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Brain Tumors, Brain Injury and Head PainHead pain may indicate brain tumors or a brain injury, but in the majority of cases head pain is due to non-organic causes. Organic headaches are symptoms of a physical condition. Examples of organic head pain include meningitis, aneurysm, brain tumors, brain abscesses, and brain injury.
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Only one to five percent of head pain has an organic cause, but severe or persistent head pain should never be ignored. If head pain does have an organic cause the condition is often serious enough to require immediate medical attention. Seek medical help for head pain if any of the following conditions apply.
Causes of Head PainThe following conditions can all cause severe head pain, and are all considered medical emergencies. While uncommon, brain tumors, aneurysms, and other organic causes of head pain are much more serious than even the most severe non-organic types of headache.
Brain Tumors and HeadachesNot all brain tumors cause head pain. Slow-growing brain tumors may only cause dull, occasional head pain that is easily mistaken for a normal headache. Over the counter painkillers often provide relief. This makes symptoms of brain tumors easy to ignore until the tumors grow large enough to cause intracranial pressure and more severe head pain.
Rapidly growing brain tumors are characterized by a sudden onset of head pain as the tumors put pressure on the skull and surrounding brain tissue. Rapid-growth brain tumors can cause progressively worsening head pain, or head pain that is aggravated by coughing, movement, and exercise. Head pain from brain tumors is often described as deep, steady, aching, or dull, but brain tumors rarely cause throbbing headaches. The sudden development of sharp intense head pain with no previous history of headaches suggests the possibility of a brain tumor. Other symptoms of brain tumors may include:
Meningitis and Head PainMeningitis describes an infection and inflammation of the membranes and fluids that surround and protect the brain. A serious condition that can be fatal, meningitis is most often diagnosed in children under the age of five, but can occur at any age.
Meningitis symptoms include severe, throbbing head pain that encompasses the entire head ("global" head pain). Head pain is often associated with nausea, vomiting, fever, light sensitivity (photophobia), and a stiff neck. Changes in consciousness and seizures are also symptoms of meningitis. Young children and infants may cry constantly from meningitis head pain, lose their appetites and seem unusually sleepy or irritable. The fontanels, or soft spots on an infant's skull) may bulge outwards due to meningitis inflammation. Encephalitis and the BrainEncephalitis is a rare condition that occurs when the brain tissue becomes infected and inflamed. Viral illness is the usual cause of encephalitis. Mild cases of encephalitis often have no noticeable symptoms. Severe encephalitis causes a number of symptoms, including intense head pain. Other symptoms may include:
Head pain associated with encephalitis stems from brain tissue inflammation, which can cause mental disability, respiratory arrest, coma, and death.
Aneurysm and Sudden Head PainAn aneurysm is a weak spot on a brain artery, which may bulge outwards rather like an expanding balloon. Also like a balloon, an aneurysm may rupture when too much pressure builds up, causing bleeding in the brain. Risk factors for aneurysm include smoking, heavy alcohol use, oral contraceptives, brain injury, and a family history of brain aneurysm.
An unruptured aneurysm usually has no noticeable symptoms. Once the aneurysm ruptures, blood leaks into the subarachnoid space that surrounds the brain, where it can damage brain cells. Damage from a ruptured aneurysm, or subarachnoid hemorrhage, can cause stroke, coma, mental retardation, paralysis, and death.
Survivors of a ruptured aneurysm describe the resulting head pain as "the worst headache" they ever had. Nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, stiff neck, and blurred vision may accompany aneurysm head pain.
Temporal ArteritisTemporal arteritis describes inflammation and damage to blood vessels in the scalp and head. Head pain and tenderness centers around the damaged blood vessels. Head pain due to temporal arteritis usually occurs after age fifty, and is associated with fevers, excessive sweating, a sudden weight loss, and achy joints. Left untreated, damaged blood vessels may result in loss of sight or stroke.
Brain AbscessesA brain abscess is caused by infections that start in the nasal cavities or ears. Bacteria or fungus enters brain tissue, where it eventually forms a solid mass of white blood cells, dead cells, and other matter. The inflamed abscess puts pressure on the brain in a manner similar to brain tumors, and the resulting head pain and symptoms are essentially the same as those for a brain tumor.
Brain Injury and Head PainA brain injury is most often caused by a severe blow to the head, called a closed-head brain injury. The force of the blow causes the brain to crash into the inside of the skull.
Concussions are the most common example of a closed-head brain injury. There may be no visible sign of head injury, but the brain has nevertheless received damage. A brain injury may also occur when a projectile or foreign object penetrates the skull. This type of brain injury is less common than a closed-head injury. Any headaches or head pain experienced after a brain injury should be reported to medical professionals. Even mild head pain may be a sign of brain injury complications. Symptoms of a brain injury range from mild to severe. Even a minor brain injury can cause loss of consciousness and head pain. Symptoms vary from brain injury to brain injury, and can include:
A severe brain injury can cause long term complications, including coma, infections, nerve and brain damage, difficulty swallowing, difficulty speaking, and personality changes. Some evidence also exists that a brain injury can increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Resources Brain Aneurysm Foundation. (2004). Brain aneurysm basics. Diamond, M. (2000). Emergency treatment of the headache patient. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2004). Traumatic brain injury. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2004). Encephalitis. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2004). Meningitis: Signs and symptoms. National Headache Foundation. (nd). Other types: Organic. The Complete Guide to Headaches. National Library of Medicine. (updated 2003). Brain abscess. MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. National Library of Medicine. (updated 2003). Temporal arteritis.MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia.
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Last modified: February 25, 2008 © morefocus group, inc.
This site is designed to provide information, not medical advice. Please consult your physician if you have any questions or concerns.
Last modified: February 25, 2008 © morefocus group, inc.
This site is designed to provide information, not medical advice. Please consult your physician if you have any questions or concerns.