one may feel tired, depressed, or moody. The human body will eventually produce more serotonin, but it may take some time to get it back to normal level. So, after a weekend of heavy partying, one may have trouble getting out of bed.

Heavy use has been linked to speed-like symptoms of paranoia, and in some cases, liver damage and heart attacks. Heavy administration of the drug has produced neurological damage in rats and monkeys.

Cocaine

What is Cocaine?

Cocaine is a stimulant drug and a naturally occurring anesthetic. When the drug interrupts the neurotransmitter balance in the central nervous system the effect of cocaine become present. The initial effects of cocaine are pleasant and include increased confidence, a willingness to work, greater motivation, increased libido, and a euphoric rush or high. At the same time cocaine raises blood pressure, increases heart rate, causes rapid breathing, tenses muscles, and causes the jitter. Overtime, people may get paranoid, anxious, and confused, and may hallucinate, become insomniac, agitated, and depressed.

The physical effects of coke are the same as any other stimulant drug – except that the first rush is more intense. The problems with cocaine come from doing too much, its mixture with other drugs and the crash after binge use. Usually after a night of snorting cocaine the user crashes, sleeping all day long, trying to put energy back into the body.

Cocaine use can easily slide into abuse. This can occur shortly after one’s first cocaine experience. The brain’s pleasure center that cocaine short-circuits makes it use a mighty hard habit to quit, even with the side effects of chronic nasal irritation, nosebleeds, paranoia, and bank account depletion.

Heroin

What is heroin?

Heroin is a narcotic derivative of morphine, a common painkilling sedative. Heroin is potent and fast-acting, producing a pleasant sick feeling and indifference to pain. For many heroin users, pleasure seeking and pain reduction can become an all-consuming way of life, and the reason to live. Addiction to herone is not cheap to overcome, and is extremely difficult to break.

Effects of heroin are nausea and constipation. The nausea will hit before the high. To relieve constipation, users often rely on laxatives as well.

“Managing” heroin use can become impossible as a constant craving for this very powerful drug become stronger and more difficult to resist.

GHB

What is GHB?

GHB (Gamma hydroxybutyrate), street-named “Grievous Bodily Harm,” was developed to be used as a surgical anesthetic. The sometimes unpredictable effects of GHB vary from one person to the next, along with is potential to cause memory loss, vertigo, reduced heart rate, seizeures, respiratory failure, and even coma. GHB seems to be particularly dangerous when mixed with alcohol.

What are mumps?

Mumps is a severe viral illness caused by the paramyxovirus. Anyone who is not immune (either from MMR vaccinations or previous mumps infection) is susceptible to getting mumps.

What are the symptoms?

* Fever
* Headache
* Muscle aches
* Tiredness
* Loss of appetite
* Swelling of salivary glands. The parotid salivary glands are most commonly affected. They are located within your cheek, near the jaw line, below the ears.
* In males, swelling of the testicles

How does mumps spread?

* Mumps is spread from person to person through the air by respiratory droplets, typically through coughing and/or sneezing.
* An infected person can spread mumps to other people up to 3 days before symptoms appear, and can continue to spread the virus until approximately 9 days after symptoms are present.
* The time from when a person is exposed to the time when symptoms appear can be up to 25 days (this time is called the incubation period).

What to do if you have symptoms

If you have symptoms, see your health care provider immediately. To schedule a same-day appointment at the Health & Counseling Center, call at 303.871.2205.

How can I prevent getting mumps?

* The best prevention is the MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella) immunization. If you were born after 1957, you should receive two doses of MMR vaccine.
o To check your vaccination status, call the Health & Counseling Center at 303.871.2205.
o To schedule a same-day appointment to receive an MMR vaccination, call the Health & Counseling center at 303.871.2205.
* Wash your hands frequently
* Use hand sanitizer frequently.
* Cover your mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing to prevent spreading germs.
* Stay at least than three feet away from people if you are experiencing respiratory symptoms or swelling around the jaw.
* If you are ill, please do NOT attend classes so that others are not at heighten risk of exposure.

What happens if I do not get immunized for mumps?

If you fail to complete your MMR immunizations or if you have waived the immunization requirement due to medical, personal, or religious reasons, you may be asked to leave the campus in the event of a campus outbreak. If asked to leave campus, class excuses and/or tuition reimbursements will not be issued.

