All You Need to Know About a Vascular Headache

A Some bouts of Vascular headache treatment never arrives with a warning. Sometimes you experience it in the form of dull pain. At other times, its intensity might terrify you. Several factors play a role in the frequency of your headaches. Some of them are excess stress, lack of sleep, indigestion, and an unhealthy lifestyle devoid of physical movement.

Vascular headache is a term used for a group of different types of headaches, migraine being the most prominent of them. Interestingly, it occurs more in women than in men.

Different Types of Vascular Headaches

Given below are the different types of headaches that comprise vascular headache.

1. Migraine

2. Cluster headache

3. Exertional headache

4. Headache caused by ingesting toxic chemicals

5. Illness-related headache

All these headaches involve the swelling of blood vessels which changes their pulsation. Hence, you experience pain that is called a headache. The icd 10 code for vascular headache as per icd10data.com is G.44.1 (https://www.icd10data.com/ICD10CM/Codes/G00-G99/G40-G47/G44-/G44.1).

What are Vascular Headache Symptoms

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As we already know, migraine is one of the commonly experienced vascular headaches. There are numerous symptoms associated with its onset. They are:

1. Sudden mood swings

2. Sensitivity to sound smells, and light

3. blurred vision

4. Nausea

5. Appetite loss

6. Increasing intensity of pain

Apart from migraine, vascular headache also includes another type of headache called the cluster headache. This type of headache, which commonly occurs on only one side of the head, is one of the most painful kinds.

Symptoms of cluster headache

Cluster headaches occur with a high frequency and can last upto 3 hours, in most severe cases. They can even arrive multiple times in the course of the same day. The patients show the following symptoms.

1. Throbbing pain on any one side of the head or around one eye

2. Anxiousness

3. Redness on the eye located near the source of pain

4. Irritation in the nostrils of the affected side

5. Excessive tearing and sweating

6. Swelling of the eye

7. Sometimes sensitivity to sound and light can also be experienced

How Can Vascular Headache be Diagnosed?

stethoscope and a pen, Credit: Pixabay

Vascular headaches are diagnosed by the symptoms described above and taking into account other patient information like:

1. Timing of the headache

2. The area where the pain usually occurs

3. An explanation of the pain by the patient

4. The time period of the pain

5. The frequency with which the headache occurs

Additionally, tests like x-rays, blood tests, MRIs, and CT scans are also used to effectively diagnose the vascular headache.

How Can Vascular Headache be Treated?

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Vascular headache treatment varies according to the particular characteristics of the symptoms. Therapies and medications are usually prescribed by doctors to patients dealing with these kinds of headache. Additionally, a stress-free lifestyle along with a healthy diet, exercise routine, and adequate rest is recommended. There are various ways of vascular headache treatment. These include:

1. Biofeedback therapy, i.e, gaining greater control and awareness of bodily functions.

2. Diet modifications

3. Physical and pressure therapy

4. Cold packs and cool compress treatment

5. Medicines like ibuprofen, paracetamol, and aspirin

Migraines can be treated at home by lying down in a quiet and dark place and putting a cool compress on your forehead.

Although quite painful, a vascular headache can be managed by reaching out to a medical professional and taking their help. Moreover, the importance of a healthy diet, lifestyle, and ample rest should not be ignored.