Headache and concussion are two terms that are often discussed together. A headache can also present as a symptom in patients after a major concussion. Typically, as many as 95% of individuals with a concussion will experience a headache following their injury. Moreover, the headaches associated with concussions are generally described as tension headaches.
The key difference between headache and concussion is their cause. Headache is a pain in the head or face caused by problems with pain-sensitive structures in the head, while concussion is a complex brain injury caused by a blow to the head.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Headache
3. What is Concussion
4. Similarities – Headache and Concussion
5. Headache vs Concussion in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Headache and Concussion
7. FAQ – Headache and Concussion
What is a Headache?
Headache is a very common condition that most people will experience during their lives. It is the throbbing, constant, sharp, or dull pain in the head or face. Headaches can be caused by alcohol consumption, certain foods, consuming nicotine, changes in sleep, poor posture, physical activities like exercise, skipping meals, coughing, sneezing, and some underlying medical conditions.
Figure 01: Headache
The signs and symptoms of a headache may include a slow onset of pain, aching on both sides of the head, dull pain or a sensation of tightness around the head, pain that may extend to the back of the head or neck, and mild to moderate discomfort. These symptoms may be accompanied by fever, shortness of breath, stiff neck, rash, weakness, dizziness, sudden loss of balance, numbness or tingling, speech difficulties, mental confusion, seizures, personality changes, and vision changes.
A headache can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, neurological examination, CT scan, and MRI. Furthermore, treatment options for a headache may include stress management, biofeedback, over-the-counter pain relievers, and managing the underlying medical condition/cause.
What is a Concussion?
A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that affects the functions of the brain. The symptoms of a concussion may include headache, ringing in the ears, nausea, vomiting, fatigue or drowsiness, blurry vision, confusion, amnesia surrounding the event, and dizziness. Concussions may happen during a car crash, a fall from a bike, a collision with another player in sports events, a slip and fall accident, a blow to the head during physical altercations, or from hitting one’s head on a hard surface.
Figure 02: Concussion
A concussion can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, neurological examination, cognitive testing, and imaging tests such as CT scan and MRI. Furthermore, a concussion can be treated through physical and mental rest, returning to routine activities after improvement of the symptoms, and taking pain relievers such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, and aspirin.
Similarities Between Headache and Concussion
- Headache and concussion are two associated conditions.
- Headache is also a symptom of concussion.
- Both can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, and brain scans.
Difference Between Headache and Concussion
Definition
- Headache refers to pain in the head and face.
- Concussion refers to a brain injury that happens when the brain bounces off the inside of the skull.
Causes
- A headache can be caused by illness (sinusitis), stress, an environment that includes second-hand tobacco smoke, strong smells from household chemicals or perfumes, allergens, and certain foods and genetics.
- A concussion can be caused by a car crash, a fall from a bike, a sports collision, a slip and fall accident, a blow to the head during physical altercations, or from hitting one’s head on a hard surface.
Signs and Symptoms
- The signs and symptoms of a headache may include a slow onset of pain, aching on both sides of the head, dull pain or a sensation of tightness around the head, pain that may extend to the back of the head or neck, and mild to moderate discomfort. Additional symptoms can include fever, shortness of breath, stiff neck, rash, weakness, dizziness, sudden loss of balance, numbness or tingling, speech difficulties, mental confusion, seizures, personality changes, and vision changes.
- The signs and symptoms are confusion, clumsiness, slurred speech, nausea or vomiting, headache, dizziness, blurred vision, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to noise, sluggishness, ringing in ears, irritability, difficulty concentrating, loss memory, fatigue or sleepiness, loss of consciousness, forgetfulness, slowed response to questions, problems with sleep, depression, and problems with taste or smell.
Diagnosis
- Headaches can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, neurological examination, CT scan, or MRI.
- Concussions can be diagnosed through medical history, physical examination, testing coordination and reflexes, and CT scan or an MRI.
Treatment
- The treatment options for headaches are avoiding known triggers, changing diet habits, exercising, resting in a quiet environment, stress management, taking abortive medicine, over-the-counter, such as pain relievers, preventive medicines, and surgery in some cases.
- The treatment options for concussions are taking a break, guarding against repeated concussions, and managing pain with over-the-counter pain relievers like medications acetaminophen.
The following table summarizes the difference between headache and concussion.
Summary – Headache vs Concussion
Headache and concussion are two related medical conditions. This is because one of the most debilitating symptoms a person can experience after a concussion is post-traumatic headache. However, a headache is pain or discomfort in the head or face, while a concussion is a sudden, short-lived loss of mental function due to a blow to the head. This is the basic difference between headache and concussion.
FAQ: Headache and Concussion
1. What are the causes of headaches?
- Anything that stimulates the pain receptors in a person’s head or neck can cause a headache. These causes generally include stress, muscular tension, dental problems, infections, diet, eye problems, disorders of the ear, nose, or throat, eye problems, disorders of the nervous system, injury to the head, high blood pressure, poor posture, hangovers from alcohol or drugs, temperature, dehydration, noise, temporal arteritis, arthritis, and meningitis.
2. How do you make a headache go away?
- Treating a headache depends on its cause. Some common treatments include taking over-the-counter pain-relieving medications, relaxation techniques, such as massage, changing the diet, acupuncture or chiropractic, stress management, eliminating any medications that may be causing headaches as a side effect, taking medications that act on the arteries and managing the underlying disorder such as high blood pressure, neck problems or jaw problems.
3. What are the symptoms of a concussion?
- The symptoms of a concussion include headache, nausea or vomiting, balance problems or dizziness, double vision, light sensitivity or bothered by noise, feeling sluggish or foggy, confusion, and memory problems.
4. What are the causes of concussions?
- A concussion can be caused by a fall, sports activities, vehicular accidents (motor vehicle or bike), physical violence like assault, or other direct injury to the skull.
5. How is concussion treated?
- The treatment options for concussion include getting plenty of rest (both sleep at night and naps or rest breaks during the day if needed), avoiding certain physical activities and sports while recovering, and taking over-the-counter pain relievers.
Reference:
1. “Headache.” Johns Hopkins Medicine.
2. “How Long Does a Concussion Last?” Cleveland Clinic.
Image Courtesy:
1. “A Man Having Headache” (CC0) via Pexels.com.
2. “Concussion Anatomy” By Max Andrews – Own work. This file was derived from: Concussion mechanics.svg (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
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