Headaches that occur when coughing are classified as atypical because they are quite rare. Basically, such pains are benign and short-lived, with rapid onset and immediate extinction. They appear as a result of a strong cough, which provokes an increase in venous pressure, and their symptoms are similar to headaches of physical tension. The pain is most often bilateral, intense, knocking or stabbing.
The duration of the attack, as a rule, does not exceed several minutes (in some cases - up to 30 minutes), so this type of headache is most often of a primary nature and, as a rule, harmless. However, in some cases, the occurrence of such pain in the head may indicate a serious illness (including an intracranial space-occupying formation). Some people experience a dull headache after an attack, which can last up to 2 hours.
Causes of headaches when coughing
Cough headaches most often occur in men over 40 years of age and can be caused by the following reasons:
- • increased pressure in the vessels of the brain;
- lifting weights, sneezing, bending and various intense physical activities;
- as the body’s response to colds and infectious diseases of the lower respiratory tract;
- smoking;
- various types of allergic reactions (to dust, smoke, pollen, etc.);
- asthma;
- structural changes in the brain.
Primary headaches triggered by coughing, as a rule, do not require intensive drug treatment. However, such pain can also indicate quite complex disorders, including an aneurysm, cyst or other serious organic changes. Also, this type of headache may indicate organic diseases of the nervous system (for example, Arnold-Chiari syndrome).
Pain in the back of the head: if you have pain in the back of the head
Pain that occurs in the back of the head or in the upper neck is an extremely unpleasant phenomenon, aggravated by the difficulty of determining the location of the pain.
Causes of pain in the back of the head
There are several reasons why pain in the back of the head may occur. Let's look at some of them.
Diseases of the cervical spine (osteochondrosis, spondylitis, subluxations in intervertebral joints, sprains due to injury) - the pain will be localized in the back of the head, in the neck, and there may be increased pain when moving the head.
Cervical spondylosis refers to chronic diseases of the spine. In this case, osteophytes grow along the edges of the vertebral bodies. Many people interpret osteophytes as salt deposits. But that's not true. The appearance of osteophytes is associated with bone degeneration of ligaments. In most cases, the cause of spondylosis is age-related changes, but the appearance of this disease is also possible in younger people who lead a sedentary, sedentary lifestyle. Symptoms of cervical spondylosis, in addition to pain in the back of the head, are eye and ear pain, as well as pain in the shoulder girdle. In addition, neck mobility is limited and there is pain when turning the head.
Cervical myogelosis or muscle tightness. Myogelosis can occur from drafts, prolonged stay in an uncomfortable position, incorrect posture, and even under the influence of excessive nervous tension. Symptoms of myogelosis include: pain in the back of the head and shoulders, limitation of movements performed by the shoulders, dizziness.
Mental stress can be the result of stress, both acute and chronic. The risk of headaches due to stress increases from age 25 to 30. This is especially true for women.
Prolonged mental or physical stress, uncomfortable posture (for example, while driving or at the computer) can also lead to pain in the back of the head.
Neuralgia of the occipital nerve, the cause of which can be diseases of the cervical vertebrae, spondyloarthrosis, osteochondrosis, as well as hypothermia and colds. The pain in occipital neuralgia is paroxysmal in nature, it radiates to other organs: the ear, lower jaw, neck and back, sharply intensifies and becomes shooting when sneezing and coughing, turning the head.
Arterial hypertension also causes headaches localized in the back of the head. Most often observed in patients in the morning.
Cervical migraine, in which the patient feels a burning pain in the back of the head and temple, the pain can also spread to the superciliary region, often there is pain and a feeling of sand in the eyes, fog before the eyes, dizziness, and decreased hearing.
Vertebrobasilar syndrome - occurs as a consequence of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. At the same time, some patients experience tinnitus, pain in the back of the head, a feeling that the world is “floating”, and a veil before the eyes. Characteristic signs are also nausea, vomiting, hiccups, paleness, double vision, hearing impairment, and some movement coordination disorders may occur. The diagnostic symptom of vertebrobasilar syndrome is a sudden fall and immobility in the presence of consciousness, which occurs when turning or throwing back the head.
