In most cases, headache is a symptom of disorders that can be relatively easily eliminated, but it can also signal serious, life-threatening conditions and diseases. That's why headaches should not be taken lightly.
Pulsating, radiating, deep, dull, throbbing, piercing, pressing, burning... headache - one of the most common symptoms, and at the same time the most common reason for going to the doctor, can have "a hundred faces".
A wide variety of external stimuli and conditions in the body can cause headaches, starting with lack of sleep, sedentary lifestyle, stress, hypersensitivity to weather changes (meteoropathy), insufficient water intake, unhealthy diet, skipping meals and diets, alcohol, cigarettes...
However, headache can be an accompanying symptom of disorders and diseases of the organs located in the head, such as the eye, ear, nose, throat, gums and teeth. Disorders of cerebral circulation and degenerative changes in the cervical spine often cause headaches. It can also occur due to changes in blood pressure, metabolic disorders, blood vessel diseases, head injuries, inflammatory diseases...
When is a headache an alarm signal?
- Headache can be a symptom of serious disorders and diseases, so in the following cases you should definitely seek medical help:
- A sudden and severe headache like you have never experienced before, more intense than usual
- Recurrent headaches that get worse: they are more frequent and stronger, they do not go away after taking analgesics
- Headache accompanied by fever, nausea and vomiting, stiff neck and/or muscle and joint pain
- If one or more of the following symptoms appear along with the headache: vision disturbances, tingling, balance or movement coordination disorders, weakness on one side of the body, speech disorders, memory loss
- If the headache occurs for the first time after the age of fifty
- Headache accompanied by drowsiness or confusion
- Headache after head injury
- If the headache worsens during coughing, sneezing or physical exertion (such headaches may be harmless, but require medical supervision)
What to do when you have a headache?
Monitor your symptoms when a headache occurs. If it is sudden and intense, like a "thunder" headache, it may indicate bleeding inside the head. Seek immediate medical attention.
If the headache is less severe, pain relief with medication such as ibuprofen or another that you usually take for headaches may be enough.
But if the headache is recurring or if you have to take pain relievers frequently, see your doctor. You may not be familiar with a particular pain pattern, but your doctor will advise you and, if necessary, refer you to further tests.
Possible causes of headaches can be determined through an examination and various laboratory and radiological tests (eg X-ray, ultrasound, EEG, CT, magnetic resonance).
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