Fall 2006 | Head Ache or Head Bleed? - Maria Santucci Vetter

They plague us all. They always seem to start at the worst time. Be it from lack of sleep, dehydration, stress, posture, or even something you ate, nobody enjoys having a headache. When we, or our loved one is feeling the throbbing pain of a headache, the thought may cross our mind, “Is this just a headache?” When it comes to someone with a bleeding disorder, the thought of a head bleed is one of our greatest fears. How can we tell the difference between what may be a simple headache and what might be the beginning of a head bleed?

Headaches: Headaches are usually caused by the constriction or expansion of the blood vessels in your head. As the blood vessels in your head shrink or stretch, bursts of pain are felt. There are many reasons that cause a person to suffer a headache. Illnesses, fever, and sinus issues are just a few. However, a typical headache is quite often self-induced. Much of the time our own self-neglect or bad habits lead up to a headache. Changes to our habits and avoiding factors that trigger our headaches can significantly reduce their occurrence in our daily lives.

 

Headache Causing Habits

Lack of Sleep: Blood flow to the brain increases with adequate sleep. Staying up late, especially when done often, can take its toll. The stress our bodies endure by being fatigued may cause headaches. Solution? Get more sleep! We all have occasional late nights; just don’t make them a habit.

Smoking: Smoking may cause headaches to occur because smoking keeps oxygen from reaching the brain. When a person smokes, carbon dioxide is inhaled, rather than oxygen. In addition to all the other health benefits, quitting smoking may help ward off headaches.

Dehydration: Dehydration can cause headaches by reducing the blood flowing to your head. Drink water all day long, especially while participating in a sport or exercising. It is very important to keep your blood flowing so that oxygen can be delivered to your brain. Keeping yourself hydrated can help avoid headaches.

Skipped Meals: Headaches are often caused by changes in the body’s blood sugar level. When we do not eat, the body releases stress-related hormones and lowers our blood sugar levels. If you find that you are susceptible to headaches after skipping meals, try at least to grab a healthy snack. Having something like a piece of fruit or an energy bar every couple of hours can help deter a headache.

Certain Foods/Drinks: For some people, certain foods and drinks can lead to headaches. These foods and drinks can cause blood vessels to expand. This allows blood to rush in and cause nerves in the brain to stretch painfully. Avoid foods that seem to trigger your headaches. Examples of some foods and drinks that can give you a headache are certain cheeses, chocolate, nuts or peanut butter, dry sausage, hotdogs, ham, bacon, onions, garlic, sauerkraut, monosodium glutamate (MSG), aspartame (sugar-substitute), wine, beer, and the overuse of caffeine.

Alcohol: Alcoholic drinks naturally dehydrate the body, causing the blood vessels in the brain to constrict, triggering the headache. One way to help minimize an alcohol-induced headache is to eat or drink something sweet with the alcohol. Have some jam on toast or crackers or have a glass of fruit juice before having your first drink. Your body will metabolize the alcohol better when it has other carbohydrates with which to compete.

While this may work to help minimize a headache, keep in mind that the best way to avoid a hangover headache is not to get one. There are plenty of old wives tales regarding hangover cures. They do not work. Limiting the amount you drink will make the most difference. Besides, excessive drinking can lead to problems much bigger than a painful hangover.

Anger Management: Keeping your anger in check will go far in reducing a throbbing head. Rather than “blowing up,” find ways to keep your cool. Learn a relaxation technique that works for you. Keep perspective over what is making you angry.
Keep in mind that anger is often a wasted emotion and counterproductive. Staying calm keeps the blood flowing smoothly and steadily to your head.

Posture: Poor posture puts pressure on the neck and shoulder muscles that support your head. The forward-thrust position of the head and neck as when we are looking sharply upward at a movie screen or listening to a speech causes unusual stress on the neck muscles. Sitting incorrectly at the computer, leaning over your work, sitting or sleeping in an awkward position, peering over eyeglasses, even talking on the phone can all contribute to neck strain, which may lead to “tension” headaches. Practice good posture to help avoid these types of headaches. Tension headaches are the most common type of headaches.

Head bleeds

When typical headaches are minimized, the path is opened to recognizing a more serious problem. If a person is hit or falls or has any other kind of trauma to their head, any associated pain can be indicative of a more severe problem. However, for someone with a bleeding disorder, trauma does not necessarily need to occur for bleeding in the brain to begin. Especially for people with severe hemophilia, although not common, spontaneous bleeds in the head can, and do occur.

It is imperative for those in the hemophilia community to be aware of and recognize the symptoms of bleeding in the brain. Hopefully, you will never find yourself in this situation, but it is very important to be prepared. Familiarizing ourselves with the symptoms of a head bleed and knowing what to do, who to call and where to go can guide us to respond in a timely, effective manner.

Every minute counts when dealing with the potential danger of a head bleed. In addition, if you are well prepared, you are better able to keep your composure and provide a calming influence on the child or adult suffering the headache.

Arm yourself with knowledge. Ask your doctor or hemophilia treatment center what steps you should take if you believe a head bleed is being experienced. Memorize the protocol. Remember, first and foremost, when in doubt, INFUSE! Do not second-guess yourself! Especially when a situation involves something as serious as a potential head bleed, it is always prudent to infuse yourself or your loved one before all else.

Other health problems may cause symptoms similar to those of a head injury. However, for those with bleeding disorders, these symptoms should be assumed indicative of a head bleed until proven otherwise. Again, if you suspect a head bleed, infuse with clotting factor as soon as possible. If you are at an emergency room or physician’s office, insist that factor be infused before any tests are run.
Hours can pass while waiting for a CT scan or MRI to be ordered, taken, and results read. It is better to infuse and find out that it was not necessary rather than wait for confirmation that a bleed is in progress. With the severity and potential consequences of a head bleed it is always much safer to err on the side of caution.

If no trauma has occurred and if the symptoms of a head bleed are not present, and you truly feel that you are just experiencing a normal headache, there are some things you can do to alleviate the pain. Take the recommended dose of a pain reliever. For those with bleeding disorders, take an acetaminophen such as Tylenol. Do not take aspirin or any other pain reliever that may cause bleeding. If possible, rest in a darkened room. Close your eyes or cover your eyes and forehead with a cool, damp cloth. Reduce noise, keep the television off, and try to relax. These measures will help reduce the pain. Hopefully, your headache will soon be forgotten!

 

Are these foods and drinks causing your headache?
Cheeses
Chocolate
Nuts
Peanut butter
Dry sausage
Hotdogs
Ham
Bacon
Onions
Garlic
Sauerkraut
MSG
Aspartame
Wine
Beer
Excessive Caffeine

 

Symptoms of a Head Bleed

• Headache, continuous or steadily getting worse
• Unequal size of pupils
• Eyes not moving together
• Double vision or blind spots in vision
• Slurred speech or word confusion
• Seizures
• Vomiting, especially continuous or forceful
• Stumbling, falling, muscle weakness
• Stiff neck or back
• Numbness, tingling of arms and legs
• Loss of sensation
• Confusion, dullness or drowsiness
• Dizziness
• Loss of consciousness

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