Headaches are in most cases, regardless of intensity and duration, benign - they are not a sign of serious diseases that threaten health or life. However, sometimes headache is the first, only or leading sign of more serious diseases.
That is why it is very important to recognize the symptoms of a headache, which may be the result of a serious illness, and then to see a doctor in a timely manner for adequate diagnosis and treatment. However, because there are over 200 types of headaches, many of which have overlapping symptoms or are simply universal, it is not always an "easy job".
If you recognize yourself in one of these 12 headache descriptions, don't panic, just be reasonable and act responsibly towards your health.
1. Sudden, "out of full health" headache of exceptional intensity
Such a headache can be a sign of spontaneous bleeding inside the skull due to the bursting of an aneurysm, a bag-like expansion of a cerebral blood vessel. If the doctor suspects a ruptured aneurysm, he will suggest urgent diagnostics (scanner and angiography - imaging of the blood vessels of the brain), as well as appropriate surgical and conservative treatment, he writes. vita-maxima.org.
2. A headache that occurs for the first time in your life
Any "newly developed" headache, which you have not experienced before, requires consultation with a doctor. This is especially true for headaches whose occurrence cannot be explained, because there are no causative factors such as fatigue, stress, injuries or any other condition that could possibly be associated with its occurrence. It is then up to the doctors to assess the headache and make a decision on possible additional tests and treatment.
3. A headache that is significantly different in intensity compared to the headaches you usually have
Any change in the characteristics of headaches that patients already know requires a certain measure of caution. A previously present tendency towards headaches should not be misleading, because a change in the basic characteristics of a headache can be caused by serious diseases, such as intracranial bleeding or brain tumors.
4. Headache associated with other symptoms
Some symptoms, associated with headache, clearly indicate brain damage, most often as a result of a tumor, bleeding or infarction. These include: speech impediments, difficulty moving an arm or leg, balance disorders, visual impairment, confusion or memory loss. It is necessary to consult a doctor for the purpose of additional diagnostics.
5. Headache accompanied by fever, stiff neck, nausea and vomiting
A headache accompanied by these symptoms is most often a sign of meningitis (inflammation of the meninges), a disease that requires immediate diagnosis and treatment.
6. A headache that shows a tendency to get worse over a 24-hour period
Practically every headache, regardless of the initial intensity, has a tendency to "relieve" over time, or at least not intensify, that is, to have phases with stronger and weaker intensity during its duration. Continuously increasing headache over a period of several hours may indicate the development of an intracranial process that requires immediate diagnosis and treatment.
7. Headache that occurs after a head injury
After head injuries, headache is a relatively common occurrence that does not have to, and most often is not, associated with more serious brain damage. However, head injuries, even minor ones, can sometimes result in more serious damage, such as brain contusion, skull fracture or intracranial bleeding. A headache can be the first sign of such complications. Therefore, every headache after a head injury requires caution, so a preventive visit to the doctor is recommended.
8. Extremely strong headache "in" one eye and the surrounding area, accompanied by redness of the eye
This headache can be a sign of a vascular malformation (congenital disorder of the blood vessels of the brain), such as an aneurysm of the carotid artery (one of the main arteries that "feeds" the brain) or a carotid-cavernous fistula. That is why it is advisable to consult a doctor.
9. Headache that first appears after the age of 50
Any headache that occurs for the first time later in life requires special attention, because there is a risk that it is caused by corresponding diseases, such as bleeding in the brain, brain infarction, tumors, inflammation...
10. Headache that lasts longer than 72 hours
Certain headaches, such as migraines, last up to 72 hours, and in rare situations even longer. However, any continuous, long-lasting headache, which goes out of the usual framework, always requires extra caution, because such long-lasting pain rarely indicates primary headaches, which are diseases in themselves, but rather raises the suspicion of secondary headache, which is a symptom of someone else, sometimes and a very serious illness.
11. Headache that gets worse in the morning
Severe, morning headaches, especially if they are accompanied by a feeling of nausea and the urge to vomit, may indicate an increase in intracranial pressure, which may be the result of a tumor or other brain diseases.
12. Frequent headache, which cannot be adequately controlled by usual painkillers
The presence of such headaches does not have to be, and most often is not, a sign of some serious illness. However, consultation with a doctor must be done in order to determine the type of headache and prescribe adequate therapy, which will bring the pain under control.
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