Sudden Severe Headaches and Vomiting Could Be The Sign of a Serious Problem

May 6th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Headaches are, well, a pain in the neck no matter how mild they are. When one comes along it can often shut you down in your tracks. Those who suffer from migraine headaches are quite familiar with the intense pain of a headache. However, if you are used to it, severe headaches can be quite a shock.

If you ever experience a sudden, severe headache and vomiting, you may just think that you are coming down with the flu. That’s not necessarily so. The symptoms of a sudden severe headache and vomiting can be the sign of a serious medical concern, and actions should be taken immediately.

What are the Possible Issues?

Sometimes, sudden, severe headaches and vomiting are just a migraine headache, and therefore, you should have something prescribed for the pain if it turns out to be a chronic problem. Or, some have found that acupuncture is effective at dealing with a sudden severe headache and vomiting.

However, if it’s the first time you’ve experiences a sudden, severe headache and vomiting, you won’t have a diagnosis from your doctor, nor will you have any painkillers prescribed, so for safety’s sake, it’s best to get to a hospital. The onset of a sudden severe headache and vomiting may be a sign of a form of head trauma known as subarachnoid bleeding.

This is when bleeding occurs between the brain and the skull. This kind of injury happens most often after accidents in which the head was hit, and is severe enough that without proper medical care, a person could go into a coma or even die.

If a sudden, severe headache and vomiting is accompanied by a fever as well, there’s a possibility that you may be suffering from meningitis, which is a disease that affects the nervous system. This disease can cause enough damage to kill, and even if it doesn’t, common problems resulting from meningitis include hearing loss.

What to Do if You Are Suffering

To reiterate, if you’re experiencing a sudden, severe headache and vomiting, you must get to an emergency room immediately. Likewise, you should not try to drive yourself there. These horrible symptoms may compromise your ability to drive. You should call an ambulance or ask someone else to drive you.

Before help arrives, you should raise your head at an angle of about 30 degrees if you are not feeling nauseous. In any event, be sure to act as quick as you can if you are experiencing a sudden, severe headache and vomiting. If you do, then you have a greater chance of being fine.