The Washington times., 1935-11-05
Now Threatens to Take the Winter Mode by Storm
Health
What Causes
Headache?

BY LOGAN CLENDENING, M. d.
One Of the real problems about
headache is, what aches? There
are many structures in the head,
many nerves, many different
mechanisms, and it is not easy
to explain q headache on any
one single basis.
The brain itself Is entirely in
sensitive to pain, but the cover
ing of the brain, the dura mater,
is sensitive to pain and especially
when it is stretched. 1naSmuch
as it is confined in a solid bony
box and in the center Of the
brain there Is lake or. rather,
river of fluid which may be un-
der tension, or under varying ten
sionS, it is possible that in one
form of headache the pressure
of this fluid stretches the dura
mater and causes the pain.
In this case it Is one OF those
bursting kind of headaches. and
the patient really feels what is
actually happening It h a t tn G
brain covering is under pressure.
OF course we know that this kind
of a mechanism can cause head
ache because it is the mechanism
which obtains in the headache
of brain tumor, condition which
is. fortunately, rare,
Sinus Ache Possible
Then another thing that can
happen to make the head ache
is concerned with the Sinuses Of
the nose. Nature, in order to
make the skull light, designed a
series of air cavities. If the skull
were solid bone, it would require
q great deal more muscular ef-
fort than we now use to carry
it around. These air cavities
tighten it. They also have to do
with the resonance of the voice.
They are called "sinuses." Each
one is lined with mucous mem
brane, which has a secretion, and
each one has an opening into
the cavity of the nose.
When these openings close up,
the secretion goes on and tension
naturally results. This occurs
rarely in sinus disease, however,
as we shall see later in the week.
The head is also filled with
nerves of sensation, which go
over the scalp and to the skin
of the face, and into the bony
structure. These are subject to
neuritis, neuralgia and fatigue,
and when affected in this way
begin to ache, resulting in an
other form of headache.
Question From Readers
ST. "(D Should I eat raisins?
The condition of my health is
rather poor owing to the fact
that I have some sugar in the
blood. (2) In the morning I burn
my white bread, believing that it
will reduce the amount of starch
in the bread. Is this q good
habit to follow?"
Answer: Cd RaiSinS contain
76 per cent of carbohydrate, which
is turned into sugar. If you have
sugar in the blood, you are prob
ably allowed only a limited
amount Of carbohydrate-contain-
ing food, and therefore, raiSins
are not a very sensible thing for
you to eat. This does not apply,
however, to a normal person. CD
Toasting bread does not destroy
any starch. 1t merely converts it
into another form-one which is
really more digestible and easily
absorbed.
EDITORS NOTE: Six pamph-
lets by DR.. Clendening can now be
obtained by sending 10. cents in
coin, for each. and a Self-addreSsed
envelope stamped with a three
cent stamp, to DR.. Logan Clenden-
ing, in care of this paper. The
pamphlets are: indigestion and
Constipation" "R educing and
Gaining" Infant Feeding" "In-
structions for the Treatment Of
Diabetes" Feminine Hygiene"
and THE Care of the Hair and
Skin"