Chinese Medicine: Eight Causes of Headaches, their Origins and Treatment Epoch Times

Headache is a pain that is localized that can be felt within the neck, the head or just above the shoulder. The frequent headaches can affect a person’s relationships, life, or work, but they also carry a likelihood of turning into depression. Doctor. Teng Cheng Liang, director of the Cheng Liang Medical Clinic, offers eight causes common to headaches as well as explains their causes and symptoms, and explains the way Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can treat headaches.

Migraine

Migraine is a persistent constant headache typically accompanied by other autonomic nervous system signs. Migraine attacks tend to be unidirectional, and are and are accompanied by pulsating or pulsating pains and can last for anywhere from two until 72 hours. Some of the symptoms include vomiting, nausea, photophobia, and sensitization to the sound. These symptoms may aggravate the migraine pain.

The statistics from the clinical studies show that one-third of migraine sufferers experience symptoms beginning to manifest, including blurred vision, increased sensitivity to light, sound, smell, and physical discomfort and then the first signs of migraine.

Migraines are more frequent in young adults and adolescents and more frequently among women than males. For some they may be caused by hypertension.

Cluster Headache

It is a frequent unilateral headache that is characterized by painful, stabbing pain in one eye or within the temple. It can be caused by nasal congestion, changes in pupil or drooping of the eyelid. The symptoms can last for just a few seconds or even for several hours.

Cluster headaches are more likely to occur frequently and usually disappear on their own after an interval. Most of the patients are male. This type of headache is rarely experienced by women.

Temporal Artery Vasculitis

It is a form of vasculitis, or inflammation that is typically that occurs in the temporal as well as Ophthalmic arterial arteries. The reason for the condition is unclear, but recent research suggests that it could be linked to an autoimmune condition.

The most frequently reported symptoms of temporal vasculitis is the recurrence of headaches that are usually located at the level of the temporal region. It can also cause painful pressure on the temples as well as blurred vision. If untreated the vasculitis of the temporal artery can result in blindness.

Alongside headaches other signs include muscles tenderness, muscle weakness joint pain, weight loss and fever. The median age of onset for this disorder is approximately 75. The majority of females suffer from this condition than males.

Toxic Substances

There are numerous chemical toxins that trigger headaches like carbon monoxide and lead, nitrate and plasticizer. These chemicals are known to cause headaches.

Plasticizers are commonly used as hormone disrupting chemicals that are also referred to as endocrine disruptors. They are commonly present in fast-food packaging, and can affect food items themselves. They could directly alter the balance of hormones in your body and trigger toxic reactions. After the blood-brain-brain barrier is breached, the plasticizers will directly impact the brain, leading to headache, nausea dizziness, headache and other signs.

Tension Headache

Tension headaches are the most frequent kind of headaches. They are headaches manifest as a tight , ring-like painthat is more prominent on those in the back part of the skull.

The pain caused by tension headaches is typically treated by taking antidepressants, a heart rate reducers, relaxants, as well as painkillers.

Brain Tumors

While headaches are not the only sign of an actual brain tumor, if there is a brain tumor headaches are the most frequent symptoms. The tumor presses on the brain tissue, causing swelling or edema. The result is an increase in intracranial pressure , which causes headaches. It’s usually gradually increasing in severity when you wake up.

For headaches caused by brain tumors it is felt located on the side that the tumor is growing. As the pressure inside the brain increases, the headache gets more severe and spreads.

In the event that it continues to expand and expand, it can result in vomiting, blurred or distorted vision and convulsions or spasms. When the cancer is in the prefrontal region, it can result in personality changes. In the temporal lobe it can result in speech impairment or memory loss within the cerebellum. it could cause gait instability and other movement issues; within the motor nerve it could create weakness within the contralateral limb as well, in the auditory nerve the tumor can cause hearing loss or Tinnitus.

Meningitis

Meningitis sufferers experience headache, fever stiff neck and a change in consciousness. The cause of headache is inflammation in the brain and increased pressure, typically in the upper occipital and back part of the brain. The symptoms include nausea and vomiting , and can get worse after the first waking.

The most common pathogens responsible for meningitis include pneumococcus, meningococcus, staphylococcus aureus, and other viruses like coxsackie, enterovirus herpes, coxsackie and Japanese Encephalitis virus. Tuberculosis and mycobacteria as well as Syphilis can also cause meningitis.

When a patient with meningitis experiences altered consciousness or speech impairment, confusion and physical weakness it is a sign of a brain infection and is known as “encephalitis.”

