All causes of headaches. Headaches: causes, types, diagnosis and treatment. Headache from different angles

Headache is quite common, especially given the modern rhythm of life and the amount of physical and mental stress. But in case of seizures, it would be nice to know the cause and methods of pain relief. Especially if the head hurts, but the cause cannot be determined, or if the sensations have acquired a different character than before.

Let's figure out together what the reasons may be, and what needs to be done to get rid of the pain.

Pain by localization

If the head hurts in a certain place, this may indicate a certain disease of a separate part of the head. Or be a signal of a violation in the work of other body systems. According to the localization of the headache, there are several possible areas of pain:

Whiskey;
Nape;
forehead area;
Girdle tension;
Inside head;
In the neck area.

Situational causes

Judging by the circumstances of the occurrence of pain, then experts distinguish between two types: primary and symptomatic. Both categories depend on different phenomena to which the organism has undergone. Primary manifestations include:

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Irina Martynova. Graduated from the Voronezh State Medical University. N.N. Burdenko. Clinical intern and neurologist of BUZ VO \"Moscow Polyclinic\".

Migraine;
Voltage;
bundle headache;
Phenomena not associated with structural lesions.

Symptomatic pain may be associated with:

head injury;
vascular disorders;
non-vascular cranial disorders;
Eating or avoiding certain nutrients;
infection;
metabolic disorders;
Pathology of the skull and other head departments.

High or low pressure

With low blood pressure, the nature of the pain can be different. It can be a dull pain, pressing, paroxysmal or throbbing. The peculiarity of this phenomenon is that pain in arterial hypotension is not pronounced. May appear after overexertion or daytime sleep. Such sensations can cover both the whole head and separate areas (frontal, occipital, parietal).

Sometimes nausea and vomiting may appear as concomitant symptoms that are not localized in the head area.

At high pressure, the pain is characterized by continuity and a sensation of pulsation. Most often, discomfort is localized in the back of the head. Severe pain can appear only in two cases: there has been a sharp jump in pressure or the diastolic pressure indicator is at around 120 or more.

Neck and back of the head

The neck or back of the head can hurt for the following reasons:

Neuralgia of the occipital nerve;
Syndrome of the vertebral artery;
Spinal nerve syndrome;
Posterior cervical sympathetic syndrome;
Neck migraine.

Pain in such diseases is displayed on the side, starting from the cervical-occipital region, and moving to the forehead and temporal regions.

The main symptom may be accompanied by other phenomena: dizziness, autonomic disorders.

Whiskey

Pain in the temporal region mainly manifested by pulsating sharp shocks. This is due to the fact that it is in this part that the temporal artery is located. Pain can disturb you for several minutes, and sometimes hours. The intensity of pain depends on the characteristics of the organism. The causes may be infectious diseases or migraines, or jumps in blood pressure.

back of the head

Causes of neck pain are directly related to the frantic pace of life and the modern lifestyle of the population. Everything related to sensitivity, stress, psychology manifests itself directly in the back of the head or cervical spine. Pain is mild and short-lived.

Sometimes discomfort can be caused by traumatic brain injuries, hematomas and violations of the integrity of the vertebrae.

As a result of this, pinching of nerves, blood vessels, accumulation of leucorus fluid can occur, which causes pain in the back of the head.

crown

Pain at the top of the head is usually distributed over the entire surface of the head and descends in waves below (from the crown to the forehead, etc.). Thus, a "helmet feel" may be observed. In addition to pain, the patient may feel tinnitus, pulsation in the temples. And the reasons could be:

Voltage;
Fatigue;
cluster pain;
Injuries;
Migraine.

Tension headache

The so-called episodic stress manifested by attacks (from half an hour to several days). The frequency of attacks depends on the characteristics of the body and the cause that caused the pain. Sometimes this phenomenon becomes chronic.

The nature of the pain is mild or moderate. Rarely, when the pain becomes unbearable, but even in this case, they are stopped by analgesics.

Causes:

emotional stress;
Physical tension of the head and neck.

Headache from different angles

The left half of the head may suffer due to osteochondrosis.

The pain in this case becomes aching and pulling. If it is caused by methosensitivity, then sharp spasms and shooting pains are possible in the left side. Heaviness may be felt in the head and body. Also, the left side of the head may hurt due to infection or curvature of the spine. In any case, an appointment with a neurologist will not be superfluous. It might even save your life.

Pain in the forehead

Causes of pain in the forehead can be the following:

Mental overwork (pain passes from the neck to the back of the head, temples and affects one or two eyes);
Sinusitis (tension in the sinuses, worsening of breathing);
Increased intracranial pressure (covers the forehead, temples, back of the head or the entire head);
Frontit (in the morning hours);
Inflammation of the membranes of the frontal and ethmoid sinuses (attacks);
Infection (severe dull headache, fever).

Head and back pain

Neuralgia is the most common disease that causes headaches. Also, ENT diseases can cause, such as:

sinusitis;
Pharyngitis;
Sinusitis;
adenoids etc.

Neuralgia can be caused by viruses and, through the development of an infection, causes an acute headache.

Also, the cause of pain can be (prolonged work at the computer, with small print, with papers).

Pain after sleep

Often, people who suffer from sleep disturbances experience discomfort in the morning. After all, it’s true that it’s difficult to get enough sleep and be alert in the morning when you haven’t slept all night. But in addition to sleep disturbance, there are other causes of such situational pain:

Low levels of natural analgesics in the blood (their recovery occurs between 4 and 8 in the morning);
The presence of various products on the hair during sleep;
Drinking caffeine before bed
Sudden refusal of caffeine;
Excess sleep;
Lack of sleep.

weather change

How often do we hear that the head hurts because of the weather or rain and the like. But this is officially confirmed by researchers: jumps in atmospheric pressure negatively affect the level of oxygen in the blood. Thus, the blood vessels narrow or expand, and this causes a headache.

Especially in the period before the rain, when the atmospheric pressure is at low levels, the pain in the head begins to progress.

head tilts

Pain when bending over is individual in nature, and you can’t confuse it with anything. Such a manifestation in most cases indicates sinusitis (sinusitis). In addition to pain in the head, there may be pain in the cheeks, cheekbones, teeth, eyes, and sinuses. When tilted, the pressure increases noticeably and this does not go unnoticed. In addition to the classic sinusitis, other similar diseases can also cause a similar phenomenon:

Frontitis (frontal sinus);
Sphenoiditis (sphenoid sinus).

