I came to this useful information by visiting a doctor with my wife.
How did it all start?
A month ago my wife had a headache for 7 days and it was scary she was taking medication hoping it would stop but the headache was getting stronger and stronger.
I forced my wife to go to the doctor and she didn't want to, she hoped it would stop on its own.
One morning I got up to make coffee and my wife couldn't get out of bed because of a headache and didn't sleep all night, I immediately responded by calling the doctors and they gave me the following instructions and said that if the headache didn't stop to get her to the hospital right away.
That day also passed, but my wife still had a severe headache, so I decided to listen to the doctors and take her to the hospital, and I did.
When we arrived at the hospital, my wife was tied up for an infusion and given sedatives, after which she was prescribed medication and given further instructions.
After that, we went to some lectures at the hospital for headaches and there we learned this useful information about the types of headaches and when to see a doctor.
Headaches in most cases are not a sign of serious illnesses that endanger health or life. However, sometimes headaches are the first, only or leading sign of more serious illnesses.
If you recognize yourself in any of these headache descriptions, contact your doctor.
A sudden headache of extreme intensity
This type of headache can be a sign of spontaneous bleeding inside the skull due to a ruptured aneurysm, a sac-like enlargement of a cerebral blood vessel.
A headache that occurs for the first time in your life or is different from the headaches you usually have
Any "new" headache, which you have not experienced before, requires a consultation with a doctor. Any change in the characteristics of the headache that patients already recognize, requires a certain precaution.
Headache associated with symptoms such as speech problems, difficulty moving the arm or leg, balance disorders, visual impairment, confusion or memory loss
These symptoms, combined with headaches, clearly indicate brain damage.
Headache accompanied by fever, neck stiffness, nausea and vomiting
Headache accompanied by these symptoms is most often a sign of meningitis (inflammation of the meninges), a disease that requires immediate diagnosis and treatment.
The headache that shows shows a tendency of constant intensification in the period of 24 hours
Continuous intensification of the headache over a period of several hours may indicate the development of an intracranial process that requires urgent diagnosis and treatment.
Headache that occurs after a head injury
Headache may be the first sign of complications. Therefore, any headache after a head injury requires caution, so a preventive visit to the doctor is recommended.
Extremely severe headache "in" one eye and the surrounding area, followed by redness of the eye
This type of headache can be a sign of a vascular malformation (a congenital disorder of the blood vessels of the brain), such as a carotid artery aneurysm (one of the main arteries that "feeds" the brain) or a carotid-cavernous fistula.
Headache that first appears in the period after the age of 50
Any headache that first appears in later life requires special attention, because there is a relatively high probability that it is caused by appropriate diseases, such as bleeding in the brain, cerebral infarction, tumors, inflammation…
Headache that occurs in people being treated for cancer
In such situations, the headache always indicates a real suspicion of the development of brain metastases. Therefore, you should consult a doctor for adequate diagnosis.
Headache lasting more than 72 hours
Any continuous, long-lasting headache, which goes beyond the usual framework, always requires extra caution, because such long-term pain rarely indicates primary headaches, which are diseases in themselves, but raises the suspicion of a secondary headache, which is a symptom of someone else, sometimes very serious illness.
Headache that intensifies in the morning
Severe, morning headaches, especially if accompanied by a feeling of nausea and the urge to vomit, may indicate an increase in intracranial pressure, which may be a consequence of tumors or other brain diseases.
Frequent headache, which cannot be adequately controlled with conventional painkillers
The presence of such headaches does not have to be, and most often is not, a sign of some serious diseases. However, a 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.
My wife is much better now and now she abides by all the rules.
I hope this information about the types of headaches also helped you.
