Headache and nausea: what to do, treatment at home

Unpleasant sensations associated with headaches and nausea can occur due to various reasons, ranging from pregnancy to serious brain pathologies. Indirect signs that accompany the painful condition will help to evaluate various sources and contact the right specialist in order to begin treatment in a timely manner, if necessary. Let's figure out what causes symptoms such as nausea and headaches, how to correctly diagnose and treat them, and which specialist you should contact.

Why is headache accompanied by nausea? Main causes and diseases

Headache and nausea often accompany each other, regardless of what causes it. This happens because the human brain receives a signal through the nervous system that there is a problem in the digestive system or some problems in the body. These could be symptoms of overwork, menstruation, menopause, pregnancy, or some serious illness.

Migraine. The systematic manifestation of the clinical picture suggests that the disease in humans can be hereditary or acquired. Chronic as a result of overwork, stress and poor lifestyle. Pain, most often characteristic of women of reproductive age, can be inherited from mother to daughter. Migraines can occur after severe stress, tension, smoking or lack of fresh air.
Cerebral edema is a serious disease associated with neoplasms in the human head.
Hypotension is a person’s low blood pressure as a result of age-related changes or hereditary nature.
Any head injury is pain resulting from mechanical impact on the human brain, concussions and bruises.
Encephalitis is an inflammation of the membranes of the human brain caused by viral, microbial, allergic or toxic factors.
Blood pressure is a narrowing and spasm of blood vessels, which can lead to strokes or hypertensive crises if there is no timely response.
Viral infections. A headache may be associated with an increase in a person’s body temperature or general intoxication of the body.
Problems associated with the spine are wear and tear of a person’s intervertebral discs, which leads to compression of blood vessels and nerve processes.
Meningitis is a meningococcal infection that spreads very quickly throughout the human body. Without timely treatment it can be fatal.
Stroke. A severe headache, in this case, is associated with poor circulation and damage to the blood vessels of the brain.
Poisoning. In this case, attacks of nausea are usually accompanied by vomiting. Headache appears against the background of elevated body temperature. Muscle pain and joint aches appear.
Gastritis and many other diseases of the intestinal tract that cause nausea and vomiting.

If children have problems associated with headaches with nausea, then most often this is due to overwork after stress at school, acute respiratory viral infections, poisoning and head bruises. Secondary symptoms (fever, diarrhea, vomiting and much more) will help you understand the exact reasons why the disease occurs, find out which specialist you should contact to prescribe the correct treatment.

Possible diseases

Severe headaches and nausea in men can be a consequence of cancer treatment, which involves the use of potent medications and radiation. The symptom is often accompanied by vomiting.

Sharp pain in the head is also characteristic of VSD, which is associated with vascular spasm. In this case, one often feels nauseous and bowel irregularities occur.

If you have a headache and feel sick, then this symptom may be a consequence of ulcerative colitis, which is severe. The causes in women are often associated with pregnancy, especially in its early stages, when hormonal changes in the body occur.

Brain tumors

In this case, the symptoms are severe. Headache and vomiting in an adult can be closely associated with tumor formations of different etiologies: benign and malignant. Additionally, vomiting often occurs. As the tumor grows, visual acuity decreases. Most often, symptoms intensify in the first half of the day; in the morning the headache is worse than in the evening.

Traumatic brain injury

With a concussion, as well as open injuries to the skull, headache occurs due to swelling of the meninges. Additionally, the symptom is accompanied by nausea, neurological disorders, and blurred vision. These signs may also be associated with the formation of a hematoma, which occurs as a result of a ruptured vessel.

Hypertension

Blood pressure normally does not exceed 120/80. In a person with arterial hypertension, headache is a frequent companion and is accompanied by nausea. Blood pressure increases sharply, and symptoms are often accompanied by rapid heartbeat and swelling. Hypertension is dangerous and can cause bleeding in the brain.

Meningitis

Meningitis often causes headaches and vomiting is present in most cases. The disease affects children and adults. The pathology has a viral etiology and occurs with the introduction of meningococcal infection. The patient is constantly in a lying position due to severe headaches that appear with inflammation of the meninges. In advanced stages, death is possible.

Migraine

If you often have a headache, this may be a sign of migraine, which is often inherited. The disease is severe and is accompanied by nausea and vomiting. Localization of pain on only one side of the head will help differentiate this pathological condition from similar clinical conditions. A migraine can last from a few hours to two days. In addition to pressure in the head area, sensitivity to sounds increases.

Poisoning

Various types of intoxication are often accompanied by headaches. The person begins to feel sick, gradually the symptoms increase, vomiting, digestive disorders occur, and stool changes. The intensity of manifestations depends on the severity of poisoning. Sometimes you cannot do without hospitalization.

