Daily News

If someone drinks alcohol, they may develop a throbbing headache as the alcohol wears off. Hangover headaches typically cause throbbing on both sides of the head. There are several ways that alcoholic drinks can cause headaches. Alcohol can dilate blood vessels in the head, cause dehydration, or inflammation, all of which could cause a headache. Some alcoholic drinks contain other substances, such as sulfites, which also trigger headaches in some people. Migraine causes moderate to severe headaches that typically affect one side of the head. The best treatment for a throbbing headache depends on the cause of the pain. Headaches caused by alcohol or caffeine withdrawal will improve on their own. According to NIAAA, there is no proven way to speed up recovery from a hangover. Sinus pain caused by allergies may improve with the use of antihistamines, nasal sprays, and avoidance of allergy triggers, such as dust. If a bacterial infection causes sinus pain, a person may need to take a course of antibiotics. For migraine headaches, treatment can be more complex. A person who experiences regular migraine headaches may benefit from trying to identify triggers. They can do this by keeping a diary. However, in some cases, there are no clear triggers. According to the National Headache Foundation, a doctor may prescribe medications that prevent migraine headaches from occurring, such as beta-blockers, or medications that a person takes during an attack, such as 5-HT agonists. Cluster headaches may improve with oxygen treatment. A doctor can provide oxygen at the hospital or at home with a prescription. Alternatively, a person may benefit from medications such as sumatriptan or ergotamine. Identifying and avoiding triggers can reduce the frequency of regular headaches. However, some people may need long-term treatment. A doctor will be able to diagnose the type of headache someone has and recommend the next steps.

(Credits: www.medicalnewstoday.com)

The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s disease, which accounts for 60-70% of all cases. As populations age, the prevalence of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia is expected to continue rising. Currently, once symptoms occur, they cannot be reversed. With this in mind, researchers are exploring ways to diagnose the condition years or even decades before it develops, and find drugs to prevent its progress. One promising biomarker of Alzheimer’s is a molecule that circulates in the blood, known as asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA). By inhibiting an enzyme called nitric oxide synthase, ADMA reduces the amount of nitric oxide synthesized by the endothelial cells that line blood vessels. The role of nitric oxide is to dilate blood vessels, increasing blood flow. When levels are abnormally low, it restricts blood flow to tissues, starving them of oxygen and triggering inflammation. If future research confirms the results of this preliminary study, however, existing drugs could be deployed as preventive treatments. Intriguingly, previous studies suggest that high levels of ADMA in the bloodstream are a common factor in the development of a wide range of diseases, say the researchers. High concentrations are linked to type 2 diabetes, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and depression, as well as cardiovascular disease and dementia. This suggests that a single drug could help address the wide range of medical conditions that develop from this shared metabolic pathway.

(Credits: www.medicalnewstoday.com)