UHAM072

THE CAUSES OF HEADACHE AND MIGRAINE ^ 55

something similar, andwemayevenhavehadaheadache afterwards. Thatisto be expected, but if a headache is particularly strong or has unusual symptoms, or lasts morę than a day, the advice of a doctor should be sought. If a blow to the head has caused a person to lose consciousness, he or she should always be taken to a doctor. Most of the time, all will be hne, but it must be investigated.

A blow to the head does not carry with it any serious issues per se. The problem is that further injuries may arise as a result. The skuli may fracture or break. If it does, it may cause internal bleeding, or produce pressure in the head. Pressure and bleeding in the head should be investigated immediately as both may cause lasting damageto thebrain. In the shortterm they are likely to create headaches, but are usually associated with other neurological symptoms such as flashes of light, blurred or double vision, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, numbness, speech problems and so on. It is also possible for bleeding to occur in the head without any damageto the externalbone, which is why any significant blow to the head, accompanied by persistent headache, should be investigated.

Bleeding is referred to by doctors as a haemorrhage, and there are many reasons for this to occur. Some people have high blood pressure, matched with thin or weak points in the blood vessels. Of course, high pressure in a weak vessel can mean that the vessel bursts, and this is what happens in the case of sub-arachnoid haemorrhage. This is something that becomes morę common as we age but is still relatively rare. In the most extreme case the person would have a very sudden and extremely painful headache. It would feel as if he or she had been hit with a cannonball. A stiff neck would be another sign that would come on very ąuickly, and the person may even lose consciousness. The later conseąuences would be similar to those of a stroke; the person may be unable to speak, may have paralysis, and so on.

Of course, any accident can cause some bleeding in the head, even in perfectly healthy people with no evidence of weakness in the cardiovascular system. This is why all major and unusual accidents must be investigated by a doctor.

Headaches of unidentifiable origin

Sometimes, a doctor simply cannot hnd the reason for a patienfs headaches. Thismightbebecause allthepossibilitieshavenotbeenexplored, butitwillmore likely be that such headaches are predominantly psychological. Realistically, your doctor is only likely to check out the probable causes of your problem, not every single one of them. Be prepared for your doctor to stop looking once he or