Therapy of cough headaches

In the treatment of cough headaches, the therapy of the underlying disease, if present, is always the first priority. For example, the relief of coughing during a cold or the use of special nasal sprays in the context of a sinusitis. In the specific therapy of cough headaches, it must be noted that acute therapy usually has no effect because the pain only lasts for a very short time.

The aim of the treatment is therefore the prophylaxis of cough headaches, if they occur frequently. One of the active ingredients used is indomethacin, which belongs to the same substance class as ibuprofen or ASA. With a dosage of 25mg to 150mg, the drug should be taken three times a day in order to have a sufficient prophylactic effect.

For longer use, a combination with an acid blocker (proton pump inhibitor) should be considered in order to prevent possible gastrointestinal side effects. As an alternative to indomethacin, the active substance acetazolamide can also be used. In cases of very frequent primary cough headaches that persist for a long time, a lumbar puncture can still be performed, i.e. the removal of cerebrospinal fluid to lower the intracranial pressure for a certain period of time. You will find detailed information under Indometacin.

Can it also be a brain tumor?

Since brain tumors above a certain size can lead to an increase in intracranial pressure, it is possible that these lead to the development of coughing headaches. This is especially true for space demands in the area of the posterior fossa, since these can quickly lead to a disturbance of the nerve water outflow and thus to an accumulation, which results in a further increase in pressure. However, it must be noted that brain tumors are a very rare cause of cough headache.

In addition, brain tumors are accompanied by other symptoms.Among them are the so-called cerebral pressure signs, which, in addition to headaches, are disturbances of consciousness, seizures, nausea and vomiting. In addition, neurological deficits can occur, which are manifested by dizziness, paralysis, visual and sensory disturbances, balance disorders and gait insecurity. Consequently, it is very unlikely that coughing headaches are part of a brain tumor disease. Nevertheless, in the diagnosis of primary cough headache, imaging of the skull should always be performed to rule out brain tumors or other serious diseases. A detailed explanation of the signs of brain tumors can be found in our article: Signs of a brain tumor – What you should know