Neurosurgical Causes of Headache
Most people ignore it when they have a headache. Usually, they go away from their own or using over-the-counter medicine. But at times the pain is too intense or it lasts so long, that you need to consult a doctor. However, if you are one of them or know someone who frequently gets headaches, then this post is for you.
At The Institute of Brain and Spine Surgery, we have a team of the best neurosurgeon in Chandigarh and other headache specialists who are proficient in diagnosing and treating both primary and secondary headaches. Although there are numerous factors contributing to this health issue, varying from meagre anxiety to stress and even insomnia, certain kinds of medications, illness, and injury.
But there are the types of headaches that are a symptom of several neurological causes rather than it being a condition itself. In such a case, the causes vary from something as petty as taking painkillers too frequently to a severe concern like a tumour.
Neurosurgical Causes of Headaches
Headache pain is considered to be a big headache both for the patient as well as the doctor. The neurosurgical causes of headaches are as follows:
1. Head Injuries
People may encounter headaches after head injuries due to the surgeries performed on their skull or since they have little clots of blood or fluid within the skull. These kinds of headaches might occur due to the injury in the brain, neck and skull injuries that might not have completely treated, stress or tension or side-effects from the medication.
a. Concussions
It is a traumatic injury to the brain that impacts its functionality. They generally result from a blow to the head. Rigorously shaking of the head and the upper body is also one of the reasons for concussions. Headaches, poor concentration, problematic memory, loss of balance and coordination are some of its temporary effects.
2. Tumors
In the initial stages, a tumor might not have observable signs and symptoms. It leads to headache when it rises large enough to place pressure on the brain or nerves within the brain that it can result in headaches.
3. Vascular Malformations
Vascular malformations are groups of abnormal blood vessels that results in change in the blood flow. However these vascular masses are not considered to be cancerous tumors, they might at times expand and lead to several symptoms. In certain cases these malformations leads to issues by placing the pressure on the areas within the brain, causing inflammation in the brain tissues and leakages of unnatural substances in the brain that further hampers the blood flow and leads to headaches.
a. Brain Aneurysm
It is a bulge or a bump in a blood vessel present in the brain. It usually appears like a berry hanging on the stem. This bulge if leaks or ruptures leads to internal bleeding within the brain. However, most of the brain aneurysms do not rupture, but it leads to symptoms such as headaches. Such types of aneurysms are generally diagnosed during medical tests performed for other health conditions.
b. Brain Arteriovenous Malformation
Brain AVM is a condition where the unusual blood vessels that connect the arteries and veins in the brain are complicatedly tangled. Since the arteries carry the oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the brain and the veins are responsible for carrying the oxygen-depleted blood back the heart and lungs, this condition hampers the entire process. Although this arteriovenous malformation can happen anywhere in the body, it generally takes place in the brain and spine which further leads to severe and frequent headaches.
c. Intracranial Hematoma
Yet another neurosurgical reason for headache is an intracranial hematoma, where the blood collects within the skull, generally caused due to ruptured blood vessels present in the brain or from trauma like a car accident, head blow due to fall and many more. This blood clotting can be either within the brain tissue or beneath the skull further placing the pressure on the brain. With time, as the pressure increases, one might experience severe headaches.
4. Hydrocephalus
This condition refers to the presence of excessive fluid in the brain. However when the fluid present in your brain does not flow even when you lie down and gets accumulated, it leads to headaches.
5. Infections
A headache caused by an infection that hits your brain and spinal cord that frames the central nervous system of a human’s body. Following are the particular instances of infections:
a. Brain inflammation/ Encephalitis
Also known as brain inflammation, encephalitis is one of the neurosurgical causes of headaches. Although there are many causes that lead to this problem, the most common of all is the viral infection. Since it impacts differently in different cases, it is highly recommended to consult a doctor well in time.
b. Meningitis
It is referred to as the inflammation of the membranes that encircles our spinal cord and brain. It is the swelling resulted from meningitis that further triggers symptoms like headache, stiff neck and fever. However, the best neurosurgeons recommend seeking for instant medical care if you or your loved ones are diagnosed with meningitis. Early detection and treatment of bacterial meningitis can avoid severe health issues.
6. Miscellaneous
a. Occipital Neuralgia
There are two nerves in our body that are responsible for carrying most of the feeling one experiences on the back and top of the head. Known as the occipital nerves they run through the spinal cord via the neck’s muscles and to the rear of the head, reaching out to the forehead. When distressed, the nerves can produce a shooting, zapping, electrifying or tingling pain. This nerve pain can be impulsive or can also be generated through a pinched nerve resulting from arthritis, injury or surgery performed on the scalp. And this condition is considered to be one of the most common neurological reasons for headaches.
Consult the Best Neurosurgeons for Relief From Consistent Headaches
The team of the best neurosurgeon in Chandigarh at TIBSS are experienced and skilled enough in diagnosing any pain related to head and face and treating the same with the best latest available treatments. Post the diagnosis, our doctors come up with a complete, bespoke plan of action that primarily focuses on relieving the patient from the pain and further preventions.
By choosing us for your neurological and neurosurgical needs, you have access to a cross-functional team of the best headache doctors, together with physical therapists and dieticians who are particularly trained in treating headaches.
Our doctors are committed to discovering relief for people whose lives have been hampered by minimizing and eradicating the pain caused by a headache.
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