A headache, or cephalalgia, was a medical condition of pain in an individual's head. The pain ranged from mild to severe, and at one time amongst Humans was one of the most common localized pain complaints.
Headaches can have a number of causes—such as stress, tension, migraine, eye strain, dehydration, low blood sugar, and sinusitis. They can also be present due to a head injury. Vulcan nerve pinches were known to at times cause severe headaches, as both Doctor Leonard McCoy and James T. Kirk learned from first hand experience. (TOS novel: Enterprise: The First Adventure; TOS episode: "The Enterprise Incident")
History and specifics[]
In the 2150s decade, the first symptom of Terrellian plague was a headache. (ENT episode: "Singularity")
In the year 2270, one the nerve tonics brewed by the bartender on Drozana Station could cause a headache. (STO - Spectres mission: "Night of the Comet")
Devices such as thought makers could also be used to inflict severe headaches on individuals. Sometime prior to 2364, Federation scientists had made detailed charts of the humanoid brain, giving them a much greater understanding of the brain and conditions such as headaches. With this new knowledge, Federation doctors were able to prevent or easily treat many types of headaches. (TNG episode: "The Battle")
In 2409, hydrocortilene was a medicine often used as a treatment for the common headache. It was effective against pain in the cranial or upper spinal regions in general. (STO - Cold War mission: "Cold Comfort")
In the 29th century, Kathryn Janeway was recruited by Lieutenant Juel Ducane of the USS Relativity for a time travel mission. Dealing with the implications of time travel caused Janeway a headache, and she asked Ducane not to make it worse. (VOY episode: "Relativity")
External links[]
- Headache article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Headache article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.