The Causes of Headaches & Nausea
Almost everyone will get a headache at some point in their lives, but a headache coupled with nausea or other debilitating symptoms should not be ignored. Although medical science still can't explain all of the causes of headache with nausea, they are usually symptoms of a serious health condition or brain injury.
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History
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Ancient civilizations believed that headaches and nausea were the results of evil spirits or punishment from the gods for bad behavior. Human skulls that are 9,000 years old have been found with tiny holes in the skull, which is thought to have been from trepanning or drilling a hole in the skull so that the evil spirit of headache would be released. In ancient Mesopotamia, all headaches were thought to be caused by the evil spirit Ti'u.
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Temporary Conditions
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Severe headache and nausea can be warning signs from the body that something is seriously wrong. These symptoms are common in dehydration, where the body needs more water; altitude sickness, where the body cannot adjust to the thin atmosphere; and carbon monoxide poisoning. Severe headache and nausea can also be bad side effects from taking a new medication.
Chronic Conditions
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Many chronic conditions will cause bad headaches to the point where a person is nauseous. These include inner ear conditions, cancer, migraines and cluster headaches. According to "Migraines For Dummies," migraines can be triggered from several chronic medical conditions such as depression, high blood pressure, diabetes and epilepsy.
Misconception
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Many people who suffer from a blow to the head (concussion) do not go to the emergency room. According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms of a brain injury or skull fracture may not develop immediately after the blow, but can appear days afterwards. Other symptoms of brain or skull injuries include confusion, dizziness, ringing in the ears and amnesia.
Warning
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If a headache and nausea lasts for 72 consecutive hours, call an ambulance. If the headache and nausea is accompanied by vision problems, this could be glaucoma. If the accompanying symptoms are stiff neck, high fever and/or skin rash, this could be meningitis. If the headache is the worst you ever had in your life and is getting worse instead of better, this could be a brain aneurysm. If any of these symptoms occur, seek emergency medical attention. Also call an ambulance if the headache and nausea is accompanied by problems speaking, numbness in part of the body and coordination problems. This could be a stroke.
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