Acute Stress Reaction
Acute stress reaction (ASR0 is a stress related psychological condition that will either cause a patient to panic or faint. Laymen often refer to this as shock, but it is not, though it can occur with shock; Diagnoses and Treatments – Circulatory System – Dehydration and Volume Shock.
Symptoms of Acute Stress Reaction
Fainting.
Panic attack.
Treatment for Acute Stress Reaction
Symptoms will subside with time.
Reassure the patient.
Treat other problems.
An epidural hematoma is when an artery inside the skull starts to bleed which results in an expanding blood clot.
Symptoms of an Epidural Hematoma
Patient wakes from unconsciousness and is normal, only to decline in mental status again, usually within 30 to 60 minutes.
Unconscious patient with one significantly larger pupil than the other.
Treatment for an Epidural Hematoma
Seek advanced medical care.
Headaches are often just a headache, but they are also a common symptom of other medical conditions.
There are a few different types of headaches.
Dehydration is a common cause of headaches.
Symptoms of Dehydration Headaches
Pain on both sides, which worsens when standing up rapidly.
Treatment for Dehydration Headaches
Hydrate.
Rest.
A sinus headache is caused by a sinus infection.
Constant pain in the front of the face.
Increased pain with head movement.
Often one-sided headache.
Treat the sinus infection; Diagnoses and Treatments – Head – Nose – Sinusitis.
This is the most common type of headache and is due to muscle spasms of the neck and head. It can be short-lived (e.g., 20 minutes), or may last up to a week.
Many things can cause a tension headache including anxiety, depression, head injury, head or neck in an abnormal position for a period of time, lack of sleep, poor posture, stress, teeth grinding etc.
Headache on both sides of the head and/or the back of the head and neck.
Sensation of pressure or tightening.
Treatment for Tension Headaches
Massage the back of the neck and temples.
Pharmaceuticals:
Analgesics.
Alternative/Natural Remedies:
Clove oil topically to temples or neck.
Prevention of Tension Headaches
Identify and avoid the triggers.
Migraines are recurrent moderate to severe headaches, the exact cause of which is uncertain.
Affected vision, e.g., blurring, light sensitivity.
Nausea.
Pain behind the eye (usually one-sided).
Sensitivity to light, noise or odors.
Vomiting.
Bed rest in the dark.
Caffeine.
Pharmaceuticals:
Sumatriptan, e.g., Imitrex.
Ice where it hurts most and on the back of the neck.
Keep body and head warm, e.g., hot bath, hot water bottle on feet.
Alternative/Natural Remedies for Headaches in General
Ice pack where the headache is.
Massage back of neck.
Massage where the headache is.
Lie down in a dark, quiet room.
Sleep.
Clove oil (diluted) and mixed with salt (massage into the forehead).
1 drop of clove oil to the roof of the mouth.
Increasing Intracranial Pressure
Intracranial pressure (ICP) is pressure in the skull. Increasing ICP is when this pressure increases to dangerous levels and can lead to death.
Causes of Increasing ICP:
HACE; Diagnoses and Treatments – Environmentally Induced – Altitude Induced – HAPE and HACE.
Infection; Must Read – Open Wound and Skin Infections.
Severe head injury (TBI); Diagnoses and Treatments – Head - Traumatic Brain Injury.
Stroke; Diagnoses and Treatments – Head - Traumatic Brain Injury – Stroke.
Early:
Change in mental status.
Persistent vomiting.
Severe headache.
Late:
Blown pupils.
Irregular respirations.
Low pulse.
Seizure.
PROP; Must Read - Immediate First Aid - Critical First Aid - Breathing – PROP.
Seek advanced medical care.
Insomnia is the inability fall to sleep and/or to stay asleep for as long as you need.
Short term (acute) insomnia (days or weeks) may be caused by alcohol, caffeine, drugs, nicotine, illness, stress etc.
Long term (chronic) insomnia is when someone has insomnia 3 or more nights a week for over a month and may be caused by anxiety, chronic stress, depression etc.
Anxiety.
Daytime sleepiness.
Difficulty falling asleep.
Irritability.
Waking during the night and being unable to return to sleep.
Treat underlying/contributing cause(s).
Pharmaceuticals:
Diphenhydramine: 12 years and older, 25 to 50 mg at bedtime.
Sleeping pills (caution of dependency).
Alternative/Natural Remedies:
Herbal tea: chamomile tea, ginger or peppermint after eating.
Salt and sugar: if waking up during the night, sprinkle a little salt and sugar (or salted honey) on the tongue.
