A minor connection between headache and cough is pressure. Coughing creates pressure, and for some people, it leads to painful headaches. But in some cases, it may indicate a more severe condition. Cough headaches can also occur due to other types of straining like sneezing, laughing, crying, or blowing your nose. Chest congestion can also lead to forceful coughing and hence increase your chance of headaches.
Cough headaches fall into two categories, such as:
Primary Headaches
• They may erupt suddenly and don’t represent any severe condition.
• Most common for people over 40.
• You can get them while coughing or after.
• you can feel them on both sides on the head
• Other symptoms may include pain lasting from a few seconds to a few minutes, a sharp pain followed by a dull pain that can last for a few hours.
Treatment:
Different medicines can help to reduce them, such as:
• Blood pressure medicines
• Medicines that can relax blood vessels in the brain
• Drugs to lessen coughing
Secondary Headaches
At the start, they might feel the same as primary cough headaches, but you would notice some other symptoms, including a long-lasting headache, dizziness, fainting, or difficulty in balancing. In addition, they might indicate a more serious condition such as:
• Brain tumor- it is a clump of abnormal cells found inside or near the brain
• Brain aneurysm- is a weakness of blood vessels in the brain
• Chiari malformation- a defect in the cerebellum which is the part of the brain responsible for the balance
Treatment:
The treatment depends upon the diagnosis.
• You may need surgery for Chiari malformation and brain aneurysm
• Each type of brain tumor requires a different kind of treatment, such as:
o Chemotherapy
o Radiation
o Surgery
If you experience headaches after coughing, which lasts for an hour or two, or are extremely painful, immediately seek medical help. Call Family Diagnostic Clinic on 281-351-6800 and book an appointment with us.