Carenotes > Acute Headache (Aftercare Instructions)

Acute Headache

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW:

A headache is pain or discomfort in the head. A headache may have a known cause, or the cause may be unknown. Many people get headaches. Both men and women can get headaches, but women more often have headaches that are moderately or very painful. Headaches occur most often in middle aged adults, and less often in older adults.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Common types of headaches:

• Tension-type headache: This is the most common type of headache. These headaches may occur during the day, typically in the late afternoon, and may go away by the evening. The pain is usually mild or moderate, and you may have problems tolerating bright light or loud noise. The pain is usually felt across the forehead or in the back of the head, and it may be only on one side. These headaches may occur every day.
  
  
• Migraine headache: Migraine headaches are usually recurring and cause moderate or severe pain. The headaches generally last from 1 to 3 days. Pain tends to be on only one side of the head, and may change sides. The pain is often located in the temple or the back of the head, and it may feel throbbing. The pain may also be behind your eye, and feel sharp and steady.
  
  
• Migraine with aura: An aura is something that you see or feel, and occurs before a headache. People with an aura before their migraine headache often see a small spot surrounded by bright zigzag lines. Other signs or symptoms may follow the aura.
  
  
• Cluster headache: The pain of a cluster headache is usually on one side of the head. It often causes severe pain, and can last for 30 minutes to two hours. These headaches may occur once or twice each day. These headaches occur more often at night, and may wake you from sleeping.

Causes: Headaches may be a symptom of a wide variety of conditions including the following:

• Infections: This includes infections caused by a virus, bacteria or other germ.
  
  
• Metabolic disorders: This includes thyroid gland and other disorders.
  
  
• Neoplasms: These are also called growths or tumors.
  
  
• Posttraumatic disorders: After head trauma, such as a blow to the head, a headache may occur.
  
  
• Primary headache disorders: These problems may be from muscle contractions or changes in the way that your body feels, controls, or responds to pain.
  
  
• Structural disorders: These problems may involve nerves such as cranial nerves or the trigeminal nerve. Meninges, blood vessels, muscles, soft tissues, skin, bones, or joints may also cause headaches. Tooth, neck or sinus pain may also cause headaches.
  
  
• Toxins: Being around strong-smelling chemicals or other substances may cause headaches.

Other factors that may cause or be related to headaches include:

• Caffeine: If you are used to drinking 2 to 3 cups of coffee each day, suddenly stopping may cause a headache.
  
  
• Diet: Cured meats, artificial sweeteners, products that contain tyramine (such as red wine, aged cheese, and dark chocolate), and monosodium glutamate (MSG) may trigger headaches.
  
  
• Drinking alcohol: Drinks that contain alcohol such as beer, wine, vodka and other hard liquor may cause headaches.
  
  
• Fasting: Not eating for a period of time may cause a headache.
  
  
• Fatigue: Tiredness can cause tension-type headaches to occur.
  
  
• Menstruation cycles: Menstruation may cause headaches, especially for teenagers or after a pregnancy. Headaches are also more likely when you use oral contraceptives (birth control pills) or estrogen replacement therapy.
  
  
• Sleep deprivation: Not getting enough sleep can cause tension-type headaches, and changes in your usual sleep pattern can cause a migraine headache. Napping during the daytime may also cause headaches.
  
  
• Stress: Tension or stress may cause headaches. Migraine headaches caused by stress may go away after relaxing. Headaches caused by stress may occur hours or even days after stressful events.

Telling caregivers about your headache:

• A pain scale may be used to help you tell caregivers how bad the pain is.
  
  
• Headaches may be acute, lasting for hours or days. Headaches may also be subacute, lasting for days or weeks. Headaches may also be chronic, lasting for months or years. Headaches can occur in one or more places, anywhere in the head.
  
  
• Headaches may be mild or moderately painful. It may be hard to describe exactly where the pain is, and the headache may feel like pressure in or on your head. These headaches are usually caused by muscle problems such as contractions (cramps) or injuries.
  
  
• Headaches may be moderately or very painful. You may be able to state exactly where the pain is. These headaches usually are behind your eye or in your forehead, and are a throbbing pain. This type of headache is usually caused by problems with blood vessels in the head.

Signs and symptoms that may be related to headaches:

• Fever.
  
  
• Loss of memory, responses to events that seem incorrect, and trouble solving easy mathematical questions.
  
  
• Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach) and vomiting (throwing up).
  
  
• Problems with your vision:
  
  
  • Drooping eyelids, watery eyes, or red eyes.
    
    
  • Losing your ability to see to the sides, up or down.
    
