What are headaches and nausea

When headache and nausea require immediate medical attention

Sometimes the disease that caused the headache and nausea can be life threatening. Mayo Clinic Research Center Staff offer1. Meningitis / Mayo Clinic
2. Migraine / Mayo Clinic call an ambulance if the pain:

• arose after an injury;
• accompanied by high fever and stiffness of the neck muscles, skin rash;
• very strong, appeared suddenly and like a thunderclap;
• accompanied by convulsions, double vision, numbness or weakness in the limbs, speech disorders.

Neurologist, parkinsonologist Natalya Oryshich adds a few more “red flags” to this list: intense unusual pain and vomiting with a fountain, pain immediately after waking up, gait disturbances and vision.

What are the common causes of headache and nausea

Headache and nausea may have different causes, but occur in some pathological condition. For example, nausea and vomiting can be caused by poisoning and lead to dehydration, a symptom of which is a headache. There can be a lot of such coincidences, it is unrealistic to list them all.

But there are conditions in which both headache and nausea are signs of the same process. Here they are.

Migraine

It's a throbbing headache accompaniedMigraine / Mayo Clinic nausea, vomiting and photosensitivity.

Some people develop migraine warning signs, or auras, a set of signs that suggest that another episode is about to happen. These are visual disturbances, flashes of light, difficulty with speech, tingling in the limbs.

Scientists for a long time could not figure out the causes of migraine. Now countsPathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of migraine in adults / UpToDatethat in some people the neurons in the brainstem and the trigeminal system are very sensitive. Therefore, they react inadequately to certain stimuli:

• hormonal fluctuations in women;
• alcohol;
• caffeine;
• stress;
• visual stimuli or strong odors;
• lack of sleep or its excess;
• weather changes;
• physical exercise;
• some foods - aged cheeses, salty and spicy foods, foods with sweeteners or flavor enhancers;
• some medicines are oral contraceptives, vasodilators such as nitroglycerin.

Different people may have different provocateurs. So you need to keep track of what exactly triggers your reaction in order to avoid them.

What to do

With signs of migraine, you should definitely consult a neurologist. Especially since she is on the mend now. KnownPathophysiology, clinical manifestations, and diagnosis of migraine in adults / UpToDate the protein that causes an attack is CGRP. With the help of drugs that contain antibodies against it, it can be blocked and the headache attacks and associated symptoms completely disappear.

If you need to de-escalate right now, use painkillers such as paracetamol or ibuprofen. But then all the same address to the neurologist.

Stress

With stress, insomnia, prolonged overstrain of the eyes and chewing muscles, often ariseTension headache / Mayo Clinictension headaches. However, for some people, especially those who suffer from gastrointestinal diseases, depression and anxiety, stress and anxiety also causeStress Nausea: Why It Happens and How To Deal / Cleveland Clinic nausea.

What to do

If symptoms appear due to anxiety, may help methods stress management. You can also contact a psychologist or psychotherapist. He will teach you how to deal with negative emotions.

Side effect of drugs

In the instructions for almost any medication, you can find headache and nausea as very common side effects. Such symptoms, for example, can cause contraceptives1. Jess® Plus (Yaz® Plus) instructions for use / Vidal Guide2. Qlaira® (Qlaira®) instructions for use / Vidal Guide, antidepressants1. Zoloft® (Zoloft®) instructions for use / Vidal Guide
2.Fluoxetine (Fluoxetine) instructions for use / Vidal Guide, antihistamines1. Zyrtec® (Zyrtec®) instructions for use / Vidal Guide
2. Allegra (Allegra) instructions for use / Reference Vidal.

What to do

Contact your prescriber if you are concerned about side effects. Sometimes you need to reduce the dosage, sometimes you need to choose an analogue. But it happens that the symptoms disappear as you get used to the drug.

Pregnancy

Nausea appliesGetting pregnant / Mayo Clinic to the earliest signs of pregnancy. It often goes away by the second trimester, but it can take longer. Headaches for pregnant women are also common.

