When to visit an emergency room for headaches

Whether mild or seriously throbbing, we have all suffered from a headache. They are unwelcome guests every now and again but thing is, they not ceasing to hit us any time soon. What causes these headaches? When should you ride out the pain? When should you go to the emergency room for headaches?

Causes of headaches

There are two types of headaches; primary headaches and secondary headaches. Primary headaches are pains in the head caused by either over-activity of structures within the head, infections to the said structure or massive blows which stimulate the pain sensitive nerves in the head. The structures in question include nerves, muscles and blood vessels in the head and neck.

Secondary headaches on the other hand are headaches which are caused by complications to other parts of the human anatomy and not necessarily complications to the above mentioned organs. They could be as a result of infection to the eye, gastric complications and even lack of sleep.

As mentioned earlier, some pains might be mild while others are barely bearable and will make your life hell. While some might be indicative of lack of enough sleep, some are indicative of serious damage to internal organs. Judging based on the intensity of the headaches, might be quite deceiving if you are looking to determine whether the headache deserves medical attention or toughening up.

Here at Frontline ER, we understand that it can be difficult to ascertain when a headache needs immediate medical attention and when to ride the pain out and are therefore providing you with tips on when to go the emergency room for headaches. Here are the medical tips as provided by our physicians

Tips on when to visit the emergency room for headaches

Vomiting

If your headache is accompanied by headaches and a feeling of nausea, you should definitely report the same to the nearest emergency room. Nausea and vomiting is caused by the closing of the pyloric sphincter to low digestion. The stomach dilates and any leftovers stay in the stomach and they cause the severe nausea and vomiting when we have headaches.

Visit an emergency room as soon as you possibly can and get the medical practitioner to give you the correct treatment before it is too late.

Blurred vision or unresolved loss of vision

The other symptom that points towards a serious headache that needs medical attention, is blurred vision and momentary loss of vision. These are symptoms that point towards ocular migraine which can cause blindness if they are not attended to by an expert. Such headaches are caused by sensitivity to flashing light, and bind spots in your field of view.

Ocular migraines are very painful. Without immediate medical care, they result into temporary blindness and unbearable throbbing pain. Report the same to the nearest emergency room and get the help you need.

Confusion and dizziness

Headaches accompanied by an overwhelming feeling of dizziness and confusion, should be a warning sign as well. If you feel a tad bit disoriented and are somewhat confused when suffering from headaches, then that is indicative of a serious injury which needs attention from medical experts. Sometimes after an impact to the head, you are left in a trance for some few minutes and feel confused with little knowledge of what is going on around you.

These are all signs of a possible concussion which needs to be addressed in the Emergency Room. Lack of immediate medical care after such an injury could be detrimental. Concussions can be indicative of brain damage, cracking of the skull and even internal bleeding within the head.

Headaches accompanied by paralysis, weakness and loss of balance

The other red light when it comes to headaches, is the loss of balance, weakness and even paralysis in extreme cases. As earlier on mentioned, headaches might be as a result of an infection to the nerves or some other important organ in the head or neck and one indication of such a disorder to the above mentioned organs, is the feeling of weakness, loss of balance and even paralysis in extreme cases.

Nerve infections and other complications of the spinal cord, can cause terrible headaches as your body tries to signal you that there is something wrong within. If you don’t take the headaches as a warning sign, you might end up suffering from diseases such as meningitis and other neural diseases.

Let Frontline ER ease your pain

Are you located in Dallas or Richmond TX and are suffering from throbbing, unexplained headaches? Well, the next time you have an episode of an unexplained headache, head over to any of our emergency rooms either in Dallas or in Richmond and get the best possible treatment and medical advice.

We are a premium, 24 hour emergency room offering high quality services at very competitive rates. Our emergency rooms are well-equipped and the facility is run by some of the most qualified medical personnel in the state. Give us a call today and visit our offices, to say bye to your constant headaches.

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