Tension Headaches in TEOTWAWKI

Headaches aren’t my thing.  I might get one or two a year, and almost always due to lack of sleep or dehydration.  Sleep and drink, and it goes away.  Aaron isn’t affected by them much, either.  Becky was for a while, but that was a long time ago, pre-blog.  And so, I guess that’s why I haven’t researched them.  That, and the fact that I thought I had.

“Bad” headaches and patterns associated with them were covered last week.  So what about “normal” headaches?  What’s the best way to manage them?  How do we prevent them?  When do they become a health concern?

When things go splat, there will be more than enough headaches to go around.  They’ll be caused by the following:

• Hunger, because there is no food, or because those who do have food got busy with other tasks.
• Dehydration, because there isn’t enough clean water, or because they got busy and forgot to hydrate.
• Stress, because they didn’t prepare, or because they are surrounded by people who didn’t prepare.
• Infections, particularly those associated with fevers
• Hypertension
• Caffeine or alcohol withdrawal
• Fumes[1]

Tension headaches develop in the back of the neck, temples, forehead, or entire head.[2]  This most common of headaches occurs due to muscle spasms, usually affects both sides of the head, and may be the result of stress, anxiety, depression, injury, or the head or neck being in an unusual position.  Lack of sleep, poor posture, and teeth grinding may also play a role.[3]  These headaches last anywhere from 30 minutes up to a week.[4]

Treatment for all headaches includes:

• Retreating to a dark, quiet room reduces the sensory stimulation and may reduce the pain. [5]
• Bed rest is as good for the brain as it is the body.  Encourage the patient not to think too much.  No reading. [6]
• Elderly patients with an unending headache without other neurological symptoms may have giant cell arteritis. [7]
• Underlying causes of headaches, like infection, hypertension, dental issues, trauma, and neck problems, must be considered and treated accordingly. [8]
• Symptomatic treatment with pain relievers, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers, nausea medication, and sleep aids.[9] Aspirin, 900-1200 mg, or acetaminophen for pain.  Ondansetron or cyclizine for nausea.  Benadryl also works.[10]
• I found it odd that only one off-grid text mentioned using caffeine to treat a headache (2 aspirin tables with a cup of strong coffee).[11]  Excedrin and Vanquish both include caffeine in their formulation and are specifically marketed for relieving headaches. 
• Reassuring the patient that nothing is seriously wrong, even if the pain is severe, is as critical as pain relief.[12]
• Apply a cool cloth to the afflicted area.  Massage the affected area. 

The herbs most useful for tension headaches combine antispasmodic and sedative effects.

Arrowleaf balsamroot

Basil (essential oil)

Bee balm

Cabbage

Catnip

Chamomile

Chrysanthemum

Elder

Forsythia

Garlic

German chamomile

Ginger

Goldenrod

Gumweed

Isatis

Japanese honeysuckle

Jimsonweed

Lamb’s quarter

Lavender

Lemon balm

Onion

Passionflower

Peppermint

Plantain

Purslane

Quaking aspen

Rosemary

Russian olive

Sagebrush

Snowball bush

Spearmint

Sunflower

Usnea

Valerian

Willow

Yarrow

Sorry, I'm not providing links for everything today.  Use the search bar at the right. Or find everything in Armageddon Pharmacy.  ;)

---

[1] Joseph Alton, Survival Medicine Handbook, 4^th Edition, 186.

[2] Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, 2012, 358.

[3] Joseph Alton, Survival Medicine Handbook, 4^th Edition, 2021, 186.

[4] Joseph Alton, Survival Medicine Handbook, 4^th Edition, 2021, 186.

[5] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3^rd Edition, 2017, 128.

[6] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3^rd Edition, 2017, 128.

[7] Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, 2012, 358.

[8] Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, 2012, 358.

[9] Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, 2012, 358.

[10] Survival and Austere Medicine, 3^rd Edition, 2017, 128.

[11] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1992, 162.

[12] Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, 2012, 358.