This was written up by Lon Diffenderfer a shunteer.
I just use a scale of 1-9 with 9 being the worst pain. His goes something like this: I pretty much match it. You may or may not have all these symptoms but I find this is a pretty good indicator about how bad the headache is & the symptoms hydro parents can watch out for.
0 - Pain free 1 - Barely noticeable pain; no other symptoms 2 - Noticeable pain around mask of face but bearable without medication; light ringing the ears 3 - Noticeable pain around mask of face; ringing in the ears; taking pain medication with good results 4 - Pain traveling from mask of face further back to around the ears and over the top of the head; loud ringing in the ears; thought processes and memory being effected; taking pain medication with good results 5 - Pain present over more than half the head; loud ringing in the ears; heightened sensitivity to light and sound; unable to think clearly; memory noticeably effected; usually retreat to dark quiet room; balance becoming effected; possible fever; taking pain medication with moderate relief 6 - Strong pain present over most of head; can hear pulse in ears and see it with eyes shut; very loud ringing in the ears; extremely irritable; poor balance; wanting no social contact - only silence and a dark room; speech effected; poor thought processes and poor memory; balance noticeably effected; possible fever; little relief from pain medication; nausea; called neurologist 7 - Strong pain (usually throbbing) present over most of head; can hear pulse in ears and see it with eyes shut; trouble focusing vision; almost unbearable ringing in the ears; no social contact; extremely irritable; speech errors common; very poor thought processes and very poor memory; very poor balance; fever present; no relief from pain medications; nausea - possible vomiting; possible incontinence; neurologist contacted and recommends admittance to the hospital 8 - Unbearable pain (usually throbbing) present over most or all of head; hear pulse and see pulse even with eyes open; blurred and double vision; unbearable ringing in the ears; extremely irritable; frequent errors in speech; very poor balance; fever present; no relief from pain medications if they can be tolerated; nausea and vomiting; incontinent; neurologist contacted and usually at hospital by this point 9 - Unbearable pain throughout head; hear and see pulse with eyes open; blurred and double vision; unbearable ringing in the ears; no longer as irritable because of lack of awareness of surroundings; vocalizations are mostly moaning in pain - very little speech; very poor balance; fever; unable to tolerate oral pain medications; nausea and vomiting; incontinent; hospitalized -Hydropioneer's Hydro Haven
This was written up by Lon Diffenderfer a shunteer.
I just use a scale of 1-9 with 9 being the worst
pain. His goes something like this: I pretty much match it.
You may or may not have all these symptoms but I find this is a pretty good indicator about how bad the headache is & the symptoms hydro parents can watch out for.
0 - Pain free
1 - Barely noticeable pain; no other symptoms
2 - Noticeable pain around mask of face but bearable without medication; light ringing
the ears
3 - Noticeable pain around mask of face; ringing in the ears; taking pain medication with
good results
4 - Pain traveling from mask of face further back to around the ears and over the top of
the head; loud ringing in the ears; thought processes and memory being effected; taking
pain medication with good results
5 - Pain present over more than half the head; loud ringing in the ears; heightened
sensitivity to light and sound; unable to think clearly; memory noticeably effected;
usually retreat to dark quiet room; balance becoming effected; possible fever; taking
pain medication with moderate relief
6 - Strong pain present over most of head; can hear pulse in ears and see it with eyes
shut; very loud ringing in the ears; extremely irritable; poor balance; wanting no social
contact - only silence and a dark room; speech effected; poor thought processes and poor
memory; balance noticeably effected; possible fever; little relief from pain medication;
nausea; called neurologist
7 - Strong pain (usually throbbing) present over most of head; can hear pulse in ears and
see it with eyes shut; trouble focusing vision; almost unbearable ringing in the ears; no
social contact; extremely irritable; speech errors common; very poor thought processes
and very poor memory; very poor balance; fever present; no relief from pain medications;
nausea - possible vomiting; possible incontinence; neurologist contacted and recommends
admittance to the hospital
8 - Unbearable pain (usually throbbing) present over most or all of head; hear pulse and
see pulse even with eyes open; blurred and double vision; unbearable ringing in the ears;
extremely irritable; frequent errors in speech; very poor balance; fever present; no
relief from pain medications if they can be tolerated; nausea and vomiting; incontinent;
neurologist contacted and usually at hospital by this point
9 - Unbearable pain throughout head; hear and see pulse with eyes open; blurred and
double vision; unbearable ringing in the ears; no longer as irritable because of lack of
awareness of surroundings; vocalizations are mostly moaning in pain - very little speech;
very poor balance; fever; unable to tolerate oral pain medications; nausea and vomiting;
incontinent; hospitalized
-Hydropioneer's Hydro Haven