What may increase your risk for a problem from a headache?
Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your doctor.
Conditions
- Age older than 60
- A history of a brain tumor
- A history of physical or sexual abuse
- A personal or family history of depression or anxiety attacks
- Pregnancy
- Previous brain surgery
- Previous surgery to remove the spleen
- Travel to an altitude higher than 5000 ft (1500 m)
- Family or personal history of a brain aneurysm
Lifestyle choices
- Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
- Excessive caffeine use or caffeine withdrawal
- Drug abuse or withdrawal
- Smoking or other tobacco use
Medicines
- Birth control pills (oral contraceptive)
- Blood-thinning medicines, such as warfarin, heparin, or aspirin
- Cardiac medicines, such as nitroglycerin
- Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
- Hormone therapy, such as estrogen or progestin
- Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection
- Medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
- Radiation therapy
Diseases
- Anemia
- Arthritis
- Brain tumor
- Cancer
- Diabetes
- Fibromyalgia
- Glaucoma
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
- High cholesterol
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
- Hyperparathyroidism
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypothyroidism
- Kidney disease
- Liver disease
- Lupus
- Lyme disease
- Mental health problems, such as anxiety disorders or depression
- Seizure disorder
- Sinus disease
- Sleep apnea
- Stroke
- Giant cell arteritis
- Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS | Last Updated: July 9, 2008 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine | |
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