Getting up abruptly

Pain when standing up refers to situational pain. And the reason could be:

Lumbar puncture;
Head injury;
orthostatic hypotension;
Neurosurgical interventions;
Anatomical features;
genetic features.

Pain on movement

Pain when turning speaks of a spasm of the anterior portion of the trapezius muscle, levator scapula and other muscles. Pain when bending to the side may indicate a spasm of the platysma and deep muscles of the neck. And other similar symptoms are signs of diseases of the muscles of the cervical or clavicular regions.

An accurate diagnosis can only be made by a doctor.

After drinking

When alcohol enters the body, it begins to dehydrate the body, as a result of which a person urinates more often. The body also begins to reduce the amount of glucose produced, causing the body to crave even more water and causing a headache. Alcohol also tends to dilate blood vessels, which can again cause headaches.

after smoking

Smoking contributes to the violation of oxygen metabolism in the body, thereby reducing its level in the blood.

In addition, nicotine constricts blood vessels, which leads to a sharp headache.

After hookah

A headache after smoking a hookah can appear under the following circumstances:

Smoking on an empty stomach;
Dehydration;
The steam is too strong;
Smoking out of habit;
Big breath of smoke.

The pain is felt sharp and mostly in the back of the head.

Sometimes it can be pulsating.

After meal

A similar phenomenon happens very rarely, but if this happens, you need to figure out what caused it:

Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose);
Intoxication;
Violation of the diet;
Poisoning.

After caffeine

Caffeine itself is quite a strong substance, and if you combine it with other symptoms or problems in the body, then not very happy consequences are possible. The reason may be:

High blood pressure;
Overwork;
Increased sugar levels (sweet coffee);
Overdose of caffeine;
Bean coffee (strong)

After training

It would seem that sport should heal the body, but sometimes everything is quite the opposite. The most common reasons:

Increased intracranial pressure (pain is felt throughout the head);
Physical tension (belt around the head);
High blood pressure (pulsation);
Depressive state;
Withdrawal syndrome after taking analgesics;
Neuralgia of nerves;
Stretching of muscles and ligaments;
Barotrauma.

The pain of hunger

Hungry fainting, “sucking in the spoon”, exhausted look are sure signs that you urgently need to be fed. But seriously, the pain in the forehead, uniform and aching, indicates starvation for 16 hours. A single cause of such phenomena has not yet been established, however, it is not worth eating too much to moderate the symptoms.

It is better to eat a small apple or banana and wait at least an hour for the food to digest.

After a long sleep

Let's take a look and find out the true reason for this phenomenon:

Violation of the rhythm of life and daily routine;
Abuse of caffeine;
Sleeping in an uncomfortable place or position;
Drop in glucose levels;
Heavy smoking before bed
Overeating at night;
Stress.

Pain and tinnitus

If, in addition to a headache, you are tormented by tinnitus, most likely not everything is as good with your body as it seemed. There are several reasons for this phenomenon:

Fatigue;
Age;
Aneurysm;
Atherosclerosis;
Violations in the cervical region;
Depression and weakness;
Increased blood pressure;
concussion;
Anemia;
Failures in the work of the heart;
a tumor in the brain;
hormonal disorder;
Prolonged use of medications.

In addition to tinnitus, there may also be a ringing or dull noise in the head.

In this case, you need to relax, relax. And if it doesn’t go away, then the reason is already much more serious than stress or fatigue. Therefore, you need to see a doctor.

Nausea, vomiting and dizziness

If you have a headache and feel sick, but there are no other signs of food poisoning, then we can say that nausea is a side symptom. Most often, such phenomena are caused by malfunctions in the nervous system. And to find out what exactly led to such a result, only a neurologist can. In addition to neuralgia, there may be other reasons:

Migraine;
Brain tumor;
Meningitis;
Borreliosis;
arterial hypertension.

If, in addition to the above signs, dizziness is observed, then it is worth considering another list of possible causes:

Rotavirus;
intestinal fungus;
Food poisoning.

Abdominal pain

Headache along with abdominal pain can be provoked by such phenomena:

stomach flu;
Encephalitis;
Hangover;
food poisoning;
Pregnancy;
Thermoneurosis.

head numbness

Numbness is a temporary circulatory disorder that causes tingling in the muscles and skin. But the plus is that when you change the position of the body, the syndrome disappears.

A light massage will help restore the normal state.

Acupressure head massage

Acupressure of the head is one of the methods that can be used at home. You can also make an appointment with a professional massage therapist for a more serious treatment. The bottom line is that throughout the body there are points that affect different organs of our body. And stroking, pressing on undefined points, you can get rid of unpleasant sensations. The impact should take place within 3-5 minutes. To relieve a migraine, for example, you need to act on points on the arms, legs, stomach and head.

Psychosomatics

Headache can be caused not only by physical disorders in the body. Psychological phenomena can also be the cause. A similar phenomenon is called psychosomatics and it is associated with personal problems. There is a list of experiences and reasons that can lead to such symptoms and diseases:

Dependence on someone else's opinion;
The pursuit of excellence;
Suppression of emotions;
Negative thinking.

Pain with VSD

With VVD, it is difficult to determine the area and nature of the pain, since it manifests itself differently in all patients. Some complain of a burning sensation in the head, while others complain of numbness or emptiness.

Most often, the cause is pressure surges, which is just typical for VVD.

Pain from a brain tumor

With a brain tumor, discomfort first manifests itself in several parts of the head. An unequivocal symptom is exceptional pain on one side of the head. Moreover, the disease reacts sharply to analgesics and antispasmodics. There may also be memory impairment, loss of concentration, focus.

Features in men and women

Women are more prone to migraine and tension headaches. While men are more likely to experience cluster pain, or during sexual arousal.

In both sexes, pain can also occur with hormonal imbalances.

Features in children

In children, pain in the head area mainly indicates the presence of a viral infection. The doctor will be able to confirm such a diagnosis after examining the child and studying the anamnesis. But if no serious diseases are found, then it can be assumed that the child simply wants to eat or digests food.

Treatment

Headache treatment, like any other, begins with a diagnosis (mostly with an MRI for headaches or CT scans) and a determination of the cause.

To achieve quick positive results, the doctor may prescribe medications or other methods, such as acupuncture, magnetic or laser therapy, and others.

