Is that Just a Headache?

Headaches are of different types and though sometimes they may be result of just an exhausting day, they may suggest a more serious underlying health disorder. Read further to find out more.

Meningitis

The name of the disorder is derived from the inflammation of the meninges, that cover the spinal cord and the brain. In meningitis, the headache is severe, though rare, and is accompanied by a neck stiffness and fever. The patient is unable to look down to the feet. Additionally, the patient may be suffering from photophobia, nausea and vomiting.

Meningitis is of two types- bacterial meningitis and viral meningitis. Bacterial meningitis is life threatening whereas viral meningitis is not so serious.

Therefore, in case your headache is always accompanied with fever and neck stiffness, get yourself checked for meningitis.

Tension-type Headache

Though they are not so serious but regular headaches may affect your memory and mental capacity.

Pain of the tension –type headache is felt all over the head. It is often result of a poor posture, exhaustion and anxiety. If you need to find out if your headaches are serious or not then consult a doctor for CT or MRI scan.

Brain Tumor

A major symptom of brain tumor is a headache that is regular and increases when you have just got up from the sleep. The pulsating effect of the pain may increase when you lie down. The patient experiences trouble in maintaining balance during the headache, accompanied with blurred vision, seizures, nausea and vomiting.

Brain tumors are either benign or malignant. Benign brain tumors become a problem when their size increases and they start to press against the nearby organs, effecting their functioning.

Malignant tumors are result of spread of cancer from other parts of the body. They can be removed with surgery. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy can be considered depending upon the stage of the tumor.

Migraine

Here is good news for women suffering from migraines. They become less severe after menopause.

Before the pain sets in, most of the patients say that they see an “aura”. The pain may take a few hours to reduce or it may take a few days. The pain is in the either side of the head and is often accompanied with nausea and vomiting.