Page 23 - Seniorstoday October 2022 Issue
P. 23
be a symptom of spinal tumors. worst pain ever experienced. It could be
Types – acute: Begins suddenly and lasts accompanied by neck stiffness, sensitivity
few weeks. Responds to rest and home to light, double vision, confusion or
remedies. unconsciousness.
Sub-acute : persists from 6 weeks to 3 A brain tumor also gives rise to
months, and it may require investigations headaches, which are aggravated at night,
and medical intervention. while sleeping or just after waking up.
Chronic : Lasting over 3 months, this pain Sneezing or coughing can aggravate these
can be moderate to severe and may not headaches too.
respond to treatments, requiring medical Ophthalmalgia (Eye pain)
and/ or surgical intervention. Eye pain is usually the result of an injury-
a foreign particle in the eye, wearing
lenses for a long time. But there are certain
conditions giving rise to deeper, more
severe issues.
Ocular pain is more superficial, caused by
rubbing the eye or presence of a foreign
object. It is often accompanied by burning
or itching. Washing the eye and anti-
allergic eye drops usually give relief.
Orbital pain is more severe, could be
shooting or gritty. It requires a closer
investigation and treatment. Some of the
Headache causes of orbital pain are:
Most of us have suffered through a - Glaucoma – Affecting the optic nerve,
headache at some time orb the other. There this disease is characterized by increased
are a lot of reasons for a headache- stress, intra ocular pressure. Along with pain the
hypertension, fever, to name a few. individual could also complain of nausea,
- Migraine – A migraine is generally patchy or blurred vision and redness of
described as a one sided headache, the eye. Left untreated, glaucoma leads to
shooting or hammering. It is sometimes blindness.
preceded by an “aura”- a sensation which
people recognize as the beginning of
migraine. Migraine can be accompanied
by nausea, vomiting, intolerance to light.
There is usually a triggering factor which
causes migraine; it could be sun exposure,
hunger, very bright light.
- Aneurysm – A brain aneurysm is a
ballooning of the blood vessel of the brain,
which has a tendency to rupture, causing
a hemorrhage. The bursting aneurysm
causes pain, described as excruciating, the
SENIORS TODAY | ISSUE #40 | OCTOBER 2022 23
