There are many reasons why you are experiencing a headache – your kids were changing moods or they were simply hyperactive, you spent too much time in front of the TV/computer or maybe you are trying to stay away from caffeine.
It is good to know that there are many different ways to treat headaches. But, what is even more important is to determine when to use some of these natural remedies and when it is time to visit your doctor because sometimes headaches are signaling that there is something more serious going on in our body.
Types Of Dangerous Headaches
There are actually more than ten different types of headaches.
The vast majority of them are benign and come as a reaction to certain stimulation.
Unfortunately, there are certain headaches that need to be taken more seriously and in some cases, they require immediate professional medical care.
The following is a shortlist of types of headaches that can be dangerous:
- Headaches as a result of injury: in case you are dealing with headaches after you were injured, this may be a symptom of internal bleeding.
- Intense headaches after you get out of bed: if everything is alright with your body, sleep should make the headaches go away, not make them worse.
- Thunderclap headaches: A severe, intense headache that becomes intense in less than one minute.
Symptoms That Act As A Warning Sign
It is important to stay calm. The majority of headaches are simply headaches, not symptoms or signs of some disease or health problem. In case you cannot tell whether your headache is telling you to visit a doctor or not, try to identify some of these symptoms. This is a list of symptoms that are usually associated with more serious health issues:
- Confusion and memory loss
- Breathing problems
- Muscle spasms
- Speech and vision problems
- Seizures
- Frequent situations in which you are practically forced to skip school or work
- Headaches that occur on a daily basis
- Headaches that change the intensity, frequency, and location
- Get worse
- Activated with physical activity
- Fever
- Vomiting and/or nausea
- Neck stiffness
- Headaches that you have never experienced before.
Things To Do In Case Headaches Manifests In Some Of These Symptoms
In case you notice that your headache is manifesting some of the aforementioned symptoms or if you notice that situation is getting worse, this may be the right time to visit a health care professional. It is also a good idea to ask someone close to you (family member, friend, or colleague) to analyze your physical and psychological appearance/behavior for a couple of minutes. They should focus on identifying things like confusion, changes in appearance, paleness, or odd movements. In case they notice some of these symptoms ask them to take you to the nearest hospital.
In many cases, you will think that these symptoms are not strong enough and that you don’t need professional care. In this case, just make an appointment for the other day. Your health should be above anything else.
Acute Problems
These dangerous headaches may signal different severe health problems. For example, they can indicate brain bleeding, an occurrence that can be fatal. In case you act early, this problem can be solved, but if you don’t act, the next headache might be your last one. Brain bleeds become more intense over some period of time.
Frequent headaches are also related to brain tumors because tumors put pressure on different brain parts as they spread.
A headache that is characterized by a stiff neck or fever may suggest the presence of meningitis.
Staying in touch with the body can certainly help you figure out when is the right time to visit a doctor and when headaches are indicating something serious.
Via Cedars Sinai | Healthline
Picture credit: PositiveMED
