—Headache is not a disease in itself, but a symptom common to many different disorders. Among the abnormal conditions often causing headaches are fatigue, eyestrain, indigestion, constipation, neuralgia, rheumatism, anæmia, acute infections, and other disorders. Treatment should consist in finding the cause and removing it if possible; clearly no one remedy can cure so many different causes. A physician should be consulted if headaches are of frequent occurrence, but in many cases rest and attention
to other hygienic requirements are all that is needed. During an attack of headache a hot foot bath may give relief, or a mustard paste or cold applications on the back of the neck, or an ice bag or cold compress on the forehead.
Sleeplessness
, like headache, has many possible causes, and effective treatment consists in finding and removing them. Pain or discomfort of any kind, fatigue, overwork, and worry are common causes. Sleeplessness easily becomes a habit that may persist after its cause has been removed; hence a person who has formed the habit of sleeplessness should patiently strive to break the old habit and to substitute a better. A careful hygienic régime is essential for the patient, exercise in the open air, and cultivation of a hopeful and tranquil spirit. The diet should be liberal, but light and unstimulating; tea and coffee should be omitted, certainly during the latter part of the day. The patient should spend rather a dull evening, avoiding excitement and mental exertion that is difficult, even though pleasurable. He should retire early. A hot tub or foot bath, and a hot drink at bed time may help to produce sleep. The bedroom should be dark, cool, and well ventilated, the bed comfortable and the covers light but warm. The patient should be told that rest is the most important thing for him,
and that he should not try too hard to sleep nor worry if unsuccessful. The patient should try to banish from his mind, at bed time, thoughts that are distressing, and even those that are especially interesting. By using patience and persistence most persons can regain the power of sleeping even when habits of sleeplessness have been long established.
Fainting
is a partial or total loss of consciousness due to a diminished supply of blood in the brain. It may follow bleeding, exhaustion from heat, fatigue from prolonged standing and the like, or strong emotional disturbance, like fear or surprise. Fainting is less common than it formerly was; it now occurs most frequently among persons suffering from anæmia, heart weakness, or special susceptibility.
Symptoms of fainting are pale face, cold perspiration, rapid, feeble pulse, and shallow, sighing respiration. Treatment consists in removing the patient into cool, fresh air, applying cold water to the face and keeping the head low. For a person who feels faint but has not lost consciousness, this treatment will probably prove sufficient; if, however, he becomes unconscious, place him so that the head is lower than the body, loosen the clothing, especially the clothing about the neck, apply cold water to the face and chest, and
see that fresh air is plentiful. When the patient is sufficiently conscious to swallow, give a teaspoonful of aromatic spirits of ammonia in half a glass of water and keep him quiet until he has entirely recovered.
A person who is unconscious from any cause always requires immediate attention. In emergency work elevate the patient's head if his face is flushed, and keep it low if his face is pale. Do not try to arouse an unconscious patient by shaking him and calling to him, in the first place because it is useless to do so, and in the second, because consciousness will return spontaneously if his condition improves.