Secondary symptoms

Depending on the disease, various distinctive symptoms may appear along with headache and nausea:

With a migraine, there is a painful pulsation in the area of the eye sockets and temples, and an attack may begin with pain in the abdomen. Painful reaction to bright lights or sounds;
With hypertension, in addition to severe headaches, increased blood pressure may be accompanied by swelling in the face, limbs and attacks of increased heart rate. If you do not lower your blood pressure in a timely manner, a stroke or hypertensive crisis may occur;
With increased intracranial pressure and head contusion associated with injuries and physical damage, nausea leads to “fountain” vomiting, sleep disturbance and coordination of attention occur;
In case of problems with the spine and cervical region, in addition to pain in the brain area, painful sensations are transmitted to the limbs, and tinnitus occurs;
In case of viral diseases, the main symptoms that headaches and nausea are caused by intoxication of the body are fever;
For meningitis. A dangerous disease caused by meningococcus is accompanied by a fixed posture that cannot be changed, a rash, severe vomiting and the inability to turn the head;
With a stroke, headache and nausea are not the main symptoms. Decisive factors in making a diagnosis may be: a distorted face, impaired speech, high blood pressure or confused consciousness. In case of a stroke, it is important to call an ambulance in the first hours after the incident for timely hospitalization. Simple tests will help you understand that it is a stroke, for example, you need to ask the person to smile or repeat a phrase. The patient who has suffered it will not be able to do these simple things;
With tumors and other neoplasms, pain in the head appears along with decreased vision, increased pressure inside the skull, severe spasms and loss of consciousness

Nausea and lower back pain

This is how renal colic can manifest itself - a condition when the ureter is compressed (usually by a stone or tumor) or irritated (by inflammation). It manifests itself as severe pain in the lower back, radiating to the genitals and thigh, accompanied by nausea, necessarily accompanied by vomiting.

Help: drink No-shpa, Spazmalgon, Baralgin along with Analgin, Diclofenac or Ibuprofen, apply a warm heating pad to the lower back. If symptoms persist for 30 minutes or increase, call an ambulance so that the blockage of the ureter does not result in the death of the kidney.

Diagnostics

Not only the main symptoms can help classify the reasons why unpleasant sensations appear, but the headache itself will become an opportunity to understand its sources. It could be:

paranasal sinuses. They appear in the forehead or cheekbones and may be a sign of cerebral edema or other serious diseases;
cluster pain is an unpleasant sensation that appears in the orbital area. The causes of this type of severe pain are not yet well understood;
Tension type is pain in the form of a bandage that surrounds the circumference of the head. The most common type of severe pain that can be related to stress is caused by head injuries;
Migraine is pain that appears without a specific location. Occurs when psychological disorders occur.

Important information

The first thing you need to do to rule out the most common causes of headaches and nausea is to measure your blood pressure and temperature.

Tests and studies will help identify serious pathologies that have led to severe headaches and nausea in a timely manner, when the very first signs of the disease appear. It can be:

general blood analysis;
general urine analysis;
coprogram;
biochemistry;
MRI and CT scan of the head;
X-rays of the neck and spine.

If the headache appears suddenly and is severe, you should immediately call an ambulance. While the team is traveling, if your blood pressure or temperature is elevated, you should lower your readings with medication. The person on duty who receives the ambulance call will be able to help you select the drug.

When you consult a doctor, you should tell all your symptoms, remember chronic diseases in order to collect a complete history and correctly identify the causes that cause painful symptoms.

This may be the following data that the doctor will need in order to make a diagnosis and select a drug:

frequency of occurrence of unpleasant symptoms in the patient;
time of day when the patient experiences pain;
duration of a person’s pain;
the possibility of contact between the patient and sick people;
a list of all medications taken;
recent test results.

Helpful information

Headache and nausea can occur not only due to serious factors, but also due to hormonal changes in the body. They can be caused by pregnancy or menopause, internal changes due to stress, or heavy stress at work or school.

In this case, the patient should also not neglect to see a doctor, because vomiting can lead to dehydration or the onset of the development of pathologies in the baby, in case of pregnancy.

Treatment

For headaches and nausea to go away, you need to consult a doctor. He will be able to choose the right treatment.

Treatment with medications

They help cope with vascular diseases, cholesterol problems or viral infections that cause headaches due to intoxication. At home, during a severe attack, you can use medications that relieve vasospasm or painkillers, such as No-Spa, Ibuprofen, Spazmalgon. But before use, be sure to read the contraindications!

Therapeutic exercise and acupressure

Effective for problems with the spine, attacks in the cervical spine, overwork and stressful situations;

Surgical intervention

Used for serious pathologies, for example, with brain tumors or ineffective treatment with conservative means and drugs;

ethnoscience

Traditional medicine reduces unpleasant symptoms, can relieve mild migraines, eliminate nausea, and slightly reduce blood pressure, but they do not eliminate the cause of the pain; more radical drugs should be used.

Melissa is considered one of the best remedies. Pour a glass of boiling water over 3 tablespoons of dried herbs. Let it brew for about half an hour. Use 2 tablespoons every 2 hours.

