Colds, Flus, and Headaches

Cluster headaches are caused by abnormalities in the blood vessels of the head. Nicknamed "suicide headaches" because of their severity, they appear in clusters just as their name implies. These headaches generally occur daily, sometimes several times a day, for weeks or months at a time and then suddenly disappear, only to recur weeks, months, or even years later.

The common cold is our most ubiquitous illness. On average, adults have two to four colds a year, and some children have 8 to 12. People who work in schools or health care settings, or who have small children, are more likely to catch multiple colds each year.

An influenza virus causes the flu, a very common and highly contagious respiratory infection. Some people mistakenly refer to a cold or any upper respiratory disorder as the flu. But in reality, the flu is a more severe illness than the common cold. Not only can it lead to pneumonia, but some types of the disease are even fatal. For example, the great epidemic of Spanish flu in 1917 killed millions of people throughout the world.

A headache is any pain in the head, the discomfort of which can vary greatly. It may be dull or sharp, throbbing or constant, localized to a small area or engulfing the entire head. Some people suffer headaches only occasionally, while for others the problem is chronic. Although a headache is often the symptom of an underlying problem such as the flu, and may be temporarily debilitating, it is rarely associated with a serious condition. Nevertheless, for some 20 million Americans each year, the pain of headache is severe enough to warrant a visit to a doctor. And according to government estimates, some 64 million workdays are lost annually due to various types of headaches.

Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is a virus that can affect warm blooded animals. In minor cases it can cause symptoms such as a headache, fever, soar throat, muscle weakness, and sore joints. Many times it will go away in a few days. However, in some cases it can progress to upper respiratory infections, such as pneumonia, which can be fatal. In fact, what most people don't realize, is that every year thousands of people die from influenza. Even developed countries are not spared the ravages of the virus

A migraine is a severe, throbbing headache that lasts anywhere from a few hours to several days. There are two general types: classic and common. A classic migraine is heralded by a warning aura, or prodrome, of dizziness, mood changes, loss of appetite, and visual distortions such as flashing lights and blind spots. This prodrome stage is lacking in a common migraine, which develops suddenly when the blood vessels open up, or dilate, thus resulting in expanded flow of blood and producing the throbbing pain that is typical of this headache.

The cold and dreary winter months are when many divers are motivated to pack a bag and jet off to someplace warm and sunny for that much-needed scuba vacation. After all, a little rest and relaxation and several new entries in your dive log might be just what the doctor ordered to chase away the winter blahs. But traveling during flu season can put you at risk for catching more than a glimpse of your favorite tropical fish. Traveling means coming into contact with other travelers, which exposes you to whatever cooties they might have brought from home -- including the new, much-hyped H1N1 flu. This doesn't mean you should cancel your dive travel plans and not get off the couch. It simply means you need to practice a few safety tips that will help you stay healthy and avoid succumbing to illness during flu season.