There is hardly a person who is not aware of headache, the unpleasant, distressing, and sometimes intolerable sensation. Headache is a common ailment, but the ways it is manifested are many and varied. Many times there are secondary causes that can provoke headache. For example there are people who may say their head hurts when they cough. It usually is a problem associated with dry hacking cough or chronic cough.
Actually continuous coughing can tense the muscles of forehead, chest and neck. It also creates pressure inside the cranium that consequently manifests into pain in head.
Most cases of headache as a result of coughing are benign and develop suddenly. Physicians call this type of headache as primary cough headache. It begins soon after few bouts of cough. Headache developing due to coughing, sneezing or crying and laughing do not last for a long time. Patient may complain of headache for few minutes. However, the pain can be intense.
Patient may complain of sharp and stabbing pain all over the head or may feel bursting headache as if everything from the head will push out.
Secondary cough headache are more serious than primary headaches. They usually occur when there is deformity in skull bone or when there is associated pathology in the brain such as a tumor etc. Patient may have associated dizziness, and feeling of unsteadiness. Such types of headache can last for a period of time.
What Makes My Head Hurt When I Cough?
Persistent cough can cause strain on many muscles, including the muscles of chest, neck, forehead and even scalp. Constant strain and pull can reduce the blood circulation in this muscles which may cause pain.
- Often smokers cough can cause headache. Smokers suffer from chronic bronchitis and they frequently cough.
- Allergy to pollen, dust, mites, and fumes can lead to irritation in the throat. It leads to dry recurrent cough.
- People suffering from asthma are susceptible to suffer from strained neck and scalp muscles.
- Many patients are known to suffer from irritation in the throat during dry cold weather. This may lead to cough.
- An inflamed pharynx and larynx can cause cough. It may occur due to viral or bacterial infection, straining of voice box and pollution.
- Sinusitis is also one of the reasons that may cause intracranial pressure which may lead to headache for a short duration.
Home Remedies For Headache Due To Cough
Headache is secondary to cough. Thus the main aim is to cure underlying cough. Once a person is relieved of cough, headache will automatically subside. There are many home remedies that may be effective in dealing with cough.
- Make powder of few grains of cardamom. Mix it well with one teaspoon of honey. Consume it once in morning and once at night. It helps to relieve dry cough.
- Suck a cut lemon that is filled with salt and black pepper powder. It is effective and time tested remedy to cure cough as well as headache triggered due to dry coughing.
- Dry grapes are beneficial for relieving cough. Eat few grapes that are soaked overnight. A mixture of honey and grapes provide relief in dry cough.
- Irritation in larynx and pharynx is relieved by salt water gargling. Frequent gargling few times in a day can help to relieve cough caused due to allergy.
Treatment of secondary cough headache may be different. As this is may be caused due to intracranial pressure generated from structural anomaly or a tumor or brain pathology, conventional medicines and surgery may be necessary.