What is bacterial meningitis?

Meningitis is an infection of the fluid in the spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain. Meningitis is usually caused by an infection with a virus or a bacterium. Knowing whether meningitis is caused by a virus or a bacterium is important because of differences in the seriousness of the illness and the treatment needed.

VIRAL MENINGITIS is usually relatively mild. It clears up within a week or two without specific treatment. Viral meningitis is also called aseptic meningitis.

BACTERIAL MENINGITIS is much more serious. It can cause severe disease that can result in brain damage and even death.

What bacteria cause bacterial meningitis?

Bacterial meningitis is most commonly caused by one of three types of bacteria: Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.

It is important to know which type of bacteria is causing the bacterial meningitis because antibiotics can prevent some types from spreading and infecting other people.

Where is bacterial meningitis found?

Bacterial meningitis is found worldwide. The bacteria often live harmlessly in a person’s mouth and throat. In rare instances, however, they can break through the body’s immune defenses and travel to the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. There they begin to multiply quickly. Soon, the thin membrane that covers the brain and spinal cord (meninges) becomes swollen and inflamed, leading to the classic symptoms of meningitis.

How do people get bacterial meningitis?

The bacteria are spread by direct close contact with the discharges from the nose or throat of an infected person. Fortunately, none of the bacteria that cause meningitis are very contagious, and they are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been.

What are the signs and symptoms of bacterial meningitis?

In persons over age 2, common symptoms are high fever, headache, and stiff neck. These symptoms can develop over several hours, or they may take 1 to 2 days. Other symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, confusion, and sleepiness. In advanced disease, bruises develop under the skin and spread quickly.

As the disease progresses, patients of any age can have seizures.

Who is at risk for bacterial meningitis?

Anyone can get bacterial meningitis, but it is most common in infants and children. People who have had close or prolonged contact with a patient with meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis or Hib can also be at increased risk. This includes people in the same household or day-care center, or anyone with direct contact with discharges from a meningitis patient’s mouth or nose.

How is bacterial meningitis diagnosed?

The diagnosis is usually made by growing bacteria from a sample of spinal fluid. The spinal fluid is obtained by a spinal tap. A doctor inserts a needle into the lower back and removes some fluid from the spinal canal. Identification of the type of bacteria responsible for the meningitis is important for the selection of correct antibiotic treatment.

What complications can result from bacterial meningitis?

Advanced bacterial meningitis can lead to brain damage, coma, and death. Survivors can suffer long-term complications, including hearing loss, mental retardation, paralysis, and seizures.

What is the treatment for bacterial meningitis?

Early diagnosis and treatment are very important. If symptoms occur, the patient should see a doctor right away. Bacterial meningitis can be treated with a number of effective antibiotics. It is important, however, that treatment be started early.

How can bacterial meningitis be prevented?

* Vaccines—There are vaccines against Hib, some strains of Neisseria meningitidis, and many types of Streptococcus pneumoniae.
* Disease reporting—Cases of bacterial meningitis should be reported to state or local health authorities so that they can follow and treat close contacts of patients and recognize outbreaks.
* Treatment of close contacts—People who are identified as close contacts of a person with meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis can be given antibiotics to prevent them from getting the disease. Antibiotics for contacts of a person with Hib disease are no longer recommended if all contacts 4 years of age or younger are fully vaccinated.

Travel precautions

Although large epidemics of bacterial meningitis do not occur in the United States, some countries experience large, periodic epidemics of meningococcal disease. Overseas travelers should check to see if meningococcal vaccine is recommended for their destination. Travelers should receive the vaccine at least 1 week before departure, if possible.

What is it?

Marijuana, the most often used illegal drug in this country, is a product of the hemp plant, Cannabis sativa. The main active chemical in marijuana, also present in other forms of cannabis, is THC (delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol). Of the roughly 400 chemicals found in the cannabis plant, THC affects the brain the most.

What are the street names/slang terms for it?

Aunt Mary, Boom, Chronic (marijuana alone or marijuana with crack), Dope ganja, Gangster, Grass , Hash, Herb, Kif, Mary Jane, Pot, Reefer, Sinsemilla, Skunk, Weed

What does it look like?

Marijuana is green or gray mixture of dried, shredded flowers and leaves of the hemp plant (Cannabis sativa).

