Headaches

When To Go To The Emergency Room For a Headache

Whether you are coming in for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, knowing when to go to the emergency room for a headache can save you time and stress. Headaches are an incredibly common symptom for a host of ailments, so it’s important to pay attention to other symptoms you may be experiencing in addition to your headache. Knowing when to go to the emergency room for a headache can save your life.

While some headaches may be a symptom of life-threatening conditions, some headaches can be caused simply by not drinking enough water, not eating enough, or not getting enough sleep. However, if your headache symptoms come to you as a surprise as sudden onset, or if you experience what feels like the worst headache you have ever had, these are urgent headache symptoms that should be dealt with in the emergency room. Experiencing what feels like the worst headache of your life is not a normal occurrence and should prompt you to either find a doctor or come into the emergency room.

Stress can also play a factor in causing headaches. Stress and high blood pressure go hand-in-hand, and this may be the cause for your frequent headaches if you notice a rise in your blood pressure at the same time that your headaches occur. Oftentimes, headaches are treated by targeting a different area of the body not related to the head. If you experience frequent headaches or migraines, they could be caused by something that is going on in another part of your body. This is why it’s important to pay attention to both headache symptoms and accompanying symptoms as well.

Serious symptoms including slurred speech and dizziness should not be ignored and is a clear sign to an emergency department’s ER doctors that you need urgent care. There are certain types of headaches that can point to long term damage if not treated in time, including a subarachnoid hemorrhage due to having a stroke. In times of crisis, the most important thing that can be done is to ensure you receive the best health care possible and a CT scan to diagnose your issues.