What you need to know about persistent and worsening headaches

If you got into a car accident and hit your head, you probably have a headache. Developing a headache is common after you experience a head injury. According to WebMD, most headaches usually go away within four weeks of the initial injury.

However, headaches may sometimes be persistent and get worse. Learn some important information regarding headaches after a brain injury, and remember to consult your doctor about any of your symptoms.

Headache classifications

Your headache likely falls into one of these three categories:

1. Mild: You know you have a mild headache if you are able to resolve it with over-the-counter pain medication, home treatment and rest.
2. Moderate: Your headache might be moderate if it never truly goes away. You might experience minimal relief from medicine, treatment at home and resting.
3. Severe: If your headache is debilitating and you do not get any relief from medication, rest or home treatments, it might be considered severe.

If you feel like your headache is moderate or severe, keep reading.

Persistent and worsening headaches

Sometimes, your headache does just not go away at all, and it may even get worse. This is often caused by bleeding or swelling around or within your brain. When this happens, symptoms may not be present or get worse for days or works after your accident. This is because blood clots take time to form. When a blood clot gets worse, it increases pressure within your skull, which causes a headache.

Other symptoms

If you have a continuous and increasingly serious headache, you might also experience these other symptoms:

• Drowsiness
• Confusion
• Personality changes
• Nausea
• Difficulty speaking
• Numbness in your arms or legs

Do not wait to get medical attention if you are dealing with any of these symptoms. Your doctor might need to order a CT scan or MRI to diagnose your injury. You might have suffered a concussion or traumatic brain injury.