What to do at home?

Before contacting a doctor, you can use several methods that will help in the question of how to remove a headache:

Take an analgesic (small dose);
Essential oil in tincture or aromatherapy;
Strong tea;
Room ventilation.

Folk methods of treatment

The most popular folk method of treatment is tincture. It may contain various herbs and extracts, but the most common ingredients are:

Mint;
Lemon;
Propolis;
Copper coin.

What pills help?

Doctors may prescribe a course of medication for you. These can be pills, injections, or other therapies. The lightest and most popular are tablets, namely the active substances:

Analgin - enhances heat transfer;
Aspirin - antipyretic, analgesic;
Paracetamol is the safest;
Ibuprofen is the most effective and allows even infants.

Ointments and gels

When relieving symptoms, ointments and gels are not used so often, but some still turn to the Soviet Asterisk ointment.

Rubbing individual areas will help calm the pain in some cases. If it doesn't help, it will make it easier.

injections

Injections are much faster and more effective than pills. Therefore, groups such as NSAIDs are used, which are part of diclofenac, drotaverine and other drugs. But it is better, in case of terrible pain that is not relieved by pills, consult a doctor.

In which case immediately see a doctor?

You need to see a doctor immediately if you notice these symptoms:

severe chest pain;
shortness of breath;
Symptoms of a stroke;
Numbness and weakness;
loss of vision;
incomprehension of speech;
Nausea, vomiting (sudden);
Sharp headache;
Sudden attack of dizziness, loss of consciousness.

Crib

Causes of pain: migraine, tension, trauma, vascular disorders, nutritional deficiencies, infection, metabolic disorders, cranial disorders, head pathologies.
Diagnosis consists of: history taking, MRI or tomography.
At home, you can help yourself: taking analgesics (analgin, aspirin, paracetamol, ibuprofen), aromatherapy, strong tea, airing the room.
Alternative therapy - taking tinctures based on mint, lemon, propolis.
Physiotherapy includes: acupressure, acupuncture, magnet or laser.
Seek immediate medical attention if these symptoms occur: chest pain, shortness of breath, loss of vision, nausea and vomiting, dizziness, loss of consciousness.

There is no condition more frequent and more numerous and varied than headache.
More G.A. Zakharyin wrote in 1889: “Painful conditions of the soft parts of the head and bones of the skull and face, so many nerves of the head, organs of higher senses, and most importantly the brain, in which, in addition to its independent lesions, affect in different ways the influence of disorders in all other parts of the body , here are the causes of headache frequency or severity.” A headache is any painful sensation in the head.

Possible Causes of a Headache

Every person, even a healthy person, has had a headache at some point. Any catarrhal disease with an increase in temperature such as acute respiratory infections, acute respiratory viral infections will definitely give an intense headache. Stress, changing weather conditions, overeating and malnutrition, sleep disturbances, overheating and hypothermia, physical overexertion, smoking, alcohol, any disease or condition that leads to oxygen starvation and malnutrition of the brain and its membranes will lead to a headache. Headache is present in many diseases, and sometimes it can be the only and leading manifestation of the disease. Headache can be caused by pathology of any structures of the head and neck.

The development of headache is based on irritation of pain receptors of the dura mater, cerebral arteries, trigeminal, glossopharyngeal, vagus and skin nerves, head muscles, cervical spinal roots. The most severe headache occurs when the vessels, cranial nerves, and dura mater are irritated, since they are richly supplied with nerve sensitive receptors responsible for pain sensitivity. Neurochemical changes cause headache and affect the emotional-behavioral aspect of pain perception. The emotional component determines the degree of suffering, facial expressions, gestures, posture, verbal description of pain.

The headache may be throbbing, squeezing, bursting, dull; mild, moderate and severe, unilateral and bilateral, frontal with a feeling of pressure on the eyes, temporal, parietal, occipital; different duration and frequency; with and without harbingers; with concomitant neurological symptoms and without it; with an increase in blood pressure and with a decrease in blood pressure; with nausea and vomiting; with dizziness; with visual impairments ... as you can see, the variety of suffering and combinations are enormous. Intensity, duration, localization, nature of the course, frequency are important for the diagnosis.

The head can sometimes ache in a healthy person, but intense, first-time pain, often recurring, of the same type, growing must necessarily lead to a doctor. The main thing is not to miss a serious illness addicted to analgesics.

According to the international classification, a headache is distinguished:
- migraine,
- tension headache,
- cluster headache,
- headache not associated with a structural brain lesion,
- with traumatic brain injury,
- with vascular diseases,
- in diseases of intracranial structures,
- when taking medications, chemicals and their withdrawal,
- with infections,
- with metabolic disorders,
- with pathology of the cranial nerves.

Headache can be primary, that is, be the main manifestation of the disease: tension headache, with migraine, cluster headache, idiopathic headache, pain from external pressure, cold pain, pain during physical exertion, sexual activity.

cluster headache

Secondary headache is a headache as a manifestation of another disease: head injury, vascular disease, intracranial disease, infection and intoxication, metabolic disorders. Secondary headaches can result from a myriad of causes, ranging from life-threatening causes such as brain tumors, strokes, meningitis, and subarachnoid hemorrhages to less serious but common causes such as caffeine abuse and withdrawal from analgesics (pain medicine). Many people suffer from a "mixed" type of tension headache, in which a secondary headache can trigger a migraine.

Diseases that may be symptomatic of headache

Headache is a mandatory symptom in vascular diseases: vegetative-vascular dystonia, hypertension, transient ischemic attack, stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, intracerebral hematoma, vascular malformation, arteritis, venous dyscirculation.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia can give a very diverse headache and its combination with dizziness, nausea, neurotic disorders, fluctuations in blood pressure. Exacerbations often occur with changes in weather conditions, neuro-emotional overload.

At hypertension headache is more often localized in the occipital region, bursting, combined with fever in the head, dizziness, noise in the head, flashing "flies" before the eyes, staggering, nausea, pain in the heart.

Venous dysfunction will give a dull bilateral headache in the evening and morning, heaviness in the head, pressure, distension.

At acute stroke its first symptom will be an intense sharp headache.

At temporal arteritis- throbbing severe headache in the temporal region.

Headache with vascular diseases combined with impaired cognitive functions, asthenia, emotional lability.

