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Headaches are a common medical condition that almost everyone experiences now and then. The pain may vary from being a dull, persistent throb to a sharp, shooting pain. Usually, it is brought on by stress or other factors such as environmental conditions, dehydration, if you suffer from migraine, or just before and during your menstrual cycle. In most cases, adequate rest or painkillers offer relief, and you do not need medical attention.
However, if you have been having headaches with increasing frequency, higher intensity, and localised pain, you should not ignore the headache symptoms. These symptoms could indicate a serious health problem that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. Let us read to know when to see a doctor about a headache.
If you are wondering when to visit a doctor about a headache, the following are five telltale signs you must not ignore. Instead, visit your doctor as soon as possible.
Sometimes, the headache is so severe that you cannot get up from bed and perform your daily activities. Upon getting physically debilitating headaches often and several other symptoms including fever, disorientation, and sight and speech impairments accompany them, you must promptly seek medical attention for your headache.
You experience very severe headaches at any time of the day without any factor triggering the episode; it may be due to a thunderclap headache, which can spiral to its maximum intensity within a minute when you may have the worst headache of your life. However, it gradually eases in a few hours. Besides causing you immense discomfort along with nausea and drowsiness, it may be a warning sign for several severe medical conditions ranging from an aneurysm and meningitis to brain haemorrhage and reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome.
If your headache symptom includes neck stiffness (nuchal rigidity), you may assume that a bad sitting or sleeping posture or carrying heavy bags has stiffened your neck. However, it may be due to bacterial or viral meningitis, an infection of the spinal cord and the brain membranes in which the swelling in the infected membranes causes stiffness in the neck.
Other headache symptoms that may be serious are speech and vision-related issues. It includes slurred speech, incoherent sentences, and a hoarse voice during a headache. While your vision may be blurred due to migraine or eye strain, blurry vision during headaches can also indicate a range of severe and emergency health conditions, such as:
Severe and frequent headaches may even result in alterations in your behaviour. It may be a symptom of a brain tumour. Due to the pressure exerted by the tumour on the surrounding blood vessels, besides having severe headaches, you may also observe behavioural changes such as difficulties with controlling emotions, remembering, concentrating, reading and writing, and reasoning.
Typically, headaches are not life-threatening or symptoms of serious diseases, and almost everyone suffers with headaches in their lifetime that do not need medical care. However, if you feel that you or your loved ones have been experiencing blistering headaches quite often and with increasing severity and other symptoms, you should not ignore the condition and allow it to develop into critical health complications. Prompt consultation with your doctor leads to timely disease detection and offers you a higher chance of recovery.
If you are looking for the best treatments for headaches in Mysore, stay assured that our team of expert healthcare professionals is committed to providing the highest standards of personalised treatments for your unique condition. Prerana Hospital prioritises your overall well-being and offers advanced and effective solutions for neuro care and psychiatry services.
For more information on our specialised services or to book an appointment, contact us today.