Prolonged muscle tension as a result of improperly performed exercises. Tension headaches are characterized by a constant feeling of heaviness in the forehead and back of the head, which intensifies to a state of pain with fatigue, concentration, excitement, prolonged fixation of the head (when reading, writing, heavy physical activity). There is a feeling that something is pulling the head and pressing on it, as if some foreign body is in the forehead, crown, or back of the head. When pressure is applied to the muscles of the temples, forehead, back of the neck, the headache intensifies, dizziness and tinnitus appear. Limiting the mobility of the cervical spine reduces the intensity of headaches.
Treatment of headaches when coughing
Timely diagnosis makes it possible to promptly identify the development of serious organic diseases and prescribe an effective course of treatment. If the primary type of headache is confirmed, treatment will be aimed at getting rid of the cough that provokes its occurrence. Headache attacks can be directly relieved with the help of analgesics, antispasmodics and other medications designed to reduce intracranial pressure.
Detection of a space-occupying lesion requires surgical intervention and long-term complex treatment. If an aneurysm is confirmed, treatment is prescribed to prevent stroke.
Clinical symptoms
In 50% of patients diagnosed with Covid-19, intestinal symptoms of coronavirus infection initially appear. Respiratory symptoms such as shortness of breath, dry cough, sore throat, and fever may develop later. The most likely symptoms of intestinal coronavirus include:
- partial or complete loss of appetite;
- bowel disorders in the form of diarrhea;
- nausea and vomiting;
- cutting pain in the abdomen.
Additionally, the clinical picture of the intestinal form of coronavirus can be supplemented by headache, dizziness, fever, general weakness, increased sweating and muscle pain.
The duration of the so-called acute phase of an infectious lesion of the gastrointestinal tract is individual. On average, this period ranges from 4 to 10 days. Compared to the respiratory form of coronavirus, the intestinal form of the disease is more severe and its symptoms are more pronounced.
Stool disorders due to intestinal coronavirus in humans persist for 2-5 days. Vomiting may persist for 2-4 days.
Homeopathic treatment for headache when coughing
Treatment with homeopathic medicines consists of using small doses of substances of natural origin (plants, metals, minerals, organic compounds) depending on the symptoms of the disease, the person’s constitution, and his response to treatment.
Among the homeopathic medicines for the treatment of headaches that occur as a result of coughing, the following are used:
- Bryonia alba ( Bryonia alba ) - prescribed for cough accompanied by severe headache. Indicated for dry cough that gets worse when moving or trying to take a deep breath.
- Capsicum annuum ( Capsicum annuum ) - used for cough, against the background of which the patient feels a severe bursting headache.
- Carbo animalis ( Carbo animalis ) - indicated for suffocating cough, in which the patient feels a painful concussion, as if it were loosely placed in the skull.
- Nux vomica ( Nux vomica ) - used for morning and night coughs that radiate pain to the head and lower abdomen, accompanied by a slight secretion of mucus from the bronchi.
- Natrium muriaticum ( Natrium muriaticum ) - indicated for cough with severe bursting headache.
- Petroleum ( Petroleum ) - used during a strong shaking cough that causes headache.
Preventive measures
Headaches associated with coughing are quite difficult to control, because... Most often, the cause of the phenomenon is a short-term increase in intracranial pressure. If your head hurts when you cough due to a cold or ARVI, then you need to take standard therapeutic measures , stay in bed and give your body rest. After recovery, headaches associated with coughing disappear on their own.
If the cause of cough and headaches is smoking, then you need to get rid of this bad habit , because... in the future, it leads to aggravation of symptoms, and can also cause the development of arterial hypertension and other diseases of the heart and blood vessels.
If the patient wants to reduce pain when coughing, antispasmodics and analgesics .
Why does my head hurt when I cough and radiate to the back of my head?
Most often, headaches from a cold cough are localized in the back of the skull. Unpleasant sensations are associated with increased intracranial pressure. In other cases, experts associate pain when coughing with functional and organic disorders of the brain - changes in the structure of blood vessels, the presence of cysts, aneurysms and other diseases that disrupt the normal functioning of the brain.