    
  • Seeing strange designs or sights right before the headache occurs.
    
    
  • Trouble tolerating bright light.
    
    
  • Unable to see as clearly or as well as usual.
  
  
• Runny nose.
  
  
• Stiff neck.
  
  
• Tenderness of the head and neck area.
  
  
• Trouble staying awake, or being less alert than usual.
  
  
• Weakness or decreased energy.

Treatment:

• Treatment for a headache depends on the cause of the headache, if the cause is known. If there is a medical condition causing your headache, treatment will be aimed at that condition. If the cause of your headache is unknown, treatment is aimed at stopping or preventing the headache.
  
  
• Treatment to stop the headache may be done for headaches that cause moderate or severe pain. OTC pain medicine may be suggested for treatment of occasional tension-type headaches. If headaches greatly impact your daily activities, certain treatments do not help, and for other factors, you may need one or more of the following treatments to prevent or treat a headache:
  
  
  • Analgesics: This medicine may be used to treat tension-type headaches.
    
    
  • Antidepressants: This medicine may help decrease how often and how long you have tension-type headaches.
    
    
  • Biofeedback: Biofeedback is a special way to control how your body reacts to things like stress or pain. The first step in this training is to use electrodes (wires) to monitor your body responses. These electrodes are placed on different parts of your body, such as your chest. The electrodes are attached to a TV-type monitor which gives a paper tracing of your heart beating. You will learn how to control body changes, such as slowing your heart rate, when you become upset. Thermal biofeedback measures heat. When this is used with relaxation, certain headaches may be prevented. Electromyographic biofeedback measures muscle tension. This treatment may be used with other treatments to prevent headaches.
    
    
  • Cognitive - behavior therapy: Also called stress management, this therapy may be used with other measures to prevent headaches.

Self-care:

• Applying heat to the area increases blood circulation and may relieve a headache. Place a warm compress or a heating pad on the painful area. A warm compress is a small towel dampened with hot water and placed in a plastic bag. Wrap a towel around the plastic bag to prevent burns. Keep a heating pad on a low heat setting. Do not sleep on a heating pad because it can cause a bad burn.
  
  
• You may want to keep a headache diary. Record the dates and times that you get headaches, and what you were doing before the headache started. This might help you learn if there is something that triggers your headaches.
  
  
• Try lying down in a comfortable position and closing your eyes. Relax your muscles slowly, starting at the toes and working your way up your body.

Appointments with other caregivers:

• You may need to see a dentist for a temporomandibular joint condition (TMD). If you are an older adult and temporal arteritis is suspected, you may need a procedure called a temporal artery biopsy. You may need to see an ophthalmologist if headaches occur after close-up work such as reading, or if your headaches may be caused by another condition related to your eyesight.
  
  
• You may need to see a psychiatrist if you have anxiety or depression, or a gynecologist if you use birth control pills or estrogen replacement therapy. If sudden and serious conditions that may require surgery are suspected, you may need to see a neurosurgeon. You may need to see a neurologist if you have other symptoms with your headache, or caregivers find problems during an exam. If you have long-lasting or long-term headaches or treatment does not work to prevent or relieve your headaches, you may need to see a headache specialist.

What to expect with time and treatment: Relief from headaches depends on the type of headache, treatments used, and other factors. Migraine headaches may improve after age 50. Headaches that occur in relation to the menstrual cycle may be less likely to improve over time. Headaches caused by conditions such as temporal arteritis and subdural hematoma may slowly improve. There may be lasting symptoms such as vision loss or memory loss if headaches are caused by a subdural hematoma or other medical condition.

CONTACT A CAREGIVER IF:

• You have a continuous headache with vomiting and signs of dehydration.
  
  
• You have a daily headache with pain that is not relieved by medicine and other treatments.
  
  
• You have changes in your headaches, or new symptoms that occur when you have a headache.
  
  
• You have headaches after having surgery, or after being told that you have another medical condition.
  
  
• You have severe headache pain that does not go away even after using medicine.

SEEK CARE IMMEDIATELY IF:

• You have a headache that occurs after a blow to the head, a fall, or other trauma.
  
  
• You have a severe headache, neck stiffness, vomiting and photophobia (pain with bright light).
  
  
• You have changes in personality, forgetfulness, or other mental changes with your headache.
  
  
• You have loss of feeling on one side of your face or body.
  
  
• You have unbearable headache pain.

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The above information is an educational aid only. It is not intended as medical advice for individual conditions or treatments. Talk to your doctor, nurse or pharmacist before following any medical regimen to see if it is safe and effective for you.