Anyone can experience an alarming, severe headache. While most cases may subside with over-the-counter medication and typically don't require a doctor's call, the severity of headaches hindering everyday activities could signal neurological disorders. In such cases, prompt consultation with a neurologist is advisable. Here are some known causes that might be contributing to your headache.

Brain Tumor

Headaches caused by brain tumors typically worsen when coughing or straining. If a brain tumor is located in the back of the head, it may result in a headache accompanied by neck pain. These headaches, often resembling tension headaches, can be dull and pressure-like, exacerbated by coughing or sneezing. Some individuals describe the headache as similar to a migraine, but it's the increased pressure within the skull that causes the pain, rather than discomfort around the tumor.

Recognizing the seriousness of a brain tumor is crucial, and early detection is vital, including identifying symptoms such as new or intensifying headaches, blurred vision, weakness in limbs, loss of balance, confusion, and seizures. Some individuals may exhibit no symptoms at all, while possible experiences may include persistent or severe headaches, difficulty walking, muscle weakness, coordination problems, weakness on one side of the body, and weakness in the arms and legs. Additional symptoms could include dizziness, fatigue, vertigo, nausea or vomiting, pins and needles, reduced sensation of touch, personality changes, sleepiness, inability to speak or understand language, and mental confusion. Early recognition of these signs plays a pivotal role in effective management and improved outcomes.

Migraine

Debilitating headaches, characterized by intense pain, result from migraine headaches that induce throbbing in a specific area with varying intensity. The primary cause of migraine attacks has been suggested to be nerve-related issues in the brain. Common symptoms include unilateral (hemicranial) headaches, nausea, and sensitivity to light (photophobia) and sound (phonophobia). Individuals with migraines may suffer acute, frequent, severe, or throbbing headaches. Many people describe migraines not merely as bad headaches but as an experience akin to repeatedly banging their heads against a wall. A severe migraine gives rise to dizziness, light-headedness, or malaise throughout the whole body. When attempting to stand up, the pain increases drastically, accompanied by a profound vertigo so strong that it feels like one is going to pass out.

Despite attempts to sleep for relief, the loud pounding persists, creating a sensation as if someone is repeatedly striking the head with a blunt object. At this point, one may experience pain in the eyes, face, or neck. They feel sensitivity to light, distorted vision, or flashes of light. They may suffer from gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea or vomiting; sensory disturbances like aura or sensitivity to sound; and other common indications such as irritability, nasal congestion, or scalp tenderness.

Meningitis Infection

Meningitis is characterized as the inflammation of the meninges (the coverings of the brain and spinal cord,) typically caused by an infection. While bacterial infections surrounding these areas are the usual culprits, viral or fungal sources can also be responsible; and the disease can spread through airborne respiratory droplets, such as coughs or sneezes. The predominant symptom in meningitis is usually a headache, but there is also typically a presence of fever and stiffness in the neck. Individuals with bacterial meningitis may exhibit additional signs such as petechiae (tiny bleeding spots) around the neck and face. Similar symptoms are observed in both viral and bacterial meningitis.

Meningitis-induced headaches can be intensely painful. The headache typically starts quickly, affecting the entire head rather than directing on one area. The intensity of the pain transpires significantly when bending the neck forward, and it is spread all over the head. This headache can bear resemblance to a migraine. However, with meningitis, flu-like symptoms can come early on, often accompanied by a high fever which is uncommon in migraines. Because, in migraines, neck stiffness tends to occur before the headache starts. Recognizing meningitis early in its course is challenging, given its common and diverse symptoms like fever, stiff neck, lethargy, irritability, and vomiting. Bacterial meningitis progresses rapidly, sometimes leading to death within hours. Vaccines may provide preventive measures against certain meningitis strains. 

Post-traumatic Headache (PTH)

A direct and forced impact on the head usually causes post-traumatic headaches, leading to brain injury. If you injure your head, you may experience a headache, indicating potential PTH, which requires different treatments than other types of headaches. Symptoms of PTH include sensitivity to light and noise, nausea, dizziness, vomiting, insomnia, poor concentration, fatigue, and personality changes like depression or nervousness. The headache may also worsen with activity and have a pulsating quality. But every person has a different experience with brain injury, and each nerve ending and brain cell will respond differently depending on a variety of interrelated factors, whether they are internal or external to the brain.

Several types of head injury can cause headaches, but the most common ones include Concussion, which is the most prevalent type of head injury; Contusion, where a bruise forms on the actual brain; Intracranial hematoma (ICH), involving bleeding under the skull in the brain that forms a clot; and Skull fracture, as the name implies, is a break in the skull. 

Rebound Headache

Medication overuse headaches (MOH), also known as rebound headaches, stem from prolonged and frequent use of headache-treating medications, particularly those designed for migraines and tension-type headaches. This chronic usage may alter the brain's response to both pain and medication. Rebound headaches exhibit varying severity and commonly accompany weakness, nausea, irritability, restlessness, anxiety, depression, sleep abnormalities, memory difficulties, fatigue, and fibromyalgia.

While medications for pain can help with temporary headaches and other symptoms, using medicine regularly for a longer duration can simultaneously cause rebound headaches. They are typically worse upon waking up and may surpass the intensity of the original headache the medication was meant to address. These headaches share some similarities with migraines but often display more severity. The normal experience of people with migraines is one of the episodic attacks, which include a variety of symptoms like pain, nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound who may return to symptom-free status between medication-administered episodes. On the other hand, people who have medication-overuse headaches experience a dull, continuous headache most days or for part of the day. The cyclic nature of the condition often leads to a return of headaches after the temporary relief provided by painkillers. To break the cycle, it may be necessary to implement a substitute headache-management approach with a carefully planned discontinuation process from overused medication. 

Regularly visit a neurologist or your family doctor for check-ups, as most headaches might be linked to minor conditions. Undiagnosed cases, initially considered minor pain, can eventually lead to dire consequences. If you suspect symptoms of an underlying condition and can't go about your day without a headache disrupting your activities, get yourself checked out as soon as possible. Book an appointment with your nearest healthcare provider to prioritize your health.