Avoid alcohol, caffeine and nicotine late in the day (at least 5 hours before).
Don’t eat a heavy meal late in the day, but a light snack before bedtime may help.
Drink less before going to sleep.
Exercise regularly but not right before bedtime (at least 2 hours before).
Follow a routine to help you relax before sleep, e.g., read a book, listen to music, take a bath etc.
Have a comfortable sleeping area (consider noise, temperature, lighting etc.).
Have sex or masturbate before sleeping.
Maintain a consistent sleeping schedule, i.e., wake up and sleep at the same times every day.
Only use your bed for sleep and sex.
Meningitis is an infection of the spinal cord and brain lining, and although rare, it can be fatal in some cases (bacterial meningitis). It is completely different from influenza but the symptoms are almost exactly the same, which is why it is so dangerous; Diagnoses and Treatments – Respiratory System – Cold and Flu.
Tell-tale signs of meningitis to differentiate it from influenza are stiffness of the neck and back, and the lack of cough or a runny nose. Other symptoms are:
Fever.
Headache.
Intolerance to light.
High fever.
Nausea.
Rapid decline.
Vomiting.
If you suspect meningitis, seek advanced medical care ASAP.
Pharmaceuticals:
Antibiotics: ampicillin, metronidazole, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim.
Seizures occur when there are changes in the brain’s electrical activity with symptoms ranging from merely staring off into space to violent shaking. The underlying causes are numerous. Basically, anything that affects the body also may disturb the brain and cause a seizure.
Extremely long seizures can lead to coma or death.
Types of Seizures:
Non-epileptic Seizures: these are typically a result of a head injury or an underlying illness. When the cause is treated the seizures go away.
Partial Seizures: these only affect one side of the body.
Generalized Seizures: these affect both sides of the body.
Petit mal Seizures: these are not as obvious and the patient may just be ‘absent’ for a short time (seconds), e.g., staring off into space.
Some pre-seizure warning signs are:
Altered vision.
Anxiousness or fear.
Dizziness.
Sick to the stomach.
Symptoms when a Seizure is in progress:
Symptoms may be present for up to 15 minutes:
Blackout followed by confusion.
Clenching teeth.
Drooling or frothing at the mouth.
Falling.
Loss of bladder or bowel control.
Making unusual noises, such as grunting.
Mood changes.
Muscle spasms.
Rapid eye movements.
Strange taste in the mouth.
Clear the area around the patient.
Cushion patients head.
Place on his/her side.
Seek advanced medical care if:
Patient remains unconscious.
Seizures are repeated.
Seizure is longer than 3 minutes.
After the Seizure:
Evaluate and treat any injuries.
Treat underlying cause.
Regardless of the symptoms, all seizures are a cause for concern and the patient should always be referred to advanced medical care.
If the seizures are due to epilepsy, the patient will probably know what to do for aftercare.
A stroke is damage to the brain caused when the blood supply to the brain is either interrupted or reduced, e.g., burst blood vessel, clot, high blood-pressure. This causes brain cells to die.
Depending on the part of the brain of which the circulation is comprised, the functions of that part of the brain will be affected, e.g., speech, sight, comprehension.
Preventative measures mainly revolve around being healthy in general, e.g., exercise and nutrition.
Altered consciousness.
Confusion.
Dizziness.
Headache.
Lack of coordination.
Loss of vision in one or both eyes.
Paralysis or weakness on one side of the body and/or face.
Slurred speech (or total inability).
Sudden severe headache.
Trouble with speaking, understanding etc.
Vomiting.
The first few days will show the most improvement, if any.
Seek advanced medical care.
Bed rest.
Elevate head and torso 30 to 40 degrees.
Maintain airway.
Oxygen.
Pharmaceuticals:
Blood thinners ONLY if certain the stroke is caused by a clot.
A head injury is considered a traumatic brain injury (TBI) when it results in amnesia, a change of mental status and/or a loss of consciousness. Usually there is no permanent damage unless the trauma is repeated, e.g., boxers.
Amnesia (memory loss).
Change of mental status.
Temporary loss of consciousness.
If unconsciousness is more than 5 to 10 minutes, treat as increasing ICP; Diagnoses and Treatments – Head – Increasing Intracranial Pressure.
Perform spinal assessment; Must Read – Secondary Exam – Spinal Assessment.
Rest for at least 12 hours.
Observe for increasing ICP.
Awaken every 2 to 3 hours if sleeping to ensure no symptoms of increasing ICP.