First-Aid: First-Aid for Headache, Migraine, Earache and Backache

HEADACHE

Headache is pain anywhere in the head. It may be constant, throbbing, or intermittent. It is a symptom of a disease and not a disease by itself. Various causes of headache are as follows.

1. Refractive errors.
2. Exhaustion.
3. Lack of sleep.
4. Anxiety.
5. Dental caries.
6. Sinusitis.
7. Constipation.
8. Common cold.
9. Hypertension.
10. Migraine.
11. Brain tumors.

First-aid

1. Place the patient in a dark, quiet pace. Make him relax and not think about his problems.
2. Give aspirin or paracetamol orally.
3. Shift him to a doctor if these simple measures fail to relieve the headache or if it recurs.

□ MIGRAINE

It is a disease in which there is unilateral headache. It may be precipitated by emotional disturbances or bright light. In many cases no cause can be found. The condition is diagnosed by the following features.

1. There is intense unilateral headache.
2. Flickering vision may precede the headache.
3. Nausea and vomiting are present.
4. There is intolerance to light or noise.

First-aid

1. Give aspirin or paracetamol orally to relieve the pain.
2. Send him to a doctor for evaluation and treatment.

□ EARACHE

Earache is occurrence of pain in the ear. If may be due to any of the following conditions.

1. Dental caries.
2. Tooth abscess.
3. Middle ear infection.
4. Boil in the ear.
5. Wax in the ear.
6. Foreign body in the ear.
7. Under water swimming.
8. Air travel.

First-aid

1. Give aspirin or paracetamol orally to relieve the pain.
2. Send him to a doctor for check-up and treatment.

□ BACKACHE

Backache is pain anywhere in the back. It may be in the upper back or lower back and may be constant or intermittent. It is a symptom of a disease and not a disease by itself. Various causes of backache are as follows.

1. Bad posture : standing or sitting in a bad posture, with the shoulders drooped.
2. Sprain of the joints of the back.
3. Prolapsed intervertebral disc.
4. Menstruation in women : low backache.
5. Pelvic tumors : low backache.
6. Kidney disease : pain in the middle of the back.

First-aid

1. Give aspirin or paracetamol orally. Local hot fomentation may be done.
2. Advise good posture when standing and sitting.
3. Advise him to sleep on a firm flat surface.
4. Send him to a doctor.

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