Introduction
It is not uncommon for people to suffer from headaches with simultaneous nausea. Although the possible causes are very varied, there is usually no more serious illness behind this combination of symptoms. Migraine is listed as the most common cause.
Those affected often report that the headaches usually start slowly at first and only when they have reached a certain strength does the nausea begin. These symptoms are often accompanied by a pronounced sensitivity to light, which is particularly the case when migraine is present. In the case of headaches, most sufferers first take painkillers such as ibuprofen, aspirin or paracetamol.
Provided that these have sufficient effect and the headache disappears, the nausea usually does so too. A distinction must be made between the combination of headaches and nausea described above and the fact that the nausea only occurs after taking a painkiller. These tablets, if taken regularly, can lead to an overacidification of the stomach, which then itself leads to a feeling of nausea and is therefore not part of the primary symptomatology.
Causes
The combination of headaches and nausea has many causes. Depending on the severity and length of the symptoms, the cause must be identified and treated. The most common cause of the combination of headaches and nausea is the classic migraine.
It is often accompanied by sensitivity to light. Headaches are described as throbbing, usually unilateral and severe to very severe. The accompanying nausea is agonizing and can often be so strong that it also leads to vomiting.
In addition to migraine, severe neurological disorders can also lead to a combination of headache and nausea. One of these is cerebral haemorrhage, which can occur either spontaneously or after an accident. Depending on which areas of the brain are affected, the nausea can be correspondingly more severe.
However, headaches are usually always present. Tension headaches can also lead to accompanying nausea. The reason why headaches are often accompanied by nausea is that the nausea controlling regions in the head can also be irritated.
Sometimes such nausea is also caused by an irritation of the meninges. In rare cases, a so-called electrolyte shift, e.g. too little sodium in the blood, can lead to a combination of headache, nausea and vomiting. A deterioration in vision, which initially goes unnoticed, can also lead to headaches, which may also be accompanied by latent nausea.
If the symptoms do not improve, an eye test should be carried out in any case. Derailment of blood pressure can also lead to a combination of headache and nausea, but may also cause dizziness. Especially with values above 170 mmHg, patients often complain about this triple combination of complaints. Headache in combination with fatigue is usually an expression of a flu-like infection. Often other symptoms such as fever, cough or rhinitis are also absent.
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