Headache occurs when traumatic brain injury- bruises, concussion, brain contusion, brain compression, epi- and subdural hematomas. Acute traumatic brain injury is always accompanied by a headache. Depending on the severity of the injury and the degree of loss of consciousness, the pain will be of varying intensity and localization, accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Sometimes with traumatic hematomas, a delayed headache, that is, immediately after the injury, everything is fine (“bright gap”), and after some time the condition worsens, an intense headache and focal neurological symptoms appear. Headache can be a consequence of a traumatic brain injury, with a violation of liquorodynamics.

Headache will be a symptom meningitis, encephalitis, infectious viral and bacterial nature, viral infections. Acute infection always debuts with high fever and headache, diffuse, bursting, heaviness, with a feeling of pressure on the eyes and ears, often with nausea and vomiting. In the future, neurological symptoms join in the case of meningitis and encephalitis, in the case of acute respiratory infections - a runny nose, sore throat, cough ...

Headache occurs with a single or prolonged taking nitrates, alcohol, ergotamine, analgesics, caffeine, drugs, contraceptives, hormonal drugs.

Headache occurs when hypoxia of any origin.

Headache will be a symptom of eye diseases - glaucoma, strabismus, refractive errors. With glaucoma, the patient may experience a headache, which is dull, aching in nature, often combined with pain inside the eye, behind the eye. The patient feels, as it were, a feeling of fullness, heaviness behind the eye and in the head. This is primarily due to high intraocular pressure.

Headache will be present diseases of the ear and paranasal sinuses, teeth. Localization of pain will correspond to the zone of inflammation - above the maxillary sinus or above the front, shooting in the ear, associated with movement of the jaws, chewing.

Headache is a must neuralgia of the cranial nerves: trigeminal, glossopharyngeal, occipital. This is a short-term paroxysmal very strong pain, stabbing, “shooting”, “like an electric shock”, in the zone of innervation of the affected nerve. More often, an attack is provoked by talking, swallowing, chewing, brushing your teeth, shaving, washing with cold water, emotions, physical activity, touching trigger points. From intense pain, the patient freezes, does not speak, does not eat. There is no pain in the interictal period.

Headache occurs when pathology of the cervical spine- degenerative-dystrophic pathology, instability of the cervical vertebrae, discogenic radicular symptoms. At the same time, the head hurts more often in the occipital or occipital-parietal region and neck, the pain is associated with turning the head, tilting the head forward, and the neck muscles are also painful. The pain may be dull, severe, or it may be intense, prolonged, often unilateral localization, with possible irradiation to the shoulder girdle and arm. Cervicogenic headache is provoked by mechanical factors - movements in the cervical region, forced uncomfortable long posture, hypothermia, external pressure on the neck muscles or spinous processes of the cervical spine.

Headache may be a symptom of metabolic disorders in cancer, diabetes, kidney failure. The headache is dull, severe, aching, constant or increasing, accompanied by cognitive impairment and asthenia.

Headache due to infectious diseases

Headache is a fairly common symptom in infectious diseases. Most often this is a consequence of intoxication, i.e. exposure to the body of a sick person of toxins of a microorganism (most often with influenza, SARS). In this case, the headache occurs against the background of typical signs of intoxication - fever, sometimes chills, muscle aches, pain in the eyes. Most often, a headache with colds and flu is of moderate intensity, and disappears after taking antipyretics.

However, headache is also a characteristic sign of a formidable disease - meningococcal infection. With the most dangerous forms of meningococcal infection - meningococcemia (when microorganisms enter the bloodstream) and meningococcal meningitis (with damage to the meninges) - headache is one of the first symptoms. Meningococcal infection is extremely dangerous, there are fulminant forms of the disease, leading to death in a few hours; Timely diagnosis of the disease is essential for successful treatment.

In all cases, except for the headache, there are symptoms of underlying diseases. The physician is responsible for the differential diagnosis.

Examination of a patient with headache

Given the variety of causes that can cause a headache, the patient needs a comprehensive examination. Consultations of an ophthalmologist, therapist, neurologist, if necessary, a neurosurgeon, an infectious disease specialist are necessary.

Of the laboratory tests, the most commonly used are a complete blood count, sugar, lipid profile, then as needed. Functional examination includes dopplerography, electroencephalography, computed and magnetic resonance imaging, examination of the cervical spine and thyroid gland. The volume of scheduled examinations is individual and is prescribed taking into account all the patient's complaints and detected somatic diseases.

Headache treatment

Headache treatment depends on the type and severity of the headache and other factors such as the age of the patient. Treatment of headache, as a symptom of these diseases, is to treat the underlying disease. Having established an accurate diagnosis, the doctor will prescribe treatment.

To relieve acute headaches, analgesics are used - non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - paracetamol, ibuprofen and combined preparations based on them with the addition of antispasmodics, caffeine - solpadein, pentalgin, panadol, imet, noshpalgin ... tablets and capsules, instant powders and effervescent tablets - a huge arsenal in pain. You can take it on your own once or twice, but long-term use is unacceptable - you need to go to the doctor, look for and eliminate the cause of the headache.

Depending on the diagnosis, valproates, gabapentins, muscle relaxants, sedatives, B vitamins, venotonics, diuretics, antioxidants, neuroprotectors, vascular drugs can be used.

Physiotherapy can be used for treatment - darsonvalization of the head and cervical-collar zone, electrophoresis, acupuncture, massage, water procedures, spa treatment. I repeat once again - the doctor will prescribe the treatment individually. You can not choose the drug from the proposed list and be treated. The doctor will explain what means can be used to stop a severe attack in your case, what to take as a preventive measure. After all, if the cause of the headache, for example, is a brain tumor, then pills cannot be cured, an operation in the neurosurgical department will be required. Abuse of analgesics as self-medication can cause a number of side effects from the gastrointestinal tract, liver, and kidneys.

Headache consultation

Question: What is an overuse headache?
Answer: this is a headache caused by regular chronic medication - analgesics - aspirin, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, barbiturates, benzodiazepine drugs, ergotamine. Chronic use of pills becomes a "lifestyle", the analgesic effect decreases, the number of pills increases.
Abuse headache should bother at least 15 days a month, increase when the drug is discontinued, and disappear approximately one month after the drug is discontinued. For treatment, it is necessary to cancel the drug on an outpatient or inpatient basis with the appointment of symptomatic drugs to relieve side effects. For prevention, it is necessary not to abuse these groups of drugs.

