Headache with sleepiness or unsteadiness
Extreme sleepiness or unsteadiness with a severe headache may indicate a serious illness. Other symptoms of a serious illness may include:
- Abnormally deep sleep, difficulty waking, or extreme sleepiness.
- Blurred or double vision.
- Confusion or not acting normal. Ask the person his or her name, address, age, the date, where he or she is, and who is president.
- Difficulty speaking or slurred speech.
- Stiff neck that is getting worse or not improving after the first 4 hours.
- Symptoms that affect one side of the body more than the other side, such as numbness, weakness, or difficulty moving.
A decreased level of consciousness with a severe headache may signal a life-threatening problem caused by bleeding, injury, swelling within or around the brain, or by infection, such as meningitis or encephalitis. Level of consciousness can deteriorate suddenly or gradually. This change can be permanent or temporary.
A severe headache with a change in level of consciousness is a medical emergency. Call911or other emergency services immediately.
| Author: | Sydney Youngerman-Cole, RN, BSN, RNC | Last Updated: July 12, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine | |
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