Another remedy for headaches is a compress of raw cabbage leaves. You just need to apply it to your forehead.

You can also use lemon to relieve pain. Place the peeled lemon on the area of the head that is experiencing discomfort. The method looks a little strange, but is considered an effective folk remedy for eliminating the causes leading to an uncomfortable state of the body.

Other methods

In some cases, severe headaches and constant nausea can be stopped if you adjust your daily schedule, eliminating the causes of overexertion, returning normal sleep and giving up alcohol and smoking. Your doctor may recommend relaxation therapy if it will help you relax to achieve healing benefits.

There are several simple methods that will help get rid of pain and nausea that do not have a pathological origin:

open the windows slightly to allow fresh air into the room or go outside;
If you are poisoned by alcohol or toxins, you should induce vomiting and then drink clean water. After the procedure, relief will quickly come, as the body will cleanse itself of everything unnecessary;
drink sorbent substances, for example, activated carbon, Polysorb, smecta or any other substance.

Nausea in a child

What to do if your child is vomiting:

Try to calm him down.
Do not leave him while he is experiencing nausea: young children do not know what to do when vomiting and may choke on their own vomit. Therefore, there should be one of the relatives nearby who will either turn the head of the lying child to one side, or tilt him forward if vomiting develops.
Remember: vomiting is a defense mechanism; like nausea, you shouldn’t just stop it without understanding the cause. Therefore, do not try to give your baby adult pills or anti-nausea medications. It’s better to arrange a “water-tea” break, without letting the child eat for at least 2 hours, but only drinking water and tea, not very sweet, maybe with the addition of mint and chamomile (if there are no allergies to them).
If you are sure that there has been poisoning from stale food or that the child may have eaten an inedible item, give him Smecta, Polysorb or Atoxil in an age-appropriate dosage. If the child is small (up to a year), this cannot be done until intussusception has been ruled out.
You should urgently call a doctor if your child is vomiting without fever and:
the child's lethargy increases;
the vomit was green, the vomit was brown or streaked with blood;
there was vomiting “fountain” or “mouth full”;
the child smells of acetone;
there are complaints of abdominal pain, headache or dizziness;
nausea (the urge to vomit) or vomiting itself occurs in a child under one year of age;
body temperature increased;
in addition to nausea, there is diarrhea;
mushrooms were consumed the day before.

Author:

Krivega Maria Salavatovna resuscitator

When you need to see a doctor urgently

A situation where headache and nausea are combined should immediately be a reason to consult a doctor. This combination can be either a temporary, non-hazardous phenomenon for the body or the beginning of some serious disease or inflammatory process. You should call an ambulance in the following cases:

the pain does not go away for more than a day, and medications do not help relieve it;
the same symptoms appear every morning;
pain and nausea occurred after a head injury occurred;
a severe headache manifests itself abruptly, and nausea is accompanied by convulsions, loss of consciousness occurs;
when a headache occurs along with chills, fever or convulsions.

In all other cases, if vomiting does not threaten dehydration, you can wait to see a doctor or start looking for the cause of the disease by taking tests. In some situations, even after consulting a doctor and prescribing treatment, improvement may not occur, then you should contact a more specialized specialist (neurologist, surgeon, oncologist) to adjust the treatment.

Why do you feel dizzy when your blood pressure is low?

Headache and nausea with low blood pressure are not uncommon, because with hypotension there is insufficient blood flow to the brain. Oxygen starvation provokes dizziness. Fainting can occur when there is a sharp decrease in pressure, when blood stops flowing to the brain and blood vessels narrow.

This pathological process is associated with insufficient contraction of the heart muscle. At the same time, blood circulation in the arteries supplying the brain worsens.

Preventive measures

Many people are susceptible to headaches that may be accompanied by nausea, but most unpleasant symptoms can be prevented by taking just a few simple preventive measures:

control your diet, limiting the consumption of fatty, spicy, sweet and salty foods, try to adhere to the basics of proper nutrition, increasing the proportion of fruits, vegetables, herbs and juices;
limit bad habits by limiting alcohol consumption and eliminating smoking.
maintain a physical activity schedule by playing sports, walking or doing short exercises in the morning, at work during breaks;
maintain a daily routine, excluding overload, stressful situations and overwork, allowing the body to get enough sleep, rest and maintain a calm state;
Consult a doctor promptly if any unusual symptoms or discomfort appear.

Headache and nausea are fairly common symptoms that rarely cause alarm and require you to see a doctor, however, neglecting these simple feelings of discomfort can lead to a serious illness going unnoticed. Timely diagnosis and consultation with a doctor will help to avoid unpleasant consequences, and well-chosen treatment will be a step towards a complete recovery. Severe, sharp pain in the brain and nausea require an immediate call to the ambulance; in all other cases, you can collect a detailed history and consult a doctor after passing the necessary tests.