Just A Thought 8
7 HABITS OF THE HIGHLY DISASTROUS HEADACHES
Headache is a common complaint across all age groups in either gender. Headache is a symptom that is common to many diseases. Proper identification of the cause of headache is essential- every disease has a specific set of treatment options that usually vary vastly from the treatment of another cause. Popping those pain killers is not always the best solution. Some of the causes of the headaches may be serious (for example brain fever, high blood pressure) and the temporary pain relief afforded by the pain killers may actually delay the real treatment.
Some common features which suggest that the headache may need attention as soon as possible are as follows-
1. Doctor, this headache started so suddenly.
2. Doctor, I never had a headache before in my life. First ever headache or a headache that has recently commenced indicate serious conditions like brain hemorrhage that can be treated and should never be taken lightly.
3. Doctor I never had a headache when I was young. But with age, these headaches have started. Age, especially if more than 50 years of age, is an important factor. Headache in this group may hint to conditions like brain tumors, brain hemorrhages and even stroke.
4. Doctor, I have had headaches before. But this is different/much more severe. A worsening of headache or a change in the way the headache troubles you may occur due to the increasing severity of the underlying problem. However any patient of migraine would also share a similar experience and suggest a gradual worsening of headaches compared to what they faced earlier.
5. Doctor, I have this severe headache and also….. Symptom like limb weakness, speech or swallowing problems, weight loss, fever, cough etc may accompany the headache. These additional symptoms throw light on the cause of headache. For example, vomiting may indicate a brain tumor or a migraine; loss of consciousness and falls suggest stroke, brain hemorrhage and even epilepsy; weakness of limbs on one side, speech and swallowing problems point towards a possible stroke.
6. Doctor, I have had headaches before. But this is the most intense headache I have ever had. This can indicate a severe life threatening brain hemorrhage and sub arachnoid hemorrhage that needs to be treated urgently by a neurologist.
7. Doctor, I used to take medicines from the pharmacist. But now those pain killers do not help. The pain killers may be helpful initially. But as the underlying cause worsens, simple pain killers may become ineffective and the seriousness of the illness may demand a more specific treatment. And in certain situations, it may already be too late for the specific treatment to be of consequence anymore.
This list is by no means complete or exhaustive. And many people with even these features may have a benign cause such as migraine. But considering that the causes of headache may be serious and life threatening it is always better to consult a neurophysician in case of the aforementioned features accompanies the headache.
Dr Saumya Mittal. MBBS, MD (Medicine), CC (Diabetes Mellitus), DNB (Neurology)
Dr Mittal’s Mediclinic: https://goo.gl/maps/TFTvRkXeiQr more
Headache is a common complaint across all age groups in either gender. Headache is a symptom that is common to many diseases. Proper identification of the cause of headache is essential- every disease has a specific set of treatment options that usually vary vastly from the treatment of another cause. Popping those pain killers is not always the best solution. Some of the causes of the headaches may be serious (for example brain fever, high blood pressure) and the temporary pain relief afforded by the pain killers may actually delay the real treatment.
Some common features which suggest that the headache may need attention as soon as possible are as follows-
1. Doctor, this headache started so suddenly.
2. Doctor, I never had a headache before in my life. First ever headache or a headache that has recently commenced indicate serious conditions like brain hemorrhage that can be treated and should never be taken lightly.
3. Doctor I never had a headache when I was young. But with age, these headaches have started. Age, especially if more than 50 years of age, is an important factor. Headache in this group may hint to conditions like brain tumors, brain hemorrhages and even stroke.
4. Doctor, I have had headaches before. But this is different/much more severe. A worsening of headache or a change in the way the headache troubles you may occur due to the increasing severity of the underlying problem. However any patient of migraine would also share a similar experience and suggest a gradual worsening of headaches compared to what they faced earlier.
5. Doctor, I have this severe headache and also….. Symptom like limb weakness, speech or swallowing problems, weight loss, fever, cough etc may accompany the headache. These additional symptoms throw light on the cause of headache. For example, vomiting may indicate a brain tumor or a migraine; loss of consciousness and falls suggest stroke, brain hemorrhage and even epilepsy; weakness of limbs on one side, speech and swallowing problems point towards a possible stroke.
6. Doctor, I have had headaches before. But this is the most intense headache I have ever had. This can indicate a severe life threatening brain hemorrhage and sub arachnoid hemorrhage that needs to be treated urgently by a neurologist.
7. Doctor, I used to take medicines from the pharmacist. But now those pain killers do not help. The pain killers may be helpful initially. But as the underlying cause worsens, simple pain killers may become ineffective and the seriousness of the illness may demand a more specific treatment. And in certain situations, it may already be too late for the specific treatment to be of consequence anymore.
This list is by no means complete or exhaustive. And many people with even these features may have a benign cause such as migraine. But considering that the causes of headache may be serious and life threatening it is always better to consult a neurophysician in case of the aforementioned features accompanies the headache.
Dr Saumya Mittal. MBBS, MD (Medicine), CC (Diabetes Mellitus), DNB (Neurology)
Dr Mittal’s Mediclinic: https://goo.gl/maps/TFTvRkXeiQr more
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