But sometimes headache and nausea causedPreeclampsia / Cleveland Clinic dangerous complication - preeclampsia. This is a violation of the development of the placenta, due to which, from about the 20th week of pregnancy, pressure rises and protein appears in the urine. Preeclampsia threatens not only the child, but also the life of the mother. Therefore, be sure to consult a gynecologist if you also notice swelling, blurred vision, and abdominal pain.

What to do

Preeclampsia is usually found during routine prenatal checkups. The doctor must measure the pressure at each appointment and periodically prescribe a urine test to make sure there is no protein.

The only cure for it is childbirth. In some situations, you will need to call them earlier. Sometimes the doctor also recommends C-sectionto reduce risks.

There is research that preeclampsia can be prevented. If the doctor sees risk factors in the patient (hypertension, diabetes, kidney disease, obesity, heredity for preeclampsia), he will prescribe low doses of aspirin to prevent the development diseases.

Substance abuse

Psychoactive substances can attributedPsychoactive substance / National Cancer Institute alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, drugs and drugs.

Even from excessive consumption of caffeine and nicotine appear1. Caffeine: How to Hack It and How to Quit It / Cleveland Clinic
2. Nicotine Headache / Cleveland Clinic headache, nausea, feeling of nervousness, rapid pulse.

Similar Symptoms causesMedication Overuse Headaches / Cleveland Clinic drug abuse, especially if there is an addiction. They talk about it if a person drinks more than 2 painkillers or sedatives per week or more than 8 per month. Most often, it occurs from non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs based on analgin (especially in combination with caffeine), ibuprofen or naproxen; sedatives and drugs for insomnia, especially those containing phenobarbital.

What to do

It is necessary to gradually wean the body from psychoactive substances. If you can not refuse them yourself, contact a specialist. With dependence on tobacco, coffee, drugs, a therapist will help to cope, with alcoholism and drug addiction - a narcologist.

abstinence

Withdrawal includes not only withdrawal symptoms in addicts and hangovers in alcohol abusers, but also the inability to wake upCaffeine: How to Hack It and How to Quit It / Cleveland Clinic without the usual cup of coffee or nervousnessNicotine Headache / Cleveland Clinic until the first cigarette in the morning.

After addiction to psychoactive substances, the body cannot function normally without them - they become part of the metabolism. Therefore, when trying to refuse, unpleasant symptoms appear, which depend on the substance and the period of admission. To feel better, you need to get what you need again. A vicious circle emerges.

For example, avoiding painkillers for headaches causesMedication Overuse Headaches / Cleveland Clinic even more headache, nausea, irritability, anxiety, depression.

What to do

If you decide to quit a psychoactive substance and the withdrawal is too hard to bear, see a therapist (in the case of coffee, nicotine, and drugs) or an addiction psychiatrist. The doctor will help overcome this and prescribe auxiliary medications that will improve the condition.

Poisoning

Headache and nausea occur when toxic substances enter the body. For example, carbon monoxideCarbon monoxide poisoning / NHS, animal toxins1. Spider bites / Cleveland Clinic
2. Fish Poisoning / John Hopkins Medicine, some chemical substancesArsenic Toxicity/Medscape and metalsLead poisoning / Mayo.

What to do

In case of acute poisoning, you need to call an ambulance as soon as possible. If it is a chronic condition and you suspect that toxins have been in the body for years, consult a doctor.

Change in sugar levels

Headache and nausea in people with prediabetes and diabetes can indicateHyperglycemia in diabetes / Mayo Clinic on sugar spikes. This may happen due to:

• eating disorders - passLow blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) / NHS eating or too many carbohydrates;
• any disease, such as SARS;
• incorrect dosage of hypoglycemic drugs, skipping or excess intake;
• taking other medicines.

