Headaches and sleep issues
Headache
The cause and types of headaches vary in every individual. It could be a
- tension headache
- gastric headache
- pain due to pathology in the brain
- headache caused by ophthalmic complaint or simply a migraine.
Headache usually gets triggered by mental or emotional stress, poor diet resulting in indigestion, poor quality of sleep, long exposure to sunlight, straining the eyes or psychological conditions.
Many patients do not pay importance to the cause of the headache and simply pop in over the counter painkillers. This gives only temporary relief and the headaches tend to recur.
It is important for the patient to know the cause of the headache, to get it treated correctly. A detailed case study in Homoeopathy helps to investigate the root cause and prescribe a Homoeopathic medicine. These medicines help with the acute episode as well as the chronic headache tendencies.
In cases where the headache is more psychological , the medicines help ameliorate the anxiety and hence the symptom.
Vertigo (giddiness) also can be well taken care of with Homoeopathic treatment.
Insomnia
Disturbed sleep is both a cause and consequence of poor health. Lack of sound sleep, sleeplessness and an active mind during sleep are very common complaints.
–Acute effects of poor sleep is that the cognitive functions are worse, you feel more fatigued and the capacity to regulate emotions is less.
–Long term consequences lead to certain metabolic disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome and depression.
With the fear of developing either of the symptoms, most patients get addicted to sleeping pills.
This prevalence is frequently seen in women. This is partially due to the fact that hormonal changes which are intrinsic to females can bring about this particular condition. These changes may include PMS, menstruation, pregnancy and menopause.
They start to believe that they will never be able to sleep well without consuming sleeping pills and hence develop a habit.
-Detailed case taking is done in Homoeopathy to understand the patient, his or her life situation, stress factors, anxiety and habits which lead to decreased sleep.
Homoeopathic pills neither have side effects nor are habit forming. It helps the patient stabilize the body and the circadian rhythm and eventually get to back to normal sleep routine.
Along with Homoeopathy, addition of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is preferable.
CBT helps you change actions or thoughts that hurt your ability to sleep well. It helps you develop habits that promote a healthy pattern of sleep.
The introduction of :
- sleep hygiene (bedroom environment, avoid alcohol or caffeine, exercising)
- stimulus control (avoiding too much thinking, using the bed literally to sleep only) and
- Relaxation training (progressive muscle relaxation)
is done with the help of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
Case of Migraine
Ms. H.S, 28 year old female, complained of recurrent episodes of headache with vomiting .She had a habit of popping in a pain killer every time she had headache ,as she use to be in office and found it difficult to function with the pain. She would only be better with vomiting. Headaches usually were one sided , typical of a migraine. When she consulted for Homoeopathic treatment, she seemed to be a very closed person who found it difficult to express any of her emotions. Being unmarried bothered her a lot. She admitted to have these thoughts constantly play on her mind. Hence after this case taking, constitutional homoeopathic medicines were prescribed. Initially she found it difficult to do away with the painkillers out of her habit, but then she improved gradually with the pain. The severity and frequency of the headaches reduced and she felt much better in her mind state. She is completely off all the painkillers.