Head Trauma

The headache that is caused by trauma typically happens within in the hours or several days following the time that your head has been injured. A majority of patients with head trauma are still suffering headaches for a period of two months. It is also known as”post-concussion headache. “post-concussion headache.”

Most head trauma cases are caused by collisions with cars, and these headaches can be felt all over the head, and sometimes even in the neck. The pain can be felt as constriction, throbbing, squeezing or stabbing in nature.

Certain trauma headaches are so severe that they could cause incapacitation. Alongside headaches head traumas can result in changes in personality memory loss, inability to focus, fatigue, distraction dizziness, sleep disorders as well as depression, irritability and even anger.

The most common pain relief treatments include antidepressants such as antiepileptics, antidepressants as well as, in extreme instances, opioids. It is recommended to avoid using painkillers in excess because they can trigger rebound headaches, which are headaches which become more severe because of regular usage of painkillers.

Chinese Medicine Treatment for Headache

In Chinese medicine there is a belief that changes in the climate, like cold, wind warmth, dampness dryness, and fire can encourage growth in the natural world. If climate change is unnatural and resistance of the human body to it is not high, then this may be a cause for illness, which is known as “the six excessives that lead to illnesses,” namely: excessive temperatures, wind, cold dryness, dampness and fire.

They are regarded as external factors that cause disease. The root causes are internal, such as an energy deficit in our body emotional issues as well as fatigue that is excessive, among other causes.

Internal and External Winds, Cold and Fire

Traditional Chinese medicine considers the human body as part of the natural world. There is a belief that energies that are generated outside of the body, like cold, wind and fire can manifest within the body too and interfere with the functioning of certain organs. If they are not addressed in time, they could result in headaches and other conditions. For optimal well-being, Chinese medicine treats these energy sources in a way that disperses them to help the organs are healed and function in a harmony.

Here are some headache-related symptoms and the way traditional Chinese medicine treats them:

Headache and chill symptoms It is common for headaches to be caused by the common cold. Sneezing or running nose and nasal congestion and coughing could be caused by or aggravated by cold and wind. When using TCM for treating the symptoms the internalwind and cold should be eliminated. Herbs to consider: peppermint Divaricate Saposhnikovia (fangfeng) and Manchurian wildginger (Xixin), Incised Notopterygium rhizome and root (qianghuo), Taiwan Angelica root (Baizhi) and the rhizome of Szechwan lovage (chuanxiong).

Headache, irritability, bad sleep It is a sign that the liver fire (the equivalent of external fire but that involves the hepatitis system) is very powerful. The remedy is to reduce the fire in the liver. Herbs to consider:Sharpleaf Uncaria stem with hools (gouteng) Sea-ear Shell (shijueming) Gardenia (zhizi) as well as Baikal Skullcap root (huangqin).

Headache that is accompanied by mental fatigue, poor color and facial appearance This could indicate an issue with the flow of blood towards the brain. In this situation the treatment is to use herbs that nourish blood and ease the wind of the liver. The recommended herbs are: Chinese Angelica, Dried Rehmannia root (shengdi), Tuber Fleeceflower root (HeShouWu), Szechwan Lovage Rhizome (Chuanxiong) and Chrysanthemum.

Headache caused by digestive issues Headache and digestive issuesChinese medicine also treats digestive issues arising from the spleen and stomach. These two organs need to cooperate. Spleen health as well as the stomach is at risk from drinking excessive alcohol, fat-rich and sweet foods. Nausea, dizziness, loss of appetite and loose stool all indicate a deficiency in the spleen. Herbs to consider: Tall Gastrodiae (Tianma) and Largehead Atractylodes Rhizome (Baishu) as well as Ternate pinellia (Banxia).

Headache, accompanied with lower back pain and knee weakness This means that kidneys could be insufficient, leading to headaches and even forgetfulness. Treatment is to rehydrate the liver and kidneys as well as replenishing the essence of the kidney. Recommended herbal remedies:Rehmannia, wolfberry, Chinese privet and Eucommia.

Headache as a result of trauma The cause of the headache is trauma.May be chronic and throbbing. the patients are more likely to suffer head trauma. The tongue of patients will typically be purple at the point. This kind of headache can be alleviated by improving blood circulation. The recommended herbs are the peach kernel and red peony motherwort, and manchurian wildginger (Xixin).

The majority of headaches are also addressed with acupuncture that targets the various pressure points. Naturally, the most effective method to treat headaches caused by harmful poisons is to stay clear from harmful substances. However, except for headaches that are caused by tumors in the brain Chinese treatment has been proven for centuries to be efficient in treating virtually every kind of headache using certain herbs and Acupuncture.