Question: how to reduce headaches with a cold?
Answer: take quickly soluble forms of medicines - coldrex, fervex, solpadeni, have a noshpa, you can rub your temples and forehead with fresh lemon, take hawthorn compote, multivitamins.

Question: what kind of headache is especially dangerous?

If the headache is accompanied by vomiting, especially in cases where vomiting does not bring relief
If the headache does not go away after taking antipyretic - painkillers
If neck pain makes it difficult to lift your head off the pillow from a lying position
In the event of any disturbance of consciousness
When a rash appears. For meningococcal infection, a hemorrhagic rash is characteristic - i.e. small hemorrhages in the skin, which look like dark red spots that do not protrude above the level of the skin, do not turn pale when pressed. Occur most often on the buttocks, shins, abdomen, then can spread throughout the body.

Doctor - neurologist Kobzeva S.V.

Headaches can be with the pathology of the spine, diseases of the nervous system, heart and blood vessels, when taking certain medications, viral infections, as a complication during pregnancy. Headache is characteristic of brain tumors. To distinguish its signs, an x-ray examination, magnetic resonance imaging and analysis of cerebrospinal fluid are performed. The symptoms and treatment of cephalalgia are closely related. Treatment of headaches includes stopping the attack and eliminating their cause.

Definition

Headache is the most common symptom of various diseases. The frequency of its occurrence is influenced by sex, age and previous illnesses. Headaches are diagnosed from infants in the first days of life to the elderly. They have a number of mechanisms of occurrence, so effective treatment of headache in some cases is difficult.

Classification

The classification of headache divides them depending on the mechanism of occurrence and the underlying disease. In this regard, the classification distinguishes between primary (occurs when the nervous system is damaged) and secondary (a symptom of other pathological conditions) cephalalgia.

Headache and its classification helps to separate the types of headaches according to their causes.

The mechanism of occurrence of cephalgia

The nature of the headache depends on the mechanism of its development. There are the following types of headaches depending on the cause:

vascular;
muscle tension;
liquorodynamic;
neuralgic;
infectious.

One disease in different people can have several mechanisms for the onset of an attack and a different nature of headaches.

Type of headache	Development mechanism	Description of the headache
Vascular (has 3 subspecies)	Overflow of blood vessels at the moment of contraction of the heart. Typical for hypertensive patients	Pulsating. It may hurt half the head or in a small area, over time it can spread throughout the head. The patient clearly indicates the localization of discomfort
	A spasm of the vessel is characteristic, its wall swells, the lumen narrows. The tissue in this place does not receive enough nutrients and oxygen, feels their lack	There is a feeling of squeezing. There may be nausea, flashing black dots before the eyes, tinnitus, a feeling of "falling the ground from under the feet"
	Due to the obstruction of outflow through the veins, they overflow with blood	An attack occurs after a long stay of the neck in one position. Spreading, dull. The whole head hurts. Often occurs in the morning, gradually disappears when standing upright. The face becomes pasty, the eyelids swell
muscular	Spasm of the muscles of the neck and upper back, deterioration of the blood supply to brain tissue	Bilateral, obsessive, monotonous, squeezing. Wearing tight hats, pulling hair into a bun provokes an attack. The muscles of the shoulder girdle are tense
Liquorodynamic	Occurs when intracranial pressure increases as a result of obstruction of the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid	Bursting, aggravated by tension and coughing
neuralgic	Appears in the pathology of the nervous system	Sharp, burning, cutting. Attacks are short in time, can follow one after another. The patient tries not to make unnecessary movements, freezes in place in one position. It always occurs after a certain situation - touching any part of the skin, while chewing food, brushing your teeth. Gives to other parts of the body
infectious	In the presence of a pathological infectious process in the body. There is a toxic effect of the waste products of microbes and their destroyed cells on the human body	Occurs against the background of temperature, accompanied by general weakness, drowsiness. Lasts for a long time

The effectiveness of its treatment depends on the correct definition of the mechanism of occurrence of the symptom in question.

What diseases are

Headache occurs as a symptom of a number of diseases.

Diseases of the nervous system:

migraine (often affects half the head);
tumors of the nervous system;
inflammatory diseases of the meninges and brain.

Pathology of the musculoskeletal system:

osteochondrosis;
trauma;
posture disorder.

Diseases of the heart and blood vessels:

hypertonic disease;
hypotension;
heart defects;
pathology of vascular development.

Infectious diseases:

acute viral infections;
purulent inflammation of the ears, nose, sinuses, tonsils.

Hormonal disorders:

premenstrual syndrome;
climax.

Acute poisoning:

medicines;
poisons that affect the nervous system.

Blood diseases:

anemia;
polycythemia.

skull tumors;
brain metastases from tumors in other organs.

A number of drugs (for example, nitroglycerin) have a side effect in which a headache occurs (covers half the head or the entire head).

Why does the head hurt in men and women? In middle-aged people, the cause of headaches may lie in the violation of sleep and rest, frequent nervous stress, alcohol abuse, strong coffee and smoking. In older people, the causes lie in various diseases.

Characteristics of headache in the pathology of the spine depends on the presence of dysfunction of the spinal cord. What headaches occur with cervical osteochondrosis and vertebral injuries?

In the initial stage of osteochondrosis, due to irritation of the nerve plexuses, there is a change in the lumen of the vessels through which blood enters the brain. Vessels constrict or, on the contrary, expand too much. As a result, the blood supply to the brain deteriorates. With the progression of osteochondrosis, the vertebrae begin to shift and the condition worsens.

Headache syndrome includes:

pain in the head is localized mainly in the occipital region;
may begin after an awkward movement of the neck;
has a sharp, burning, shooting character;
accompanied by tinnitus;
may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting;
in severe cases, vision may deteriorate, black dots appear before the eyes.

Headaches often occur when working with the neck held high.

Migraine is a disease in which headache occurs as a result of dysfunction of the autonomic part of the nervous system. In this case, there is an increased excitability of the vegetative centers, to any irritants. Pain in the head most often cover half the head.

Can headaches occur during pregnancy? Preeclampsia may be the cause of pregnancy headaches. This is a serious complication of the course of pregnancy, in which pressure rises, body edema appears (starts from the legs and arms and spreads throughout the body). If you do not seek help in time, the pregnant woman may experience convulsions.

