A frequently asked question when a cough appears is to find out the causes of the headache. If discomfort occurs, elevated body temperature may not be observed. What worries and confuses patients. But the fact remains, and when going to the hospital, more than 75% of cases are recorded when a headache prevents a person from understanding the real causes of a cough.
It is worth noting that most often people with a dry type of spasm have a headache when coughing. A productive cough does not burden a person so much. The cause of this phenomenon is intracranial pressure.
An unproductive spasm puts tension on the nerve endings and the cerebrospinal fluid. Therefore, an additional symptom, pain, is caused by blood vessels, nerve endings, and not the brain itself. This should not be considered a harmless symptom.
Yes, and it cannot be recognized as a normal phenomenon. Since numerous cases have been recorded when blood clots break off and blood vessels burst during a strong cough. After which either death or paralysis (partial, complete) is observed.
Causes
The mechanism of pain in the head when coughing is simple; it is based on an increase in intracranial pressure. The cerebrospinal fluid affects the meninges and as a result, a person feels an ache in the head of varying intensity and localization. There are several etiological factors for this condition: smoking, inflammation of the maxillary sinuses, bronchial asthma, weather exposure, arterial hypertension and acute respiratory infections.
Meteor dependence
The human body is able to react differently to changes in weather conditions, such as atmospheric pressure, precipitation, temperature changes, and others.
People prone to developing weather dependence experience a number of manifestations, for example, discomfort in the head when coughing. Scientists suggest that this occurs due to the influence of external factors (magnetic field fluctuations, temperature fluctuations) on the central nervous and cardiovascular systems.
Pain in the head in such sensitive people appears when coughing on days of magnetic storms, has varying degrees of intensity and various localizations. Accompanies with nausea, weakness, insomnia and other symptoms.
Often, changes in weather conditions provoke migraines. There is a sudden, throbbing pain in the head, which gets worse with coughing and movement. Cephalgia covers one half. The reason for this condition is a spasm of the arteries of the brain, and then the expansion of their lumen.
Colds
During ARVI and influenza, adults and children periodically suffer from headaches, which worsen with coughing and physical activity. This is due to intoxication of the body with waste products of microbes.
Distinctive features of pain symptoms in the head during an acute respiratory viral infection:
- different intensity, often wave-like;
- bursting, less often pressing;
- deprives you of peace during the day and intensifies in the evening hours;
- accompanies with lacrimation.
Sometimes discomfort in the head area persists for some time after recovery and the end of the cough.
Bronchial asthma
The manifestation of the disease is attacks of suffocation of varying severity, provoked by various factors (tobacco smoke, exposure to an allergen, stress).
A person is unable to exhale, which becomes prolonged, and respiratory failure develops. The brain tissue senses a lack of oxygen, which causes pain in the head. Hypoxia is especially acute in children with asthma. And during an annoying dry cough, muscle spasm occurs and cephalalgia intensifies (pain of muscle tension).
American scientists have experimentally proven that a history of bronchial asthma contributes to the development of a chronic form of migraine.
Smoking
Headaches that start from coughing are common among experienced smokers and those new to this business. The entry of nicotine into the bloodstream provokes a sharp spasm of the arteries, veins and an increase in pressure. With this hypertension, the brain suffers from a lack of oxygen, which explains the appearance of throbbing, bursting pain, mainly in the back of the head, as well as dizziness.
Dry cough of smokers can occur in the form of prolonged attacks, since the receptors of the trachea and larynx are irritated by tobacco smoke particles. At the same time, the unpleasant sensations in the head only intensify.
Sinusitis
Inflammation of the sinuses is characterized by constant pain in the head, which increases during coughing.
The main mechanisms of occurrence of cephalalgia:
- The accumulation of pus in the interosseous spaces puts pressure on the receptors. In this case, the pain increases with tilting the head while coughing, changes in body position, and percussion of the forehead and bridge of the nose.
- Mucopurulent discharge flows from the pharynx into the larynx and provokes a cough. The result is cephalalgia due to muscle tension.
- Sinusitis is characterized by signs of intoxication, and one of them is a headache.
Arterial hypertension
Discomfort in the head is the main symptom of high blood pressure.
