Signs you should not Ignore when you have a headache

Everyone experiences headaches.  They may occur from stress, dehydration, or your menstrual cycle. Another common reason is the result of an ongoing chronic medical issue, such as a migraine (or vascular headache).

But, a headache may be a symptom or warning sign of a more serious or life-threatening problem.  Here are some signs you should not ignore:

Speech or vision change (example: sudden blurred vision or speech)

When a headache is accompanied by vision changes, trouble speaking or walking, or weakness on one side of the body, you may be having a stroke. 

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to your brain is cut off or severely reduced, causing cells to die almost immediately. You may experience loss of vision or lack of feeling (numbness), in the hands, face, or tongue. 

The headache during a stroke will likely feel different — the headache that occurs suddenly is likely not a migraine and may indicate you are having a stroke. If you believe your headache is a “sudden onset headache”, call your doctor immediately or better call 911. (hint: a headache from a stroke usually feels different than your other  headaches. 

Change in behavior

If your headaches have been increasing in severity or are becoming more frequent, it is possible a brain tumor is the reason. Headache accompanied by changes in your behavior may indicate you should seek medical care sooner than later. Loss of memory, concentration, judgment and reasoning,difficulty with  reading and writing may also be caused by a brain tumor.

It comes on suddenly and severely (“the worst headache of my life!”)

A SUDDEN and SEVERE headache may be caused by a ruptured aneurysm. But a ruptured aneurysm occurs when a ballooned artery that ruptures and leaks blood around the brain. You may also feel nausea, have vomiting and sudden onset drowsiness. 

You also have a stiff neck or high fever

If you have a headache and a fever, AND a stiff, painful neck, you may have an infection. (meningitis) If your temperature is very high (> 101 F) or (38.33 C). 

While it is often difficult to diagnose meningitis, you should at least discuss the headache and fever with your doctor or medical provider, especially if Tylenol (acetaminophen) does not get rid of the headache.

Headaches are interfering with your daily life

If headaches are preventing you from performing normal daily activities, consider seeing your doctor as frequent headaches may be a symptom of another underlying issue. By visiting your doctor, the underlying cause of headaches may be uncovered (such as hypertension, tension, or a pinched nerve in the neck), and treated appropriately. 

Summary of headache types  

In general, there are 4 categories of headaches. These include cluster headaches, migraine, tension, and New Daily Persistent Headaches, (NDPH). Usually all are often treated with standard pain medications such as Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Advil (ibuprofen). Uncovering the distinct type of headache and even better discovering the underlying cause may help the patient reduce or eliminate the headaches completely.