Medplexus

Definition A headache or cephalagia is pain anywhere in the region of head or neck. It can be a symptom of a number of different conditions of head and neck. The brain tissue itself is not sensitive to pain because it lacks pain receptors. Rather, the pain is caused by disturbance of pain sensitive structures around the head and neck. Types of headache Part I: The Primary Headaches Part II: The Secondary Headaches Part III: Cranial Neuralgias, Central and Primary Facial Pain And Other Headaches PRIMARY HEADACHE Primary headaches are benign, recurrent headaches not caused by underlying disease or structural problems. primary headaches may cause significant daily pain and disability but they are not dangerous. It includes 1. Migraine 2. Tension-type headache (TTH) 3. Cluster headache and other trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TAC) 4. Other primary headaches SECONDARY HEADACHE Secondary headaches are caused by an underlying disease, like an infection, head injury, vascular disorders, br

Pulmonary edema is a condition caused by excess fluid in the lungs. This fluid collects in the numerous air sacs in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe. In most cases, heart problems cause pulmonary edema. But fluid can accumulate for other reasons, including pneumonia, exposure to certain toxins and medications, trauma to the chest wall, and exercising or living at high elevations. Pulmonary edema that develops suddenly ( acute pulmonary edema ) is a medical emergency requiring immediate care. Although pulmonary edema can sometimes prove fatal, the outlook improves when you receive prompt treatment for pulmonary edema along with treatment for the underlying problem. Treatment for pulmonary edema varies depending on the cause but generally includes supplemental oxygen and medications. Causes Pulmonary edema is often caused by congestive heart failure. When the heart is not able to pump efficiently, blood can back up into the veins that take blood through the lungs. A

Encephalitis is irritation and swelling (inflammation) of the brain parenchyma, most often due to infections. Encephalitis with meningitis is known as meningoencephalitis. Causative Agents Specifically to rural areas are Arboviruses or Arthropod-borne Viruses (viruses carried by arthropods, such as mosquitoes and tick), while in urban areas it is most frequently caused by Enteroviruses (Coxsackievirus, Poliovirus and Echovirus) Enteroviruses Incubation Period is most oftenly 3-5 days Mode of Transmission Breathing in respiratory droplets from an infected person Skin contact Mosquito, tick, and other insect bites Tick of Horses Migratory Birds Contaminated food or drink Pathogenesis Virus enters blood & reaches the parenchyma of brain, cortex, white matter, basal ganglia and brainstem Inclusion bodies are often present in neurons and  glial cells and there is infiltration of polymorphonuclear cells in perivascular space There is neuronal degeneration and diffuse glial proliferati

Meningitis is the infection and inflammation of the meninges (covering of the brain and spinal cord: duramater, arachnoid and piamater) and the cerebrospinal fluid. Etiology Bacterial Bacillus sp. Bacteroides  Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease) Other Enterobacteriaceae  Escherichia coli  Haemophilus influenzae  Listeria monocytogenes  Mycobacterium tuberculosis  Mycoplasma  Meisseria meningitidis  Proteus Pseudomonas aeruginosa  Staphylococcus aureus  Streptococci Streptococcus pneumoniae  Treponema (syphilis) Others Fungi Biastomyces Candida Cladosporium Coccidioides Cryptococcus Histoplasma Paracoccidioides Others Parasites Amoebae Taenia solium (cysticercosis) Toxoplasma gondii  Others Meningeal infection associated with a dural leak secondary to neurosurgery or neurotrauma - S.pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, P. aeruginosa, coliform bacteria. Viral meningitis- Enteroviruses are statistically most commonly -Causes of  “nonparalytic polio” Fungal and parasitic meningitides -immuno