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Headshaking is
being studied for more than 100 years.
Though an increasing number of horses is suffering from it and the
ones which were properly diagnosed are being treated, it is still
not understood in full; the research is an ongoing and currently
a very much talked about subject.
For example: in September 2004 the German
Federation National, FN in short, was holding a symposium about HS
for horse show veterinarians.
Different theories are emerging on the internet,
with that available to a broader public. Theories, which are
investigated for years, which refer to horses without 'visible'
reason for HS, like an ear mites infestation does; with more or less
successful results in treatment. Non of the scientifically proven
theories should be discarded, even if they don't apply to EVERY
horse.
In this site we are going to read about these
theories and their backgrounds.
The most obvious causes of HS are known widely,
other like idiopathic headshaking are still undergoing
intense research and seems to be caused by several
disorder/illnesses and/or events and then finally triggered, one
major factor is thought to be high stress. More to read under in the
chapter Theories under Research.
Below you can read about the common known
medical causes, I list a few of by now over 70 established causes:
- ear mite infestation
The ear mite is an eight-legged parasite, with it's
Latin name 'otodectes'. It can infect any other mammal, not
living in the sea or water. This mite has hairs over
its body and, as it moves around the ear canal, the hairs
cause intense irritation that can lead to infection and
even to the rupture of the ear drum.
- jaw, teeth and mouth/gum problems
foreign objects in the mouth, sharp edges in on molars,
etc.
- changes of the eye
Squamous cell carcinoma is a common tumor of horses in
areas of intense sunlight or high altitude. It is one of the most
common tumors
of the eye of the horse. Link
- otitis media & interna
otitis Interna: Inflammation of the inner ear; also
called labyrinthitis.
otitis Media: Inflammation of the middle ear; also
called tympanitis.
- allergic rhinitis
is the most common cause of rhinitis, commonly called
'Hay Fever'
- vasomotor rhinitis or idiopathic rhinitis
The cause of vasomotor rhinitis remains obscure despite
its recognition for many years. It is known
that the lining inside an affected nose overreacts to
anything that irritates it. Blood vessels enlarge (vasodilate)
and this results in chronic swelling and nasal obstruction.
There is some evidence that individuals
with vasomotor rhinitis have an imbalance in the nerve supply
to the nose which leads to the dilated blood
vessels.
- osteoma of the paranasal sinuses (PNS)
osteoma is the most common benign tumor of the nose and
paranasal sinuses causing erosion of the sinus
walls. PNS are mucosal lined air filled cavities in the
skull bones adjacent to the nasal cavity and
also communicating with this cavity.
There are paired and unpaired sinuses. The paired ones are
Maxillary
sinuses, Ethmoidal sinuses, Frontal sinuses. Spenoidal
sinus is unpaired.
- traumatic cranial neuropathy
Nerve injuries may result from mechanical blows,
gunshot wounds, fractures, pressure, and stretching.
Cranial Nerves: These are twelve nerves that govern the
function of various processes in the head, such as
the horse's ability to cock the ears forward when it
hears something interesting, the ability to swallow food,
or its ability to pick up even very slight noises. Some
individuals also experience burning/tearing of the eyes.
- cervical (neck) injuries
- adrenaline maladaption 
- guttural pouch mycosis External
Link
The most common clinical sign of a fungal infection of
the guttural pouches is severe bleeding from the nose
(epistaxis) not related to exercise. This is a result
of erosion of the wall of the internal carotid artery, in
most cases. When local nerves are damaged, the horse
might have difficulty swallowing (dysphagia).
- partial asphyxia
is a condition of severe lack of oxygen supplied to the
body most likely induced by upper airway obstruction.
Prolonged asphyxia can result in brain damage even when
it does not cause death.
- optic trigeminal summation (photic head shaking)
The theory of optic-trigeminal summation
holds that the optic and trigeminal nerves are
intimately linked
in the mid-brain. A neurological disorder also known in
human. External
Link
- infraorbital neuritis
The infraorbital nerve is a branch of the maxillary
division of the trigeminal nerve, and is entirely sensory.
This neuritis is the result of inflammation within the
nerve from trauma, bacterial, viral, or toxins.
- temporomandibular dysfunction (TMD)
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) is the joint that allows
jaw mobility.
When these bones are misaligned and not articulating
properly and the surrounding tissue of the TMJ is stressed,
the TMJ Mechanism is out of balance and cannot function
optimally. It is a multifactor syndrome,
meaning there are multiple factors, called contributing
factors, which are involved in TMD's genesis.
This condition is known as Temporomandibular
Dysfunction, or TMD.
- herpes virus infection
Studies in England AND veterinary practice are pointing
in the direction that the life virus can cause HS. However it is
NOT proven
that vaccination with (mostly) dead virus vaccine will
cause it.
- Lyme disease (Borreliose) and Ehrilichiosis
Borreliose is caused by a bacteria called
Borrelia burgdorferi. Ehrlichiosis is caused by a specialized
bacteria called Rickettsiae
Above causes are not the only causes, many
more can cause HS, sometimes a combination of several factors; often
it is unknown, why for example pure pasture horses, with
"optimal life style" all of a sudden suffer under HS. And
it is the same phenomena why lots of horses all of a sudden stop,
after years of being ill, without ANY treatment.
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