How is it used?

Most users roll loose marijuana into a cigarette called a “joint”. It can be smoked in a water pipe, called a “bong”, or mixed into food or brewed as tea. It has also appeared in cigars called “blunts”.

What are the short-term effects?

Short-term effects of marijuana include problems with memory and learning, distorted perception (sights, sounds, time, touch), trouble with thinking and problem solving, loss of motor coordination, increased heart rate, and anxiety. These effects are even greater when other drugs are mixed with marijuana. A user may also experience dry mouth and throat.

What are the long-term effects?

Effects of Marijuana on the Brain. Researchers have found that THC changes the way in which sensory information gets into and is acted on by the hippocampus. This is a component of the brain’s limbic system that is crucial for learning, memory, and the integration of sensory experiences with emotions and motivations. Investigations have shown that THC suppresses neurons in the information-processing system of the hippocampus. In addition, researchers have discovered that learned behaviors, which depend on the hippocampus, also deteriorate. Effects on the Lungs. Someone who smokes marijuana regularly may have many of the same respiratory problems that tobacco smokers have. These individuals may have daily cough and phlegm, symptoms of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds. Continuing to smoke marijuana can lead to abnormal functioning of lung tissue injured or destroyed by marijuana smoke. Regardless of the THC content, the amount of tar inhaled by marijuana smokers and the level of carbon monoxide absorbed are three to five times greater than among tobacco smokers. This may be due to marijuana users inhaling more deeply and holding the smoke in the lungs.

Effects of Heavy Marijuana Use on Learning and Social Behavior. A study of college students has shown that critical skills related to attention, memory, and learning are impaired among people who use marijuana heavily, even after discontinuing its use for at least 24 hours. Researchers compared 65 “heavy users,” who had smoked marijuana a median of 29 of the past 30 days, and 64 “light users,” who had smoked a median of 1 of the past 30 days. After a closely monitored 19- to 24-hour period of abstinence from marijuana and other illicit drugs and alcohol, the undergraduates were given several standard tests measuring aspects of attention, memory, and learning. Compared to the light users, heavy marijuana users made more errors and had more difficulty sustaining attention, shifting attention to meet the demands of changes in the environment, and in registering, processing, and using information. The findings suggest that the greater impairment among heavy users is likely due to an alteration of brain activity produced by marijuana.

Longitudinal research on marijuana use among young people below college age indicates those who used have lower achievement than the non-users, more acceptance of deviant behavior, more delinquent behavior and aggression, greater rebelliousness, poorer relationships with parents, and more associations with delinquent and drug-using friends.

What causes insomnia?

Insomnia is the body’s way of saying that something isn’t right. Many things can cause insomnia, things like stress, too much caffeine, depression, changes in work shifts, and pain from medical problems, such as arthritis.

Many people have insomnia. People who have insomnia may not be able to fall asleep. They may wake up during the night and not be able to fall back asleep, or they may wake up too early in the morning.

Is insomnia a serious problem?

It’s not really a serious problem for you health, but it can make you feel tired, depressed and irritable. It can also make it hard to concentrate during the day.

How much sleep do I need?

Most adults need about 7-8 hours of sleep each night. You know you are getting enough sleep if you don’t feel sleepy during the day. The amount of sleep you need stays about the same throughout adulthood. However, sleep patterns may change with age. For example, older people may sleep less at night and take naps during the day.

What can my doctor do to find out why I’m not sleeping?

Your doctor may ask you and your bed partner some questions about your sleep habits (such as when you go to bed and when you get up), any medicines you take, and the amount of caffeine and alcohol you drink. Your doctor may also ask if you smoke.

Other questions may include how long you’ve been having insomnia, if you have any pain, and if you snore while you sleep. Your doctor may also ask about events or problems in your life that may be upsetting you and making it hard for you to sleep.

What is a sleep diary?

If the cause of your insomnia is not clear, your doctor may suggest that you fill out a sleep diary. The diary will help you keep track of when you go to bed, how long you lie in bed before falling asleep, how often you wake during the night, when you get up in the morning and how well you sleep.

How is insomnia treated?

The treatment of insomnia can be simple. Often, once the problem that causing insomnia is taken care of, the insomnia goes away. The key to find out what’s causing the insomnia so that it can be dealt with directly. Simply making a few changes in their sleep habits helps many people.

