High altitude headache - an etiological based study

To determine the various causes of headache in patients evacuated from high altitude. Descriptive study An observational hospital based study carried out on 50 soldiers evacuated from Northern Areas to Military Hospital Rawalpindi between Sep 2009 to Mar 2010 for evaluation of headache as their major complaint. Necessary investigations including neuroimaging were carried out in coordination with Department of Neurology, Military Hospital and an appropriate diagnosis was made in each case. The data was analyzed accordingly. A total of 50 patients were analyzed .They were all males and the mean age was 25 years. 52% patients had Acute Mountain Sickness, 12% hypertension, 10% High altitude cerebral edema, 8% Tension type headaches, 6% Dural venous sinus thrombosis, 6% migraine, 2% encephalitis, 2% were of Subarachnoid hemorrhage and 2% patients Hydrocephalus. Acute mountain sickness and high altitude cerebral edema accounts for a significant number of patients with high altitude headache

Frequency of headache with stress in adolescent and young adults

Objective of this study was to establish a link between stress as a cause of headache in young adults. Cross sectional study. Department of Neurology Military Hospital [MH] Rawalpindi from September 2009 to March 2010. Thirty young patients, referred for the complaints of headache to the Neurology out patient department, were included in this study. A detailed especially designed, pre tested headache questionnaire was devised which was filled for every patient individually included in the study. Twenty One [70%] of the patients in the study group did have the feeling of stress preceding the headache which sometimes persisted during the episode. Nine [30%] did not report any such feeling of stress before or during the episode. Out of the patients reporting stress 71% [15] were female patients and 29% [6] were males. These key findings suggest that stress and headaches may be related for adolescents and young adults and that this relationship may be reinforced over time. Moreover female patients were far more susceptible to this stressful stimulus as compared to the males

Onset of herpes zoster in relation to stressful periods of military service

Stress is a known predisposing factor for the development of herpes zoster. The purpose of this study was to describe the peculiar stressful circumstances of military service which may lead to physical ailments like herpes zoster. The study was conducted at Combined Military Hospitals, Hyderabad and Abbottabad from Oct 2003 to Sep 2004. Serving soldiers of all ranks who were clinically diagnosed to be suffering from herpes zoster during the above mentioned period were included in the study. They were interviewed in detail, in particular regarding physical or mental stress within a period of one month prior to the development of herpes zoster and examined thoroughly. All the findings were recorded on a pre-designed proforma. A separate proforma was filled for each patient. Out of 47 patients, 4 [8.51%] developed herpes zoster during the period which they perceived as stressful. 2 soldiers developed herpes zoster when they were undergoing rigorous imprisonment within the unit, 1 soldier developed the eruption during ration dumping to forward areas and the lesions of herpes zoster appeared in 1 when the patient was overworked and fatigued during the preparation for unit inspection. The eruption in all the 4 patients appeared during 2nd or 3rd week of the stressful period. Stressful periods, peculiar to military service, may lead to various mental as well as physical ailments like herpes zoster. However, the association of occurrence of herpes zoster in relation to stressful periods, peculiar to, military service needs further exploration and methodical studies are required for intervention to limit the incidence of herpes zoster