Headaches in this case are localized in the back of the head, have an intense relieving or bursting character. A woman may complain of visual impairment.

What causes headaches in school-age children? Most often, the causes of headaches lie in poor posture, visual impairment, neck muscle tension, and stress associated with the educational process. If a student has a headache after school, the reason may lie in a violation of the diet, staying for a long time in a stuffy, poorly ventilated room. The possibility of developing anemia cannot be ruled out.

Which doctors to contact

Identification of the cause and treatment of headache problems is within the competence of a number of specialists in different areas. When the first symptoms appear, you should consult a general practitioner. He will prescribe a series of examinations to identify the cause of the headache, make a preliminary diagnosis, and indicate how to treat the headache. If necessary, he will refer you for a consultation with other specialists - a neurologist, hematologist, neurosurgeon, oncologist and hematologist.

Surveys

Laboratory and instrumental methods will help to recognize everything about the cause of the headache.

Radiography, computed tomography allows you to see the following signs:

violation of the integrity of the bones of the skull, spine;
the size of the skull, its shape;
condition of the sutures of the skull;
the state of vascular grooves on the inner surface of the bones;
the presence of bone tumors;
condition of the intervertebral discs;
growth of bones in place of cartilage;
displacement of the vertebrae one in relation to the other.

Contrast radiography is performed using air or a special contrast agent. This method allows you to diagnose the movement of cerebrospinal fluid, the presence of tumors of the brain tissue.

The contrast agent, which is injected into the vessels, allows you to find out the state of the blood supply to the brain, the pathology of the development of blood vessels, and the presence of tumors.

Electroencephalography allows you to establish the activity of brain cells to determine why the head hurts with epilepsy, tumors, and infectious processes in the brain.

Rheoencephalography - determines the state of blood supply to the brain tissue, the degree of vascular damage by atherosclerosis, hypertension.

Echoencephalography - a study of the brain using ultrasound helps to see tumors, abscesses, brain cysts, blood clots formed as a result of a hemorrhage or head injury.

A general blood test will reveal a decrease in the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells, the presence of an inflammatory process in the body.

The study of cerebrospinal fluid is carried out in order to diagnose an increase in intracranial pressure, the presence of pus, blood, pathogens of infectious diseases.

If you experience or increase headache attacks, you should immediately contact a specialist. Early diagnosis will allow you to timely establish the variety and begin to treat headaches.

You need to change your lifestyle. To do this, you need to balance the mode of work and rest. The day should be devoted to work, and the night to rest. If possible, it is better to go to bed no later than 22:00, since the human body is programmed by nature in such a way that this time is as comfortable as possible for falling asleep. If possible, it is best to work only day shifts.

The bed should not be too soft, and the pillow should not be too high. You can use a small roller under the neck.

Physical exercise is very important, especially if a person spends most of the time in a sitting position. To do this, at certain intervals, you need to get up and devote a few minutes to gymnastics.

To relieve muscle spasm, perform several exercises:

In a sitting position, slowly turn the neck to the sides and down. At the same time, they find a position in which discomfort in the neck is felt most strongly, so they hold the neck from 30 seconds to a minute. After that, they change position and do it all over again.
Hands are crossed with fingers in the lock, wind them up behind the neck. The bases of the palms actively squeeze the neck on both sides, while the fingers do not open.
From a standing position, straighten your back, raise your arms up. After that, without taking your legs off the floor, stretch all the bodies up behind the hands. Exercise is performed 10-15 times.

When performing these exercises, the spine aligns, the muscles of the upper back relax.

Treatment

Effective treatment of headaches is possible after a complete examination of the patient. The treatment regimen includes:

help with headaches in the acute period;
elimination of the cause of the pathology.

It is much easier to eliminate an attack when the head just starts to hurt. To this end, you must follow a few simple rules:

take off your hat, loosen your hair;
take a comfortable position;
turn off loud music;
dim the light;
try to relax and calm down.

Headaches and what to do when they occur? To relieve pain, you can use:

non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs;
medicinal plants;
massage.

The types of headache affect the choice of medications. Half of the episodes of pain will disappear with the use of non-traditional techniques. Of the medicinal plants, traditional medicine recommends the use of cabbage. A cabbage leaf should be applied to a sore spot and wrapped with a scarf. Willow bark is rich in a natural analogue of aspirin. It is recommended to chew it, if there is no strength left, to endure pain.

Traditional massage is combined with acupressure and su-jok therapy methods. Traditional massage is performed in a sitting position. The muscles of the neck are massaged intensively until pain appears in them. Points (their locations are indicated below) - with rotational movements or press on them, gradually increasing the force of pressure. Then they pass along the scalp from the back of the head to the forehead and back from front to back.

Massage of the brushes can be done using special rings. They are put on each finger in turn and pass from the nail to the base of the finger. The feet are rubbed with hands or roller devices are used.

Among acupuncture points, points on the back of the head, temples, and forehead are most often used. Types of headache and their selection are closely interrelated.

Pain localization	Point location
	1-1.5 cm from the corner of the forehead towards the temporal cavity along the edge of the hair
	Above the center of the eyebrow in the cavity of the frontal bone
	Above the bridge of the nose between the eyebrows
	At the inner edge of the eyebrow on both sides


	At the outer edge of the eyebrow
	1 cm above the outer edge of the eyebrow
	On the hand between the thumb and forefinger, at the top of the angle with the fingers apart

	Under the occipital bone 1 cm above the hairline in the fossa at the edge of the muscle. It is easy to find if you feel the muscle on the neck, located along the spine.
	A point on the hand between the thumb and forefinger, at the top of the angle with fingers apart

Eliminating the cause of headaches will cure the patient. Distinguishing headaches is important for choosing a treatment method. It can be done conservatively or surgically.

In the meantime, headaches can turn into chronic ones and significantly ruin your life. Which headache indicates a serious illness? And what is the disease itself? Let's try to figure out how to distinguish between headaches and how to treat them.

Tension pain

This is the most common type of headache in the world - each of us has experienced it at least once in a lifetime. They do not recur often, they become chronic in 3% of cases.

signs. Feels like pressure or tightness around the circumference of the top of the head. It may seem that the muscles of the forehead and eye sockets are too tense, but you cannot relax them. The duration of such pain varies from half an hour to a week, the intensity usually increases in the evening.