What can I do to improve my sleep habits?

• Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends, even if you didn’t get enough sleep. This will train your body to sleep at night.
• Develop a bedtime routine. Do the same thing every night before going to sleep. For example, take a warm bath and then read for 10 minutes every night before going to bed. Soon you’ll connect these activities with sleeping, and doing them will help make you sleepy.
• Use the bedroom only for sleeping. Don’t eat, talk on the phone or watch TV while you’re in bed.
• Make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark. If noise is a problem, use a fan to mask the noise or use ear plugs. If you might sleep during the day, hang dark blinds over the window or wear an eye mask.
• If you’re still awake after trying to sleep for 30 minutes, get up and go to another room. Sit quietly for about 20 minutes before going back to bed. Do this as many times as you need to until you can fall asleep.

Will sleeping pills help?

Sleeping pills can help in some cases, but they are not a cure for insomnia. They are only a temporary form of relief. They are best used for only a few days. Regular use can lead to rebound insomnia. This occurs when a person quits taking sleeping pills and his or her insomnia comes back.

Sleeping pills can be unsafe to use if you have certain health problems. Ask your doctor if sleeping pills would be helpful to you.

Tips to help you sleep

• Avoid or limit your use of caffeine (coffee, tea, sodas, chocolate), decongestants, alcohol, and tobacco.
• Exercise more often, but don’t exercise within a few hours before going to bed.
• Learn to reduce or manage the stress in your life.
• Don’t lie in bed worrying about things. Set aside another time just for worrying. For example, spend 30 minutes after dinner writing down what’ worrying you and what you can do about it.
• Try eating a light snack before going to bed, but don’t eat too much right before bedtime. A glass of warm milk or some cheese and crackers may be all you need.
• Don’t nap during the day if naps seem to make your insomnia worse.

Influenza, also known as the flu, is a contagious disease that is caused by the influenza virus. It  attacks the respiratory tract in humans (nose, throat, and lungs). The flu is different from a cold. Influenza usually comes on suddenly and may include these symptoms:

* Fever
* Headache
* Tiredness (can be extreme)
* Dry cough
* Sore throat
* Nasal congestion
* Body aches

These symptoms are usually referred to as “flu-like symptoms.”

The Flu Season

In the Northern hemisphere, winter is the time for flu. In the United States, the flu season can range from November through March, and even past March in some years. During the past 21 flu seasons, months with the heaviest flu activity (peak months) occurred in December in 4 years, January in 5 years, February in 9 years, and March in 3 years.

How the Influenza Virus Is Passed Around

The main way that influenza viruses are spread is from person to person in respiratory droplets of coughs and sneezes. (This is called “droplet spread.”) This can happen when droplets from a cough or sneeze of an infected person are propelled (generally up to 3 feet) through the air and deposited on the mouth or nose of people nearby. Though much less frequent, the viruses also can be spread when a person touches respiratory droplets on another person or an object and then touches their own mouth or nose (or someone else’s mouth or nose) before washing their hands.

The Flu Is Contagious

A person can spread the flu starting one day before he or she feels sick. Adults can continue to pass the flu virus to others for another three to seven days after symptoms start. Children can pass the virus for longer than seven days. Symptoms start one to four days after the virus enters the body. Some persons can be infected with the flu virus but have no symptoms. During this time, those persons can still spread the virus to others.

How To Know if You Have the Flu

Your respiratory illness might be the flu if you have sudden onset of body aches, fever, and respiratory symptoms, and your illness occurs during November through April (the usual flu season in the Northern Hemisphere). However, during this time, other respiratory illnesses can cause similar symptoms and flu can be caught at any time of the year. It is impossible to tell for sure if you have the flu based on symptoms alone. Doctors can perform tests to see if you have the flu if you are in the first few days of your illness.

What You Should Do If You Get the Flu

* Rest
* Drink plenty of liquids
* Avoid using alcohol and tobacco
* Take medication to relieve the symptoms of flu

Influenza is caused by a virus, so antibiotics (like penicillin) don’t work to cure it. The best way to prevent the flu is to get an influenza vaccine (flu shot) each fall, before flu season.

