Migraine and Headaches: Emergency Room Near You
It is more than likely that we have all experienced a headache at one point or the other as headaches are pretty common place. Most of the time they are as a result of stress or a long tiring day and they can affect anyone regardless of their age, gender, race and so forth. Headache pain is usually a throbbing, dull, pulsing or stabbing pain and can occur anywhere in the head where it can be spread across a wide area of your head or it could be localized in one region. Headaches may range in severity from mild ones to severe ones and they may also develop gradually, increasing in intensity over time or they could come on suddenly. Migraines on the other hand are severe headaches that are usually accompanied by other symptoms such as vomiting, nausea as well as sensitivity to light and sound. In most cases, migraines and headaches can be managed and handled at home with prescription medication and over-the-counter medication respectively. However, there are instances where a migraine or headache is serious and potentially life-threatening and requires you to head over to an emergency room near you as soon as you can to be attended to. It is important you know when your migraine or headache requires emergency care and this article will look to help with this.
One of the reasons to go to an emergency room near you for a migraine or headache is if you are experiencing what appears to be an abnormal migraine attack or headache. Here, you should take into account the severity of the pain as well as the duration. If you are experiencing what you may term as the worst headache of your life, then you should visit an emergency room near you as soon as possible to be attended to. You may be able to establish this if the headache is extremely severe, more than anything you have experienced before, if it came on suddenly and seemingly out of nowhere or if it has been going on for a while now. It is always recommended that if you have had a migraine attack or headache that has gone on for three or more days, then you should head over to an emergency room as soon as possible. A migraine attack that lasts for three or more days is referred to as status migrainosus and usually requires special medical attention with IV medications as compared to normal migraine attacks.
Another reason why you should head over to an emergency room near you for migraine and headache is if your head pain is accompanied by other worrying signs and symptoms. Some of these symptoms include slurred speech, fever, nausea and vomiting, changes in vision, body weakness, a stiff neck, confusion, memory loss, paralysis, numbness, loss of balance, difficulties breathing or even loss of consciousness. Some of these symptoms may be a sign that a migraine attack is imminent, or what is referred to as a migraine aura. However, if they worsen or are persistent, then you should seek emergency attention as soon as you can. They could also be a sign of more serious underlying issues such as meningitis in cases of fever and a stiff neck and you should visit an emergency room near you as this condition is potentially life-threatening and requires immediate medical attention.
A migraine or headache may be related to another serious medical condition and may not be a sign that you are having a migraine attack. If for instance you begin to experience head pain after having suffered an injury or trauma to the head or any whiplash injuries, it may be a sign of a concussion or a traumatic brain injury and you should head over to an emergency room near you to be attended to. Traumatic brain injuries could have long-term health repercussions and you should always take them seriously. Also, what you may think is a migraine attack or headache may actually be a sign of a stroke and so it is also important to check out for signs of stroke if you are experiencing head pain. They include numbness on one side of your body, troubles with your vision or speech, drooping of one side of your face which is usually apparent when you try to smile among others. In such a case, you should head over to the emergency room as soon as possible to be attended to as prompt treatment is key if you are to recover fully from a stroke. Headaches or migraines that come soon after making changes to your medication should also be attended to at an emergency room near you as soon as possible. Such a situation should always be taken very seriously as it could become extremely serious within no time. If you are pregnant and you begin to experience a migraine or headache, then you should also head over to an emergency room near you as soon as possible to be attended to. This may be a sign of preeclampsia which is potentially life-threatening for both the mother and the baby and as such should be taken very seriously.
Hopefully, you can now know how to go about things when it comes to migraines and headaches and as such you can be able to get the medical attention you need and can sidestep any unwanted consequences.