Possible reasons. Tension pain may be due to excessive stress or injury to the muscles of the head and neck. However, when diagnosing the source of pain, as a rule, remains "uncertain".

How to treat. Since the pains rarely become regular, the best remedy for them is simple painkillers, such as ibuprofen or paracetamol. If the pain does not go away for more than a week, you can try to do light physical education, regularly stretch your shoulders and neck, and spend more time in the air to level out stress. Chronic tension pain is treated with medication as prescribed by a doctor.

Migraine

signs. Migraines are recurring pains on one side of the head that last about 4 hours or longer. Typically, migraine episodes recur and can lead to dizziness, nausea, and photophobia (photophobia). Sometimes, before the onset of an attack, patients experience visual anomalies - they see bright colored rings and stripes - or feel a slight tingling all over their body.

Possible reasons. The mechanism of migraine occurrence has long been the subject of debate in scientific circles. Now doctors are sure that this is definitely not a mental illness. It is associated with impaired brain function, but with what, it is not known for certain. It is noted that during the onset of pain, the blood vessels of the head expand greatly, and abnormal electrical activity occurs on the cerebral cortex.

How to treat. Approximately 20% of migraine sufferers experience pain after a certain external influence - a pungent odor, a loud monotonous sound, cigarette smoke, etc. Doctors simply advise such patients to avoid "risk factors", while the rest have to drink medicines as directed (the most effective are triptans, but they act almost like a drug - the more you drink, the worse it heals). Unfortunately, migraine cannot be completely cured, and simple painkillers will hardly help the cause.

cluster pain

These pains affect approximately 1% of the total population of the planet, and in 80% of cases these are men.

signs. This is an intense throbbing pain on one side of the head, usually in the front, near the eye. It lasts from 15 minutes to an hour and is accompanied by redness of the eyes, tearing, runny nose, and a rush of blood to the head. It usually occurs at the same time of day with uniform time intervals - once a week, a month, two, and so on. Sometimes it reaches such severity that a person cannot not only function normally - even move and talk.

Possible reasons. Unknown.

How to treat. This type of pain is difficult to treat because it occurs episodically and can disappear as unpredictably as it appeared. For prolonged attacks, oxygen therapy is used (the patient breathes through a mask) and drug injections as prescribed by a doctor.

Hangover

signs. Obvious.

Possible reasons. There is a lot of conjecture about exactly how alcohol contributes to headaches. One of them says that alcohol dilates the vessels of the brain and disrupts the work of the neurotransmitter serotonin, a substance through which electrical signals are transmitted from one nerve cell to another. Both of these symptoms are observed in migraine pain. In addition, alcohol dries out the body, and dehydration is also known to trigger migraine attacks.

How to treat. The best remedy is a paracetamol tablet and good sleep. But it's still not worth treating a hangover with a joke. If your head hurts even after a small dose of alcohol, you may be suffering from a migraine, and alcohol just pushes the attacks.

Brain tumor

Hypochondriacs and simply worried patients often link headaches to brain cancer. We hasten to reassure: in fact, only 4% of tumor formations appear in this way.

signs. If the pain is still associated with a tumor, they usually appear in the morning and are accompanied by vomiting. The episodes recur periodically and get worse and worse over time. If against this background there is a sharp weight loss, personality changes and convulsive seizures, this is an occasion to undergo a brain examination.

Possible reasons. When the tumor grows to a certain size, an increase in brain volume leads to an increase in intracranial pressure. Hence the initial symptoms.

How to treat. Depends on the location, size and type of education.

intracranial bleeding

Having received an injury to the head vessels, a person may not understand this immediately. Sometimes hemorrhage appears several hours after the rupture of the vessel, but is potentially very dangerous.

signs. Sudden, increasing pain in any part of the head. Accompanied by visual impairment, speech skills, coordination, personality disorders, nausea. Symptoms come on in turns and get worse over time. Eventually, the person may lose consciousness.

Possible reasons. A vessel rupture can occur as a result of trauma (strong impact) or due to excessive thinning of its walls.

How to treat. First of all, the doctor will need to remove the accumulated blood from the skull, since the hematoma will put pressure on the brain, damaging it. Then it is extremely important to find out the cause of the hemorrhage: if it was not preceded by obvious trauma, the gaps may recur. Such patients need examination of the vessels of the brain.

Temporal arteritis

The disease usually occurs in people aged 50 and older and can lead to total blindness if left untreated.

signs. Severe headaches occur against the background of weight loss, insomnia, depression, sometimes fever and redness of the scalp. The shoulder and neck can also hurt.

Possible reasons. Many different factors, including viral infections, can push the disease. A strong attack on the immune system causes it to malfunction and causes the immune system to attack the walls of the blood vessels. Among the other “provocateurs” of arteritis are uncontrolled medication, intense exposure to sunlight, alcoholism, hypothermia, and various injuries.

How to treat. The most commonly used steroid drugs that stop the inflammation of the blood vessels. If there are associated problems with vision (for example, clouding of the lens), an ophthalmologist should be involved in the treatment.

Headache ( cephalgia) - an exhausting state that every person felt at least once in a lifetime. It is especially characteristic of residents of metropolitan areas. Many brush it off by taking an analgesic pill without thinking about why they have a headache.

Practitioners urge - in case of pain in the head several times a month, it is necessary to carry out a series of diagnostic procedures in order to identify the root cause in a timely manner.

The mechanism of development of pain in the head

The human brain is a complex, truly unique organ created by Mother Nature, capable of controlling an even more complex machine - the rest of the body. Like any technology, the human brain needs energy to feed. It is estimated that neurocytes absorb it up to 80% of all incoming from the outside.

Nutrient elements come to the brain structures through intracranial vessels, uniquely closed in a circle. With the formation of circulatory disorders, there are interruptions in the work of the “head control center”: blood pressure parameters are disturbed and fatigue increases, and also, without obvious reasons, mood changes and memory deteriorates significantly. But the main signal - a harbinger - is pain in the head.

Why does my head hurt

Today, experts can cite many different causes of pain in the head.

