If you have headaches that are landing you in bed all day or otherwise making you unable to perform your normal daily activities, it’s time to see a doctor. Headaches are interfering with your daily life. Although meningitis is hard to diagnose because it can mimic other infections, if you have a headache along with these other symptoms, it’s best to get checked by your doctor. You may also have nausea, vomiting or even seizures if you have meningitis. The swelling of these membranes is what can trigger a headache and stiff neck. The infection, which can be bacterial or viral, affects the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. But add in the telltale symptom of a stiff neck, and you may have meningitis. If you have a headache and a fever, you may think it’s the flu. You also have a stiff neck or high fever. If you experience a major headache like this, call 911 immediately. It may also be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, weakness or drowsiness. “They call it a ‘thunder clap’ headache.” Russin, MD, a neurosurgeon at Keck Medicine of USC and assistant professor of clinical neurological surgery at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. “The classic presentation is the worst headache of your life,” says Jonathan J.
But a ruptured aneurysm which occurs when the ballooned vessel pops and leaks blood around the brain, can cause a massive, sudden headache. Usually they don’t cause symptoms, although if they get very big, they can cause headaches. It comes on suddenly and severely.Ī brain aneurysm occurs when weak blood vessels in the brain start expanding or “ballooning” out. If you or others around you have noticed these changes along with your headaches, see your doctor.
You may also experience problems with memory, concentration, judgment and reasoning, reading and writing, and/or emotional control. These changes may cause you to act differently - according to the American Brain Tumor Association, more than half of patients with malignant (cancerous) brain tumors experience behavioral changes.
It also can press into the brain itself, causing neurological changes, depending on where it’s situated. Not all brain tumors are cancerous, but even benign tumors can cause serious problems.Īs the abnormal cells of a tumor cause it to grow, it can press on the blood vessels in your head, causing headaches. If you’ve been getting worse and worse headaches and have other behavioral changes, it could be a sign of a brain tumor. But it can be hard to tell the difference, so if you even suspect you may be having a stroke, call 911. Migraines with “aura” can be confused with a stroke, but they often give you added sensations, such as tingling in the body or flashes in your vision, whereas a stroke takes away sensations and results in a loss of vision or lack of feeling in the hands.Įven if you get migraines, the pain you feel from a headache during a stroke will be different - for example, a headache that comes on very suddenly is likely not a migraine and could be caused by a stroke. If you also have changes in your vision, trouble speaking or walking, or weakness on one side of body, you could be having a stroke.Ī stroke occurs when the blood supply to your brain is cut off or severely reduced, causing cells to die almost immediately.
When a headache is more than just a simple headache, you will also have other symptoms. They can be brought on by annoying but manageable reasons such as stress, dehydration or your menstrual cycle, or they could be the result of an ongoing medical issue, such as migraines.īut how can you tell when a headache is a symptom of an even more serious or life-threatening problem? Here are some signs to look for. See your doctor as soon as possible if you experience any of these troubling symptoms.
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