In diabetics, a decrease and increase in glucose can be life-threatening, so you should not ignore 1. Low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) / NHS
2. Hyperglycemia in diabetes / Mayo Clinic such symptoms:

• fatigue;
• blurred vision;
• sweating;
• dizziness;
• pallor;
• changes in behavior, such as a fit of aggression.

Sometimes a drop in sugar can be in healthy people. For example, due to malnutrition, pregnancy, or certain diseases of the pancreas, liver, adrenal glands and other organs.

What to do

Since headache and nausea can be a symptom of both low and high blood sugar, you first need to establish what happened. If you have prediabetes or diabetes, your endocrinologist will tell you what to do in these situations. But anyway, first measureHyperglycemia in diabetes / Mayo Clinic glucose level to build off of it.

If you haven't had any problems with your blood sugar levels before, chances are it has dropped. Think about the last time you ate: maybe it's time for you to eat. But if such feelings continueLow blood sugar (hypoglycaemia) / NHS periodically occur, consult a therapist.

infections

Headache and nausea may arise1. Symptoms of COVID‑19 / CDC
2. Influenza (Flu) / Mayo Clinic for any infections: SARS, flu, covid and others. So the body reacts to the production of biologically active substances responsible for inflammation.

Sometimes the pain is associated with sinusitis - inflammation of the sinuses: frontal and maxillary. In them accumulatesSinusitis (sinus infection) / NHS mucus and sometimes pus, from this they increase pressure. So the forehead and cheeks will hurt, especially when the head is tilted, while with a common cold, the whole head hurts.

What to do

Usually a cold on its own passesCommon Cold / Mayo Clinic in 7-10 days. If within a week it does not get better or the symptoms worsen, you need to consult a therapist. Perhaps bacteria have joined the viral infection and antibiotics will be needed. If this condition is not treated, the infection can spread further and cause serious complications, such as pneumonia.

What if get complicatedSinus Infection (Sinusitis) / Cleveland Clinic bacterial sinusitis, bacteria can enter the meninges and cause meningitis.

Meningitis

it inflammationMeningitis / Mayo Clinic membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, bacteria, protozoa and fungi.

Meningitis can lead to permanent brain damage and even death. Especially dangerous is meningococcal meningitis, an infection caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis.

Early symptoms may be similar to a cold, but others gradually appear:

• heat;
• stiffness of the neck muscles;
• severe headache that is not like the usual;
• nausea or vomiting;
• difficulty concentrating;
• convulsions;
• drowsiness or difficulty waking up;
• sensitivity to light;
• lack of appetite or thirst;
• sometimes - skin rash (for example, with meningococcal meningitis).

What to do

If you suspect meningitis, you should immediately call an ambulance. The hospital will run tests to identify the pathogen and prescribe treatment, such as antibiotics.

Traumatic brain injury

In head trauma, such as after a concussion, often ariseConcussion / Mayo Clinic headache, nausea and loss of consciousness. In addition, it may be:

• tinnitus;
• drowsiness;
• vomit;
• blurred vision;
• confusion;
• loss of memory of events shortly before and immediately after the injury.

What to do

After a traumatic brain injury, you need to get to the doctor as soon as possible: call an ambulance, come to the emergency department of the hospital or to the emergency room, depending on the intensity of the symptoms.

The doctor will conduct a neurological examination - check memory, hearing, vision, reflexes and other functions. Based on the results, he will be able to prescribe treatment and may recommend hospitalization for some time.

Brain tumor

Tumors in different ways affectOverview of Intracranial Tumors / MSD Manuals on the brain: they squeeze it, grow into neighboring departments, cause an increase in intracranial pressure, and much more. Therefore, the symptoms are also varied. Often found:

• headache, including with vomiting and nausea;
• changes in mental state;
• convulsions;
• paresis and paralysis;
• visual impairment.

What to do

When such symptoms appear, you need to get to a neurologist as soon as possible. He will ask, examine and, based on the results, refer you for further examination in order to decide on a treatment plan.