Based on etiology, there are four types of pain:
- Typical . Occurs as a result of venous hypertension, more often in the morning. Characteristic is a feeling of heaviness and fullness in the head, especially when coughing and physical exertion.
- Ischemic . It is a consequence of brain hypoxia, which leads to arterial spasm. Pain in the head is dull, aching, with the presence of mild neurological signs.
- Liquor . Associated with obstructed outflow of venous blood and stagnation of spinal fluid, which leads to increased intracranial pressure. A person feels severe throbbing pain in the head with a clear manifestation of cerebral symptoms (nausea, vomiting, visual disturbances, and others).
- Muscular pain occurs when muscles are tense due to the influence of an emotional factor. The pain in the head is of a pressing nature, it can be compared to wearing a tight hoop or bandage. Appears daily at the end of the working day.
The nature and intensity of the pain syndrome can vary depending on the stage of arterial hypertension. At the initial stage of the pathology, the headache is intermittent, often due to overwork and stress.
Subsequently, cephalalgia acquires a vascular character, becomes pulsating, radiating to the temples, back of the head, and crown. Pain in the head intensifies during coughing, neck turns, sharp sounds and becomes diffuse.
Hypertensive crisis is an extreme manifestation of pathology. Acute pain occurs with dizziness, nausea and vomiting. Loss of consciousness, including speech and motor disturbances, is possible.
Cervical neuralgia
A disease based on entrapment of the occipital nerve. Among the causes of occurrence are osteochondrosis, trauma, muscle spasms.
A piercing, intense, often one-sided pain in the back of the head appears after a sharp turn of the head, reminiscent of an electric shock. Coughing and pressing on the neck area increases the discomfort.
Symptoms
With a dry, intensifying cough, pain occurs in the back of the head, in the forehead and temples. It can be unbearable: stabbing, aching, shooting. This makes a person feel uncomfortable.
Main symptoms:
- painful sensations when straining when the patient tries to cough or sneeze;
- attacks that can last for hours;
- often the pathology is accompanied by a ringing in the ears, fever, dizziness, depression and loss of consciousness.
There are patients who, when visiting a doctor, complain of a headache when coughing, radiating only to one side of the cerebral hemisphere. It often develops into a protracted stage and torments a person with periodic attacks over many years, sometimes suddenly disappearing for a long time and then returning again.
Associated symptoms
Along with pain during coughing, other clinical signs are also likely:
- increased blood pressure;
- dyspeptic disorders (nausea and vomiting);
- insomnia, anxiety;
- manifestations of intoxication (weakness and chills, apathy, dizziness);
- runny nose, nasal congestion;
- neurological symptoms: focal and cerebral;
- respiratory failure.
If heaviness in the head accompanies meningeal signs (stiffness of the neck muscles) and fainting, the development of inflammation of the substance or membranes of the brain is possible.
General information about dizziness
Dizziness is a subjective sensation. It seems to a person that objects around him are spinning, and the ground is moving away from under his feet.
In fact, the position of the body at this moment is not disturbed, and the surrounding environment is motionless.
The feeling of loss of balance occurs due to a discrepancy in the information that enters the brain from sensory organs, such as the vestibular or visual apparatus.
Dizziness can be physiological (from a lack of glucose or a sudden rise from bed) or pathological (from tumors or nerve conduction disorders). In addition to a feeling of loss of balance, dizziness may include the following symptoms:
- double vision or darkening of the eyes;
- tinnitus;
- nausea
- sweating;
- weakness.
In a healthy person, all systems work harmoniously, and the symptoms described above do not occur. Any manifestation of dizziness requires a detailed examination by a specialist.
Diagnostics
Frequent episodes of pain in the head when coughing are a significant reason to consult a doctor. You should start with a local therapist, who, if necessary, will refer you to a neurologist, ENT specialist, ophthalmologist or dentist.
Diagnosis of headaches during coughing begins with a detailed clarification of complaints and medical history. Experts ask questions competently and concisely, while clarifying:
- when did the discomfort begin and how long does it last?
- its character and intensity;
- degree of increase in cephalalgia when coughing;
- suspected reasons;
- influence on the general condition;
- accompanying symptoms;
- measures taken and their effectiveness;
- hereditary history - do close relatives suffer from headaches?
After this, a physical examination is necessary. It helps:
- Identify neurological symptoms (general cerebral, focal and meningeal signs).