Cold
Colds are accompanied by intoxication of the body, against the background of which the volume of intracranial fluid increases. It puts pressure on the lining of the brain, causing patients to feel an unpleasant aching pain in the back of the head. With acute respiratory viral infections and colds, a headache accompanied by a cough appears due to a short-term surge in fluid pressure on the membrane of the brain .
Note! The appearance of a severe headache accompanied by nausea, vomiting, high fever, and blurred vision may indicate the development of meningitis. If these symptoms occur, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Smoking
This bad habit negatively affects the condition of blood vessels . Chronic smoking causes vasospasm - contraction of the smooth muscles of blood vessels and narrowing of their lumen. Under the influence of nicotine, the blood vessels in the brain are constantly narrowed, which causes an increase in blood pressure. A cough caused by irritation of the ciliated epithelium of the bronchi in smokers, against the background of cerebral vascular spasm, can cause a headache.
Meteor dependence
Sudden weather changes, magnetic storms and other natural factors affect weather-sensitive people.
The key factor that causes headaches is a change in atmospheric pressure, which causes sudden jumps in a person's blood pressure. In such circumstances, the blood vessels of the brain do not have time to adapt to external changes . Often, against this background, a headache occurs, which is aggravated not only by coughing, but also by any stress that causes a short-term increase in intracranial pressure - lifting something heavy, climbing up the stairs, a sudden change in body position.
Arnold-Chiari syndrome
This is a congenital pathology in which the area of the cranial vault that protects the cerebellum does not develop to the required size . Because of this, the back of the brain becomes deformed. The cerebellum compresses the upper part of the spinal canal and prevents the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid. As a result, cerebrospinal fluid accumulates, causing an increase in intracranial pressure.
When a cough reflex occurs, this causes a surge in pressure, causing a pain signal. In addition to pain when coughing, this anomaly can give the following symptoms:
- dizziness, coordination problems;
- noise in ears;
- nystagmus (eye trembling).
It is important! Arnold-Chiari syndrome is a pathology that can lead to cerebral infarction, blindness, movement disorders, reflex disorders, and frequent fainting. If the symptoms described above appear, you should contact a neurologist.
Brain diseases
organic brain damage can cause headaches when coughing . Most often, pain that occurs or intensifies when coughing is caused by:
- tumors, cysts and abscesses;
- inflammation of the membranes of the brain (meningitis);
- cerebral edema;
- intracranial hypertension or hemorrhage.
In organic brain diseases, cough may not be an irritant causing pain, but a symptom. For example, when intracranial pressure increases, the cough center of the brain is irritated. Involuntary tremors, in turn, cause increased headaches.
Note! Most often, brain diseases can be preliminarily diagnosed by the presence of neurological symptoms: seizures, involuntary movements of the limbs, head, eyeballs. Disturbances in brain function are also accompanied by confusion, speech and vision disturbances, hallucinations, and fainting.
Symptoms and characteristic signs
A headache that occurs when coughing may have individual symptoms, from which one can draw a conclusion about the nature of the disorder. Most often, a headache and its cause are differentiated as follows:
- tolerable pain in the occipital region when coughing against the background of a cold - mild intoxication ;
- pain in the head, aggravated by coughing against the background of increased weakness, shortness of breath, darkening of the eyes - the consequences of smoking or bronchial asthma ;
- pain that occurs in the front of the head when coughing against the background of frequent colds - suspicion of chronic or acute sinusitis, sinusitis ;
- tinnitus and other neurological symptoms (convulsions, involuntary movements, blurred vision and speech, confusion) - a disease of the brain .
Methods for diagnosing pathology
Diagnosis of headaches allows you to determine the cause of this phenomenon and diagnose possible pathology. Among the available diagnostic methods for headaches associated with cough, the most commonly used are:
- Doppler ultrasound of the brain;
- magnetic resonance angiography of the brain;
- computed tomography of the head;
- rheoencephalography and other methods.
Before proceeding with hardware diagnostics, the doctor must collect anamnesis, conduct an examination and question the patient for characteristic symptoms.
Photo 2. A detailed examination will help get rid of the cause of the pain. Source: Flickr (Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht).