Spinal Headache: Recognize Its Symptoms, Causes, and Risk Factors

by Manya Verma Health care and lifestyle

It has been observed that spinal headaches are induced in roughly 40 percent of those individuals who have undergone a spinal tap or lumbar puncture or been administered with spinal anesthesia. In either of these procedures, a puncture is done in the thick, strong membrane that encircles the spinal cord or somewhere in the lumbar, lower spine, or at the roots of the sacral nerve.

· According to the best neurologist in India, a spinal tap procedure involves the extraction of a cerebrospinal fluid sample from your spinal canal.

· Then again, while applying a spinal anesthesia, the nerves present in the lower part of your body are numbed through the injection of anesthetic medication.

· You may invite a spinal headache whenever there’s a slight leakage of the spinal fluid at the site of the tiny puncture.

· The majority of spinal headaches which are originated after a lumbar puncture heal all by their own without the need for any treatment.

· Nonetheless, when spinal headaches assume proportions of severe magnitude and continue for more than 24 hours, they call for systematic treatment as stated by the best neurosurgeon in Gurgaon.

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Symptoms

· Widely prevalent symptoms of spinal headache include the following.

o A dull, pulsing pain that changes in intensity from a state of mildness to debility

o A throbbing pain that shows worsening when you stand or sit up and diminution when you lie down

o Often, spinal headaches are tied in with the following.

o Blurry or double vision

o Dizziness

o A loss of hearing

o Nausea

o Stiffness in the neck

o Ringing sensation in the ears, a condition called tinnitus

Causes

· The cause of spinal headaches, according to a leading neuro specialist, is attributed to the outflow of spinal fluid via a hole punctured on the dura mater, the tough membrane which circumscribes the spinal cord.

· The resulting outflow is at fault in decreasing the pressure put forth by the spinal fluid on the spinal cord as well as the brain which, in turn, engenders a headache.

· By and large, spinal headaches make plain in a span of 48 hours post the ministration of spinal anesthesia or execution of a spinal tap.

· At times, epidural anesthesia may also precipitate the origin of a spinal headache.

· Even though, in this scenario the injection of epidural anesthetic is done out of the dura mater, neurologist doctors affirm that a spinal headache is always likely if the membrane is punctured by chance.

Risk factors

· Noticeable risk factors of spinal headache are likely if you:

o Are a female

o Are aged between 18 and 30

o Are living through procedures that involve the use of bigger needles or numerous punctures in the tough membrane surrounding the spinal cord

o Have a small body mass index

Inform your doctor at Paras neuro hospital, if you experience the development of a headache post the application of spinal tap or anesthesia, more than ever, if the headache becomes worse while you’re sitting or standing up.