- Measure the level of pressure in the vessels, palpate the muscle-tendon seals and pulsations of the arteries on the head.
- Assess movements in the cervical spine.
- Determine the boundaries of the heart and listen to the sounds.
Additional laboratory and instrumental studies are prescribed taking into account the expected pathology of cough or pain:
- general and biochemical blood tests;
- electrocardiogram;
- Holter monitoring;
- electroencephalogram;
- angiography of cerebral vessels;
- radiography of the skull and cervical segment of the spinal column;
- computed and magnetic resonance imaging.
Which study is suitable and recommended for a particular person depends on the clinical picture, age and capacity of the medical institution.
Treatment of headaches when coughing
Therapy for cephalgia in the absence of organ changes is symptomatic. When severe neurological and somatic pathology is diagnosed, appropriate pathogenetic treatment is prescribed.
Conservative therapy
Includes the use of drugs that relieve pain in the head, including during coughing:
- Antispasmodic - relax the tone of smooth muscles of blood vessels and reduce arterial and intracranial pressure. They use Spazmalgon, No-shpu, Papaverine hydrochloride, Dibazol.
- Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs - relieve fever and have an analgesic effect. Popular medications are Ibuprofen, Meloxicam, Ketorolac, Nise.
- Combined medications that contain caffeine, a substance that dilates blood vessels in the brain (Citramon, Askofen).
It is necessary to use medications for pain in the head during coughing with caution, not exceeding the dosage allowed by the instructions.
Folk remedies
Since ancient times, ancestors have been looking for options to combat headaches. Today there are a lot of traditional medicine that help cure cephalalgia of various origins, including during coughing.
Compresses on the forehead are a simple and well-known way to combat such conditions. The most common recipes for lotions:
- Apply cabbage leaves to the unhealthy area on the head. The plant has analgesic properties.
- Take a teaspoon of cinnamon, pour 100 ml of boiled water, leave for 10–15 minutes. Moisten a gauze pad with the resulting liquid and place it on the point of pain (avoid contact with the eyes). Essential oils will reduce the flow of nerve impulses to the brain, and the person’s condition will improve significantly.
- A lotion based on table vinegar. The latter is diluted in equal quantities with clean water and used as a compress on the temporal or frontal surface of the head. It is allowed to add olive oil to the solution (a third of the total volume). Change the dressing at intervals of 15 minutes. Vinegar relieves muscle tension.
Compresses should be used with caution, taking into account individual intolerance to the components.
Therapy
Treatment for headaches is prescribed based on the underlying cause of the pathology. If the patient experiences pain only during coughing, analgesics are often prescribed: acetylsalicylic acid or Analgin. The attacks themselves can be relieved with the help of antispasmodics and drugs that reduce intracranial pressure.
Medicines
Headaches when coughing can be relieved with the following remedies:
Citramon tablets
- NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are taken for acute inflammatory processes: Citramon, Ibuprofen.
- Antispasmodics are used if the pain is caused by vasoconstriction: Baralgin or No-Shpa.
- Muscle relaxants help with severe strain in the neck muscles: Tubocurarine.
- Antibiotics and antiviral agents are taken when the disease occurs against the background of viral or enterobacterial infections.
- Cough lozenges - relieve sore throat.
All medications are prescribed by a doctor and taken strictly in accordance with the instructions.
The effectiveness of all medications increases with strict adherence to the regimen. During periods of severe malaise caused by the acute course of the disease, it is recommended to stop playing sports, as the load on the body increases, which can lead to complications. At the same time, the pathology itself will take a long time and be more pronounced.
Prevention
To avoid headaches as often as possible, it is recommended to follow a few practical tips:
- watch your posture;
- control the time spent watching TV, working on a computer and tablet;
- avoids stressful environments;
- give up bad habits, eat rationally, fall in love with physical education and sports;
- Seek medical help promptly if you experience the slightest discomfort in the head or cough.
Sometimes you need to change a few things in your daily life to maintain your invaluable health.
The causes of pain in the head during coughing are varied, and the mechanisms of occurrence are complex and multi-stage. Cephalgia may be a symptom of a non-life-threatening condition, but it cannot be ignored. A timely visit to a doctor will help get rid of the unpleasant symptom and identify dangerous ailments.