The Myth of the “Stomach Flu”

Many people use the term “stomach flu” to describe illnesses with nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea. These symptoms can be caused by many different viruses, bacteria, or even parasites. While vomiting, diarrhea, and being nauseous or “sick to your stomach” can sometimes be related to the flu – particularly in children – these problems are rarely the main symptoms of influenza. The flu is a respiratory disease and not a stomach or intestinal disease.

Infectious mononucleosis, also called mono, is caused by the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which is a type of herpes virus. The herpes virus also causes cold sores and illnesses like chicken pox.

How Do I Get Mono?

Most people who get mono are between the ages of 10 and 25. The mono virus affects your salivary glands, respiratory system (lungs and breathing tubes), and blood, and it can make you feel tired and achy all over. Salivary glands are located inside of your mouth – on the inside of your cheeks and
under your tongue – and produce the saliva, or spit, in your body.

Mono is contagious, which means you can easily spread the virus to other people who haven’t had mono before. Even though you can get mono from kissing someone infected with EBV, there are also other ways you can get it, but they all involve contact with spit. Coughing (while not covering your mouth)
on someone, sharing pillows, straws, toothbrushes, or food from the same plate, and kissing can also spread mono.

If you get mono, you can infect other people for up to 6 months afterward. Because at first people usually don’t feel sick after getting infected with the EBV virus, someone could have mono – and be spreading it – and not even know it. That’s why it’s important not to share things like forks, straws,
or lip gloss at school.

How Do I Know I Have It?

Almost always, mono causes you to feel really, really tired, but you may have other symptoms, too.

These include:

• fever
• sore throat
• swollen lymph glands (the infection-fighting glands in your neck, underarms, and groin)
• headaches
• sore muscles
• enlarged liver or spleen (an organ located on the left side of your belly, right under your ribs, that filters blood and helps fight infections)

Sometimes, it may seem like you have the flu or maybe strep throat because the symptoms are so alike. The only way to tell for
sure if you have mono is to go to a doctor, who will examine you and draw blood for tests (one test is called a monospot) to see if you have mono.

In most cases, periods of homesickness (especially just after a transition) are normal. Not only are you experiencing a major adjustment to your new environment, but you are also experiencing a loss of what was comfortable and predictable. Homesickness can be triggered by major losses, or changes
in geography, sleeping/eating patterns, peer groups, living situations, activities, classes, and living accommodations.

Here are some tips that may help you in your transition

Give yourself permission to be homesick
Realize that a period of "homesickness" is a natural response to your transition. Others who are in the same boat likely have similar feelings.

Familiarize yourself with your new surroundings
Once you know your new environment, find your way around, see where your classes are located, and discover some fun hang-outs and activities, you will likely feel more comfort and in control of your situation.

Explore activities!
Make a list of all the things you like to do and explore what clubs or organizations are available to you.

Bring familiar things with you
Sprucing up your apartment or residence hall room with familiar or sentimental items can help ease the shock of a new environment. Having pictures, memorabilia, or favorite possessions with you in your new living space can help facilitate a smoother transition.

Be open to NEW opportunities
Try to avoid comparing your new environment to home. Be open to exploring new situations, opportunities, people, classes, and choices. The more open you are to new things, the less you might miss past things.

Invite others in your explorations
Getting involved with others and making friends can help you feel less alone. Inviting roommates, classmates, and neighbors to explore the new environment with you can be a great way to initiate new connections, and others in the same situation are likely to join you. Approaching others with
a friendly attitude and inviting them to "check out the campus" or "see what's downtown", can often lead to a positive response.

Keep in touch with friends
Stay in contact with friends and family via e-mail, real mail, and phone calls. Tell them all about your new experiences and encourage them to do the same with you.

Make plans to visit home
Knowing that you have an upcoming trip home set for a specific time may be comforting and allow you to focus on your goals while on campus. It also prevents those impulsive trips home and encourages you to invest in your new life at school. Trips home can be relaxing, but it's important that
they don't become your sole focus.

