Headaches and migraines cause many people to seek emergency room services in Dallas, Texas. A headache is pain or discomfort in the head, scalp, or neck. Serious causes of headaches are rare, but cannot be ruled out without proper testing. Relief from headache symptoms is often not achievable without medication prescribed by a physician.
Dallas Headaches Can Be Caused By Several Factors
A migraine headache involves severe pain. It usually occurs with other symptoms, such as vision changes, sensitivity to sound or light, or nausea. With a migraine:
- The pain may be throbbing, pounding, or pulsating. It tends to begin on one side of your head. It may spread to both sides.
- You may have an aura. This is a group of warning symptoms that start before your headache. The pain usually gets worse as you try to move around.
- Migraines may be triggered by foods such as chocolate, certain cheeses, or monosodium glutamate (MSG). Caffeine withdrawal, lack of sleep, and alcohol may also be triggers.
In rare cases, a headache can be a sign of something more serious such as:
- Bleeding in the area between the brain and the thin tissue that covers the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage)
- Blood pressure that is very high
- An infection of the brain such as meningitis.
- Brain tumor.
- Buildup of fluid inside the skull that leads to brain swelling.
- Buildup of pressure inside the skull that appears to be, but is not a tumor.
- Lack of oxygen during sleep.
- Problems with the blood vessels and bleeding in the brain.