The most significant are:

Stay in state chronic stressful situation- very important for residents of metropolitan cities.
Availability atherosclerotic deposits on the walls of intracranial vessels (atherosclerosis), leading to blockage of vessels important for the brain, bringing nutrients. This causes complaints that the head hurts in the temples.
Chronic intoxication(for example, smoking). Spasmodic against this background, the vessels also cannot fully deliver the required amount of nutrients.
Traumatization. It is necessarily included by experts in the top ten most important reasons why a person has a headache. The fact is that the affected neurocytes die, forming a kind of scars in the nervous tissue, which subsequently is no longer able to fully fulfill its functional purpose.
Availability diabetes. Negative processes caused by metabolic disorders lead to thickening of the vascular wall, its fragility, thereby disrupting local blood flow.
Another significant root cause, of course, is recognized persistent hypertension. Intracranial vessels constantly change their diameter, brain structures do not adapt well to such negative modifications, and the result will be a throbbing pain in the head.
Destructive states in . They are formed more often in persons with sedentary work, reminding themselves of pain in the head.

Symptoms

At the first stages, pathological changes in the structures of the brain make themselves felt by previously uncharacteristic increased fatigue, often occurring dizziness, as well as absent-mindedness and sleep imbalance. For example, in the daytime a person is ready to sleep even standing up, but at night he tosses and turns for a long time, unable to fall asleep.

If all of the above symptoms have become constant companions of a person, he is strongly recommended to visit a neurological specialist.

In the absence of specialized medical care, the symptoms are aggravated:

The head hurts constantly, analgesics do not bring relief
Personal changes are formed
Increasing and aggravated tendency to depression
There is a complete breakdown
There is always heaviness or "woolness" in the head

The most severe complication is acute cerebral stroke. You will not surprise anyone with a stroke at working age, although some 100-150 years ago a stroke at the age of 20-30 was nonsense.

Mankind is saved from general disability, as a result of developed disorders of cerebral circulation, only the ability of the body to mobilize its own forces. The functions of dead neurocytes are taken over by other nervous structures that were previously in reserve.

This process is very complex and lengthy. That is why the human brain must be treated with care, regularly carried out "prevention" - quality rest, taking vitamins and courses of neuroprotectors.

The nature of pain in the head

A person has a severe headache due to a number of reasons.

The nature of such phenomena is explained by experts by the presence of:

Vegetative-vascular pathologies in persons prone to constant stress, having hormonal abnormalities.
A persistent increase in pressure (arterial hypertension), which leads to complaints of pain in.
Migraine is a real "scourge" of the people of the twentieth century. According to experts, every fifth inhabitant of the planet suffers from its attacks.
Histamine headache, a symptom of which is soreness in the region of one eye, its tearing and redness, swelling of the cheeks and nasal congestion. Persons with negative habits, for example, smoking or alcohol abuse, are especially prone to it.
Occipital headache is a companion of hypodynamia. Spasms of intracranial vessels and local ischemia occur due to pathologies in the cervical spine, or neoplasms of the human brain stem.
The post-traumatic nature of pain in the head can disturb a person for many decades later.
Vascular abnormalities, for example, an aneurysm or malformation. Unfortunately, the presence of pain in this case indicates the neglect of the condition. The first stages of negative deviations are asymptomatic.
Muscle strain in people whose work involves prolonged sitting, such as office workers

Other reasons why the head hurts very much include:

Feverish conditions
Neuroinfections
High intracranial pressure
Hemorrhage in brain structures
Arteritis
Having a cold or flu
Neuritis of the facial nerve

Each of the above reasons requires a mandatory consultation of a specialist with the necessary diagnostic studies, as well as adequate treatment tactics. Self-medication is not recommended.

Let us dwell in more detail on the most common reasons why the head hurts.

Tension headache

The most common reason why the head constantly hurts is the overstrain of the muscle groups of the shoulder girdle, as well as the superficial tissues of the skull.

A person initially experiences only minor discomfort in the head. Then the symptoms worsen, the pain is girdle in nature (like a squeezing hoop). The pain becomes dull and debilitating.

The reasons for such phenomena are called:

Chronic stressful situations, anxiety and depression
Overexertion of the muscles of the neck and eyes
Abuse of analgesics, tranquilizers
Lack of walks and a good night's rest
Working in stuffy rooms

Headache in this case is only a protective reaction of the human body to the depletion of its protective properties. Experts recommend starting to do fitness, attend yoga classes, and also conduct massage sessions.

Migraine

More often, the female half of humanity is affected by it, but in some cases men also suffer from pain in the right or left side of the head.

Before a migraine attack begins, a person experiences the following warning signs:

Visual focus is disturbed
Zigzags or lightning flash before the eyes
There are olfactory, gustatory or tactile hallucinations.

The person is concerned about:

Significant decrease in appetite
Feelings of nausea or vomiting
Maximum susceptibility to light and noise

The most common underlying causes of a migraine attack are:

Chronic physical or psycho-emotional overwork
Lack of night rest
Bright light
Individual hypersensitivity to individual products
Alcohol, smoking
Menstruation

Regular supervision by a specialist, the rejection of negative habits, as well as a quality night's rest and appropriate therapy courses, help a person significantly reduce the number of migraine attacks.

Histamine headache

It is characterized by a sudden onset and a duration of 20 minutes to two hours. In the vast majority of cases, this pathology affects males.

The most characteristic symptoms include:

Pain in the eye area or above the ears.
Previously uncharacteristic tearing, swelling of facial tissues, sagging eyelids.
Rush of blood to the face

The frequency of such phenomena is varied: every day, and once a week.

Occipital headache

This option is due to the presence cervicalgia- degenerative changes in the cervical elements of the spine.

There is a clamping of the vessels feeding the brain by the muscle fibers of the shoulder girdle, and the person feels that he has a headache in the back of his head. Painful manifestations gradually rise from the neck to the ears, and then to the back of the head and forehead. They grow all day long. The slightest movement can only increase pain symptoms. It is possible to prevent such conditions - it is enough to regularly perform a set of exercises suggested by a neurological specialist.

Arterial hypertension

This is one of the most common causes of pain in the head. Medical statistics show an annual significant increase in the number of people with persistent arterial hypertension recorded in them.

If your head hurts every day, it is imperative to purchase a device for measuring pressure (tonometer) and track the measurement results. With their increase, take antihypertensive drugs recommended by a specialist.

Do not dismiss such a seemingly insignificant symptom as a headache. It can only be the first "swallow" of many formidable conditions. Only a comprehensive examination helps to establish the root cause, and specialist advice and adequate treatment tactics can save a person from debilitating headaches.

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