Intracranial Headache - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Treatment

What Is Intracranial Headache?

Normally, every person gets a headache once in a while. Headaches are sometimes debilitating and dangerous for some individuals. They can cause inconvenience in their day-to-day lives.

Increased intracranial pressure caused due to brain injury or any other medical condition can lead to a condition called an intracranial headache. The increased intracranial pressure can pose serious damage to the brain and even the spinal cord. This kind of intracranial headache due to increased intracranial pressure is an emergency and requires immediate medical help. The sooner the patient receives medical aid, the better his chances of recovering.

What Are the Types of Intracranial Headaches?

Physician consultation is crucial if the person is encountering regular headaches to discover the exact cause and treatment of it. Headaches are of two types. They are caused by a change in intracranial pressure inside the brain.

• Low-Pressure Headache.

• High-Pressure Headache.

Low-Pressure Headaches- It is also known as spontaneous intracranial hypotension. A low-pressure headache often worsens while sitting or standing. It gets better when lying down. Usually, the pain is initiated at the back of the head, sometimes associated with neck pain though the headache can be felt all over your head. Coughing, sneezing, and physical exertion often worsen the pain. The pain is usually associated with-

• Tinnitus (Ringing in the ears).

• Muted hearing.

• Feeling fainted.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Pain is a stabbing throbbing type.

• It can affect a person of any age group.

High-Pressure Headaches- Are also known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension. The symptoms of a high-pressure headache resemble those of a brain tumor. Hence, it is also referred to as pseudotumor cerebri or false brain tumor. The symptoms include:

• Stabbing, throbbing, aching pain that worsens during the morning hours.

• Pain in the neck and shoulders.

• Headaches usually worsen on coughing, sneezing, or some sort of exertion.

• Severe persistent chronic headaches.

• Impaired vision.

• Tinnitus.

This is a rare type of intracranial headache. Approximately, only about 100,000 Americans have experienced it. Most of the affected individuals are females who are suffering from obesity and are of childbearing age.

What Are the Causes of Intracranial Headaches?

• Excessive cerebrospinal fluid (the fluid around the brain and spinal cord) in the brain.

• Injury to the brain causing bleeding.

• Brain edema.

• Aneurysm in the brain.

• Clotted blood pooled in some parts of the brain

• Traumatic head injury.

• Tumors in the brain.

• Infections like encephalitis or meningitis.

• Hydrocephalus (fluid buildup in the deeper cavities of the brain).

• Increased blood pressure.

• Sudden brain stroke.

• Eating ice cream too quickly.

What Are the Symptoms of Intracranial Headache?

The most common symptoms of an intracranial headache include -

• Severe headache.

• Blurred eyesight.

• Dizziness.

• Nausea and vomiting.

• Mood swings.

• Irritability.

• Difficulty in walking.

• Lethargy and weakness.

• Lack of energy.

• Drowsiness.

Always visit the healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis.

How Is Intracranial Headache Diagnosed?

To establish the diagnosis of intracranial headache, the doctor may ask you to do the following:

• Family and personal medical history and thorough physical examination including a neurological test to examine senses, mental balance, and mental state of mind.

• Lumbar puncture is a type of spinal tap that is used to measure the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid in the skull. A needle is inserted at the back of the spine to obtain the fluid sample.

• Computed tomography (CT) scan is the gold standard diagnostic imaging test. It produces X-ray images of the brain in a cross-section.

• Magnetic resonance imaging is another diagnostic imaging test that makes use of electromagnetic fields to detect certain alterations in the brain tissue content and can give more detailed information about the brain.

How Is Intracranial Headache Treated?

Treatment depends on the type of headache:

• Low-Pressure headaches may sometimes be treated by taking rest and drinking loads of water. Caffeine may help too. Usually, the symptoms subside on their own.

• For high blood pressure, the best way to treat is to lose weight. This weight loss will relieve the pressure exerted on the brain and optic nerve. If the person is severely obese, he may require fat loss surgery. Studies have shown that modest weight loss that is achieved through healthy eating and exercise helps to relieve symptoms.

Regular and thorough optical vision testing should also be done to keep a check on the pressure exerted on the optic nerve. A medication called Acetazolamide is used to reduce the production of cerebrospinal fluid in a few cases. Surgery is preferred in serious cases to relieve the pressure on the brain. Eye surgery is another possible treatment option.

Another common treatment is an epidural blood patch that tries to stop cerebrospinal fluid leakage. Blood is drawn from the arm and injected into an area of the spinal canal to patch (stop) the leak.

Part of the skull can also be surgically removed (craniotomy) to ease swelling. However, this is a rare treatment option.

The patient should also be treated for the underlying pathology of intracranial pressure, which could be a viral or bacterial infection, high blood pressure, brain tumor, or brain stroke.

What Are the Complications of Intracranial Headache?

Intracranial headaches can pose serious complications, such as:

• Epileptic seizures (a brain disorder characterized by repetitive behavioral changes due to a temporary alteration in the brain functioning).

• Brain stroke (brain attack that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is stopped temporarily).

• Neurological nerve damage (peripheral neuropathy causing weakness and numbness in the upper and lower extremities).

• Death.

Conclusion:

An injury or trauma to the brain can lead to increased intracranial pressure thereby causing an intracranial headache. Intracranial headache can be a dangerous condition if left untreated. Whenever individuals feel the symptoms are persistent and repeated consistently, they should immediately visit a doctor. The doctor will try to relieve the increased intracranial pressure that causes intracranial headaches. The sooner they seek the help of a healthcare provider, the more likely they will quickly recover. If left untreated, this dangerous condition can cause damage to the brain and spinal cord, finally causing death. So, it is crucial to seek medical advice as soon as possible.