Some things to look out for

If you find that you are having trouble adjusting, or continue to feel homesick after a reasonable amount of time (4-6 weeks), you may need to talk to someone. Some things to look out for:

• Intense or long-lasting sadness/depression
• Frequent nervousness or social anxiety
• Low energy or motivation
• Trouble sleeping
• Increases/decreases in appetite
• Feeling like you just "don't care" about anything
• Having difficulty with school
• Increased use of drugs or alcohol
• Obsessively missing family/friends
• Phone bills beyond your budget
• Pervasive unhappiness or displeasure
• Feeling like you "need" to go home
• Lack of interest or involvement in new surroundings

If you notice some of the above, or just feel as though you're not adjusting to things, you may want to consider talking to someone. Talking to friends, family, or your RA may be a good starting point. If you think you need something more, Counseling Services offers several resources for this and
other problems.

Here are some tips to keep you healthy as you travel away from home:

1. Be Informed

Four to 6 weeks before your trip find out what you need to know about staying healthy and safe in the area where you are traveling. Things to know about:

• disease and safety risks and how to avoid them
• special notices about disease outbreaks or other unsafe conditions
• what vaccinations (shots) or preventive medications (prophylaxis) you should or will be required to get

Important: some countries require you to show them a certificate that says you have had a yellow fever vaccination before you can enter. Only registered healthcare providers can give the yellow fever vaccine.

• Find out if you need a yellow fever vaccination
• Locate a certified yellow fever vaccination clinic

Check to make sure your health coverage is up to date. If your health insurance policy provides coverage outside the United States, remember to carry both your insurance policy identity card as proof of such insurance and a claim form. If your health insurance policy does not provide coverage outside
of the United States, you may consider purchasing additional coverage.

2. Be Ready

If you will need any vaccinations (shots) or medicines, go to your healthcare provider 4 to 6 weeks before your trip. This will give your shots time to work so that you will be protected during your trip. If it is less than four weeks before you leave, you should still see your doctor. It might not
be too late to get your shots or medications.

Prepare a traveler’s health kit so you have all the medications and supplies you may need before you go.

3. Be Smart While You Travel

• Wash your hands often and well with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub to help kill germs, especially before eating! Drink only boiled or bottled water or soft drinks from sources you trust. Do not drink tap water, fountain drinks, or eat ice cubes.
• Only eat food that has been cooked all the way through or fruits and vegetables that have been washed and peeled. Remember: boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it.
• If visiting an area where you might get malaria, make sure to take your malaria prevention medication before, during, and after your trip, as directed.
• If you might be bitten by insects (like mosquitoes or ticks) use insect repellent (bug spray) with up to 50% DEET. The label on the container will tell you the DEET content.

Protect yourself from motor vehicle injuries: avoid drinking and driving; wear your safety belt and place children in age-appropriate restraints in the back seat; follow the local customs and laws regarding pedestrian safety and vehicle speed; obey the rules of the road; and use helmets on bikes,
motorcycles, and motor bikes. Avoid boarding an overloaded bus or mini-bus. Where possible, hire a local driver.

What is a Headache?

When a person has a headache, several areas of the head can hurt, including a network of nerves that extends over the scalp and certain nerves in the face, mouth, and throat. The bones of the skull and tissues of the brain itself never hurt because they lack pain-sensitive nerve fibers. The ends of these pain-sensitive nerves can be stimulated by stress, muscular tension, dilated blood vessels, and others triggers of headache.

Vascular headaches (migraines are a kind of vascular headache) are thought to involve abnormal function of the brain’s blood vessels or vascular system; muscle contraction headaches appear to involve the tightening or tensing of facial and neck muscles; and traction and inflammatory headaches are symptoms of other disorders, ranging from brain tumor to stroke to sinus infection.

Some types of headache are signals of more serious disorders: sudden, severe headache; headache associated with convulsions; headache accompanied by confusion or loss of consciousness; headache following a blow on the head; headache associated with pain in the eye or ear; persistent headache in a person who was previously headache free; headache associated with fever; headache that interferes with normal life.

Is there any treatment?

Not all headaches require medical attention. Some result from missed meals or occasional muscle tension and are easily remedied. If the problem is not relieved by standard treatments, a headache sufferer may be referred to an internist, a neurologist, or a psychologist. Drug therapy, biofeedback training, stress reduction, and elimination of certain foods from the diet are the most common methods of preventing and controlling migraine and other vascular headaches.

Regular exercise can also reduce the frequency and severity of migraine headaches. Temporary relief can sometimes be obtained by using cold pack or by pressing on the bulging artery found in front of the ear on the painful side of the head.