Headaches are infuriating enough, but constant headaches may be an indication of a life threatening disease. The pain and discomfort that one experiences during a constant headache originate from a confusion of signals between the blood vessels, brain, and the nearby nerves. When some of the specific nerves, head muscles, and blood vessels twitch, the pain signals are sent to your brain as a result.
The causes of a headache can be many, such as illness, stress, bad posture, anxiety or environmental factors. An occasional headache can be easily treated with over-the-counter (OTC) medicines. But a repetitive headache needs the attention of medical personnel for proper treatment such as migraines, sinuses, and cluster type headaches.
What are Constant Headaches?
Constant headaches are encountered by almost everyone at some stage of their life. The head pain can sometimes include dizziness, fatigue, nausea and tiredness. Many times, individuals who are not suffering from a serious condition, and are diagnosed with this type, usually tend to put off seeking medical help for as long as they can. But here is the question: is this right to ignore the symptoms for longer periods?
Often people complain about them and that they seem to happen more often. One might hinder them from performing ordinary tasks on a daily basis. More often than not, constant headaches are just a reaction of the body to the weather or environmental changes.
One fact is certain, this type of condition can be the indication of deadly diseases inside your body. Simply put, these can be a symptom of a simple organic disorder or it can be signaling that there is a complicated or serious disorder within the body. Unfortunately, you can’t rely on self-diagnosis for this one, you’re going to have to make an appointment with a medical professional.
This is because the only way to really know what is going on is to have a thorough examination by a doctor.
When Should I Visit a Doctor?
Most of the time, headaches are caused by environmental changes or due to some other viral infections, but constant headaches can also be a symptom of serious conditions such as brain tumor, viral meningitis, and stroke.
Ending up with a headache doesn’t necessarily mean that you are on the verge of having a stroke or being diagnosed with some other deadly disease. However, if you feel like your constant headaches out of the ordinary, it is definitely something you should get checked out.
Therefore, you don’t need to panic unnecessarily. To put it simply, there isn’t any need for a CT scan or emergency visit to the hospital if your headache does not:
- Occur severely or suddenly
- Cause blinding pain
- Get worse every other day
- Resume after a brain injury
- Take place as a result of sudden physical movements or is followed by sneezing or coughing
- Cause weakness, confusion, drowsiness, slurred speech or memory loss
- Inlcude high temperature, rashes, a stiff neck, vision problems and severe pain and redness in the eye
If you experience these symptoms along with bone crunching constant headaches, then immediately visit your nearest Accidental or Emergency Department (A&E) as you might be suffering from brain swelling, abnormal cell mutation, stroke, or some other serious medical condition.
Diagnosis
It is extremely important to make a note of all the symptoms that are followed so that the doctors can diagnose your situation correctly. As with any kind of medical situation, the more information that you can provide, the better.
Moreover, make a headache diary where you write down all the symptoms, which includes all the certain triggers that might make your headache worse or better. It is very important to give a full description of all the factors associated with your headaches.
The doctors will not suggest a CT or MRI scan if the reason for your constant headache is environmental or less life-threatening. EEG or Electroencephalogram would also be unnecessary if you have never lost your consciousness during your headache.
If your symptoms persist or get worse over time, ask your doctor to refer you to a good headache specialist for treatment.
Conclusion
Constant headaches that are caused by a stroke, viral meningitis, or tumor, can be effectively dealt with by an experienced medical specialist. After the diagnoses and treatment, they are likely to go away, if treated correctly.
However, if environmental factors, unusual sleep pattern or dehydration is the cause of your headaches, then begin the treatment program designed by your doctor. More importantly, try to stay clear of all factors that might trigger these painful episodes all over again. In this case, awareness is key, so take note of all of your symptoms and don’t be shy to speak up if you’re experiencing anything unusual, or unusually debilitating or painful.
