Table of contents:
- What effects can occur after a stroke?
- What should I do with post stroke headaches?
- What are the types of headaches after stroke?
- Why do post stroke headaches occur?
Headaches can occur from the first time you have a stroke. These headaches can be controlled and are usually not a serious problem.
What effects can occur after a stroke?
A stroke causes neurological effects that correspond to the area of the brain injury. Headaches can start after having a stroke, but they do not necessarily correlate with the location of the stroke in the brain.
About 10-15% of stroke survivors start experiencing new headaches, soon after the stroke. Headaches that start for the first time after a stroke fall into several categories, including migraine headaches, tension headaches, headaches due to drug overdose, or headaches as a side effect of drugs.
What should I do with post stroke headaches?
Headaches are not only annoying but also worrying. If you start having headaches after a stroke, talk to your doctor about your headaches for two reasons: First of all, you need to make sure that your headache is not an indication of a serious problem. Usually headaches are not a cause for concern. However, your doctor can determine if your headache is a symptom of something more significant.
The second reason to get medical care for your headaches is that they are easy to treat. Treatment depends on the type of headache you have.
What are the types of headaches after stroke?
- Medication overuse headaches aka headaches due to drug overdose is a consequence of excessive painkillers. The use of drugs generally provides relief that may be accompanied by effects that cause pain. Your healthcare provider can reduce your use of painkillers gradually so that you don't continue to have headaches from taking too much medication.
- Tension headaches cause headaches and are usually not associated with other symptoms. These headaches are easy to control with light medication and rest.
- Migraine headaches are generally very painful and are accompanied by nausea, neurological symptoms, and a feeling of extreme fatigue. Migraines may require a strong prescription for drugs. Because some migraine medications are not recommended for people with heart disease or stroke, a neurologist is often needed to treat post-stroke migraine headaches.
- Any of the drugs commonly used after a stroke can cause headaches. Dipyridamole is a blood thinner used to prevent stroke. This medication can trigger headaches in some patients, possibly because it causes the blood vessels to dilate (enlarge). Migraine headaches are one of the side effects of dilating brain blood vessels. Interestingly, the side effect of this headache did not make dipyridamole a bad thing. A recent study published in the October 2014 issue of the European Journal of Neurology reports that stroke patients taking dipyridamole had fewer strokes again than patients who did not experience the side effects of headaches.
Why do post stroke headaches occur?
After a stroke, it is common for patients to experience symptoms of a new disease. Some patients experience new joint pain such as shoulder pain or skin pain, as many as 1/3 of patients complain that this severe pain is enough to interfere with daily activities. Headaches are similar to other post-stroke pains, but have their own characteristics. The causes are not fully understood, and may be related to a number of factors. A stroke is caused by an injury to the sensory areas of the brain, which can trigger pain. Changes in brain activity after stroke damage can cause pain. Changes in blood flow in the brain after a stroke can produce pain, especially headache.
