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Headaches May be a Warning Sign

© Barbara J. Mitchell

The death of 61 year old U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell of Georgia on July 18, 2000 was quite sudden. However, there had been some warning signs of his fatal stroke. He had been complaining of headaches recently, and on the 15th he was taken to the hospital because of a severe headache.

A cerebral hemorrhage such as the one Coverdell suffered is less common than ischemic strokes which are caused by a lack of blood going to the brain, but the survival rate is much lower. It's understandable that a hemorrhage in the brain is very difficult to treat. In fact, there's only a 50% chance of survival, and people who do survive may suffer permanent disability.

DiscoveryHealth.com quotes Dr. Michael Frankel, Chief of Neurology at Grady Health System and an Emory School of Medicine associate professor of neurology, "People who experience sudden, severe headaches need to get to a hospital immediately." Frankel speaks of these headaches as "the worst headache of their life."

It's these sudden, terrible headaches that we think of as a warning sign that something is very wrong, but milder headaches may also be a warning. Transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), which you may know as mini-strokes, may cause mild to moderate headaches as they temporarily interrupt the flow of blood to the brain. This head pain may be located near whatever is causing the blockage. TIAs are sometimes a precursor to a major stroke.

Headaches can also happen after a stroke, and since a person who has had one stroke is at increased risk for another, it's wise to have the headaches checked out.

One warning sign of hypertension (high blood pressure), may be headaches. They are well known as a sign of severe hypertension, but recent studies have shown they can be a sign of less elevated blood pressure as well. If your blood pressure is higher than 140/90 mmHg, it is considered elevated.

A problem with hypertension is that sometimes the person feels no symptoms at all. That's why it's so important to have your blood pressure checked regularly, and if it's high, to take whatever measures the doctor orders. You may be asked to reduce salt intake, lose weight, get more exercise, or even to take a blood pressure lowering medication.

Many people start out following doctor's orders, but then decide they don't have to follow them because they feel fine. Wrong! This is serious business. Hypertension is called a "silent" killer because even though it's essentially symptomless, it's doing terrible damage to the body. Stroke is only one danger of hypertension, and the others are no les scary. If your blood pressure is high, do everything you can to keep it under control. Don't be fooled by the fact that you feel okay.

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