Signs Your Headache is Serious
By Sara Butler
Headaches are not only uncomfortable, but also a very personal experience. What may be a terrible pain to one person might not be that bad to another. But when your headache status changes, how do you know when to be concerned? Here are a few signs that it might be time to get your headaches checked out by a medical professional.
Thunderclap Headaches
Severe headaches that appear suddenly like a lightning bolt are a cause for concern. This isn’t a sharp pain that goes away as suddenly as it began, but a pain that comes on like a light switch or feels as if someone has hit you in the head with a hammer. This may be an indication that you’ve got bleeding in your brain from an aneurysm, so get medical help immediately.
Your Headache Changes
If you experience tension or migraine headaches, they sure can be terrible but aren’t usually a cause for concern. But if your headaches seem to change, becoming more intense or different from what you normally experience, then you need to seek immediate medical attention.
Headaches with Other Symptoms
If you have a bad headache combined with a fever, then you should be concerned about it. It may be an indication of something as serious as meningitis, an infection of the lining of your brain and spinal cord. If your symptoms are even worse and include an altered mental state causing you be confused or act unlike yourself, then go to the emergency room.
A Headache Centered Around or Behind the Eyes
Headaches combined with eye pain, especially if they are accompanied by a change in vision, is an emergency. Acute glaucoma can cause pressure in your eyes to skyrocket and lead to blindness. So, if this happens to you suddenly, then go get medical care immediately.
You Have Pain Just in Your Temples
Normally, where your headache is located isn’t that big of a deal. But if you’re over the age of 50 and you experience a headache concentrated in one or both of your temples, then it might be a sign of something serious. Temporal arteritis is a condition where the arteries in the temples become inflamed, causing pain, blurry vision, and possibly a fever. Go to the doctor as soon as you can.
The chance that your headache is something very serious is slim, but if you’re ever concerned, there’s no shame in getting it checked out to make sure it’s really the nothing you think it is.
To learn more about your health and wellness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic.