HEADACHES, or pains in the head, arise from a multiplicity of causes. In general they may be divided into two great groups: Those due to changes in tension within the brain, largely brought about by changes in the blood vessels. Sick headache — so-called congestive headache—or they are really not headaches, but various forms of pain about the head and face — neuralgias of various kinds. Headaches are for the most part of the first variety and are related to changes in the vascularity of the brain structures, which blood-vessel changes result from a complicated series of events. The simplest are the headaches due to blood-vessels' reactions to infections. These infections may be of various kinds — influenza, measles, typhoid, malaria, etc. The general systemic reaction, as recorded in the brain structures, serves as a notice to consciousness through pain that some thing is wrong. Quiet is enforced and atten tion intelligently directed toward finding the faulty function. These headaches are usually self-limited. When the infection involves the brain or meningeal structures then various forms of meningitis arise with their own special of headache. (See MENINGITTS). Emotional
disturbances, however, are the most frequent cause for headaches. Nearly all of the head aches called stomach or intestinal are in reality emotional. The reaction to the emotions often unconscious, and taking place during the night life even, and often headaches are present on awakening in the morning — is to bring about states of altered pressure within the brain, which are registered as headaches. This form of emotional headache may be thought of as a scapegoat, a bodily carrier for faulty managanent of unconscious wishes. Similar headaches from pressure of organs within the brain are not infrequent. Thus in growing adolescents, pituitary pressure may cause severe headaches. With enlargement of the sella turcica such headaches may clear up. In certain types of kidney disturbance, severe headaches occur also. Anarmia is mainly the cause here. Poisoning from withheld products healthfully eliminated by the kidneys may also account for some of these. Consult For scheimer's of Head aches.