NURS NUR 6531WK 9 DISCUSSION
Wk 9 Disscussion
Main Question Post
Case study #2
Explanation of the Primary Diagnosis
A 30-year-old Asian female presents to the clinic with headaches. According to patient
this has been going on since her teen years and reported the headaches have become more
debilitating recently. Rates the pain as 7/10 and describes as sharp aggravated by light
and accompanied by nausea and at times vomiting. Pain alleviated by taking 2 tabs of
over the counter Motrin and sleeping in a darkened room which does provide what she
describes as “some help”. In addition to the history given by this patient, it also important
to obtain a thorough headache history to rule out other headache disorders, including
symptoms onset, location and radiation of pain, quality of pain, concurrent medical
conditions and medications, and recent trauma and other procedures. Buttaro et al.,
(2017) stated focus of the history is to identify whether headache is primary or secondary.
If the headache is determined to be primary the type should be diagnosed, if an
underlying organic secondary cause is suggested by the history, a careful physical
examination can help determine the cause and whether neuro imaging is needed.
The most likely diagnosis for this patient is Migraine headache. According to
Odawara et al., (2015), Migraine is a neurological disorder that affects 18 % of women
and 6 % of men in the United States and Frequent migraines have a significant effect on
work or school, home, and social activities. Current theories credit the trigeminal nerve
and its connections within the brainstem as significant mediators of processes producing
, NURS NUR 6531WK 9 DISCUSSION
migraine headache. Early in attack, dysfunction of the trigeminal nerve called
sensitization at the level of the meningeal blood vessels results in the release of neuro
inflammatory proteins (Martelletti, 2018). Activation of the sympathetic nervous system
is likely the cause of nausea, vomiting, and other autonomic symptoms associated with
migraine. Sensitivity to light, sound and smell is believed to derive from abnormal brain
modulation of sensory information that occurs as the process evolves and it is considered
a genetically influenced chronic brain condition (Martelletti, 2018). Pain is moderate to
severe explains Odawara et al., (2015) and is made worse by movement and physical
activity while onset is usually sudden; associated symptoms are nausea/ vomiting, phono
and photophobia, patient typically have multiple and variable triggers and triggers unique
to women have been identified.
Differential Diagnosis
Tension type headache: The most common type of headache in adults and occurs most
often in women. The mechanism of tension type headaches is uncertain, but is thought to
be related to sustained muscle contraction. Tension headache produces a bilateral pain,
general or localized, often descried as a mild to moderate, no throbbing pain, tightness, or
pressure with a gradual onset. It may last for hours or days, recurrences may extend over
weeks or months. It is associated with hunger, depression, or stress.
Wk 9 Disscussion
Main Question Post
Case study #2
Explanation of the Primary Diagnosis
A 30-year-old Asian female presents to the clinic with headaches. According to patient
this has been going on since her teen years and reported the headaches have become more
debilitating recently. Rates the pain as 7/10 and describes as sharp aggravated by light
and accompanied by nausea and at times vomiting. Pain alleviated by taking 2 tabs of
over the counter Motrin and sleeping in a darkened room which does provide what she
describes as “some help”. In addition to the history given by this patient, it also important
to obtain a thorough headache history to rule out other headache disorders, including
symptoms onset, location and radiation of pain, quality of pain, concurrent medical
conditions and medications, and recent trauma and other procedures. Buttaro et al.,
(2017) stated focus of the history is to identify whether headache is primary or secondary.
If the headache is determined to be primary the type should be diagnosed, if an
underlying organic secondary cause is suggested by the history, a careful physical
examination can help determine the cause and whether neuro imaging is needed.
The most likely diagnosis for this patient is Migraine headache. According to
Odawara et al., (2015), Migraine is a neurological disorder that affects 18 % of women
and 6 % of men in the United States and Frequent migraines have a significant effect on
work or school, home, and social activities. Current theories credit the trigeminal nerve
and its connections within the brainstem as significant mediators of processes producing
, NURS NUR 6531WK 9 DISCUSSION
migraine headache. Early in attack, dysfunction of the trigeminal nerve called
sensitization at the level of the meningeal blood vessels results in the release of neuro
inflammatory proteins (Martelletti, 2018). Activation of the sympathetic nervous system
is likely the cause of nausea, vomiting, and other autonomic symptoms associated with
migraine. Sensitivity to light, sound and smell is believed to derive from abnormal brain
modulation of sensory information that occurs as the process evolves and it is considered
a genetically influenced chronic brain condition (Martelletti, 2018). Pain is moderate to
severe explains Odawara et al., (2015) and is made worse by movement and physical
activity while onset is usually sudden; associated symptoms are nausea/ vomiting, phono
and photophobia, patient typically have multiple and variable triggers and triggers unique
to women have been identified.
Differential Diagnosis
Tension type headache: The most common type of headache in adults and occurs most
often in women. The mechanism of tension type headaches is uncertain, but is thought to
be related to sustained muscle contraction. Tension headache produces a bilateral pain,
general or localized, often descried as a mild to moderate, no throbbing pain, tightness, or
pressure with a gradual onset. It may last for hours or days, recurrences may extend over
weeks or months. It is associated with hunger, depression, or stress.
