Erin Davis has Tension Type headache Essay
Erin Davis has Tension Type headache Essay
Erin Davis has Tension Type headache that is a serious condition which may be as a result of the patient getting involved in violence with the intimate partner. There are essential questions that should be asked to the patient in order to get the real picture of the condition. One, the physician should ask the patient at what part of the head is the pain felt, for how long, in what way and how serious is the pain. This is a question that will help the doctor get to rule out some of the possible causes of the pain. The doctor should ask what aggravates the pain. Such cases should include sexual activity or exertion. What relieves the pain? For how long have the patient been having the headache? How frequent do the headaches occur? Erin Davis has Tension Type headache Essay. Has there been a recent head trauma? Or Are the headaches related to visual problems (Kaniecki, 2015).
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Specific clinical findings that are possible to be observed in Erin Davis include the headache pain. The patient may feel some sensation and tightness felt around the forehead, at the back or at the sides of the head. The scalp of the head may appear tender including the shoulders and the neck. The pain felt in the head may be an intense one which may last up to half an hour or even an entire week. At times the patient may lack appetite and show confusion especially when in front of people. The patient will not have any nausea, the patient may be photophobic and phonophobic. The headaches frequencies are irregular and the pain may be felt under emotional distress or when the patient worries so much Erin Davis has Tension Type headache Essay. The patient may show some difficulties in paying attention when being given instruction. No prodrome seen.
There are specific diagnostic studies to be ordered to the patient which include migraines which show almost similar signs and symptoms as the patient is showing. This should be done in order to ensure that the patient is given the correct treatment and avoid any errors or misdiagnosis. It is also essential to check out any possibilities of muscular disorders that are related to the headaches felt by the patient. This will help in ruling out the possibility of the patient having the headaches as a result of the disorders. The patient should go through a screening process that will help out in checking the presence or absence of tumors that may also be the cause of the headaches. This will help in coming up with the right treatment strategy for the patient. Erin Davis has Tension Type headache Essay.
The primary diagnosis for this patient is the tension-type headache because she says at one point that she fell with her boyfriend and got hurt in the head. This could be the reason as to why she suffers the headaches and because all the symptoms shown are of the tension-type headache (Bendtsen, 2016). Erin Davis has Tension Type headache Essay. The differential diagnosis includes Acute Subdural Hematoma in the ED which at many times possess similar symptoms and signs as those seen in tension-type headache. Other include Temporal Arteritis and Migraine headaches that all show similar signs and symptoms of tension-type headache. The reason behind this is because the physician should be precise on the condition of the patient so as to come up with the right treatment plan.
It is essential to seek medical attention as soon as possible once new symptoms are observed. The management plan is to subject the patient to preventative medications that will help in the reduction of the severity of the pain felt. This is essential especially when the patient feels the headaches severely. The preventative medications include Tricyclic antidepressants which may include amitriptyline or protriptyline which are the most commonly used in handling tension type headache. These medications come with side effects that include constipation, dry mouth and drowsiness. Other antidepressants include Effexor XR and Remeron (Mirtazapine). Others that will help in the relaxation of the muscles and the anticonvulsants which include Topamax.
This will require a buildup that will take up to several weeks so that the patient can start responding. Tests that are essential in this case include Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) which will give a clear image of the patient that will help assessing the progress of the patient. A computerized tomography (CT scan) is essential in ensuring that the patient is not having other abnormal tumors or migraines that may be causing the headaches Erin Davis has Tension Type headache Essay. The patient will also be subjected to pain killers that will help in relieving the pain when the headaches begin (Mathew, 2016). The patient is advised to avoid situations that will cause her from straining such as difficult work. She is also advised to attend therapy sessions that will help in creating a favorable environment with her partner. It is important that the patient visits the doctor after some time in order to ensure that there are no more problems that come up as a result of the headaches. Follow-up is essential and if the problem persists the patient is advised to visit a psychologist for additional help. Erin Davis has Tension Type headache Essay.
 
References
Mathew, P., & Peterlin, B. L. (2016). Tension-type headache. In Clinician’s Guide to Chronic Headache and Facial Pain (pp. 30-44). CRC Press.
Kaniecki, R. G. (2015). Tension-type headache. In Headache and Migraine Biology and Management (pp. 149-160).
Bendtsen, L., Ashina, S., Moore, A., & Steiner, T. J. (2016). Muscles and their role in episodic tension‐type headache: implications for treatment. European Journal of Pain, 20(2), 166-175. Erin Davis has Tension Type headache Essay.