You should know that the average headache will not require a family doctor's help or the neurologist. Everyone gets to experience it from time to time. However, if you are at a point in your life where the headaches have become frequent and that you're already using medication on a regular basis, then it usually means you've got something much more serious. Be reminded that when you take over-the-counter medication for ten or more days every month to combat those headaches, it means you're taking too much.

 

Obvious Signs You Need To See a Neurologist

 

Generally, non-severe headaches are easily treated by a family doctor. But then again, when it comes to a point that the recommended treatments for migraines no longer work or if there are unusual symptoms leading you to believe that your case is more serious, then what you need is the expertise of a neurologist - a doctor who specializes in the disorders of the nervous system. Click here to read more about this. The warning and obvious signs include the following:

 

1 - If you are over fifty and you've been experiencing chronic headaches

2 - If your headache comes with nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness, blurry vision, and even confusion

3 - If your headache is accompanied with a bit of loss of control on any part of your body

4 - If you speech or vision is badly affected

5 - Time and treatment aren't doing anything to improve your condition

6 - If your headache is not responding in any way to several over-the-counter treatments as well as prescription drugs

 

Overall, if you headache is already making your life harder because you can't do most of the mundane things you do, then it means you need serious help.

 

Diagnostic Tests

 

To treat chronic migraine, the neurologist will be ordering tests based on what he suspects are the cause of your headache. The process of diagnosis should include the following:

 

o Medical history - There is a need to know about your other health conditions including medications, herbal treatments, and supplements you've been using.

 

o Family history - You are to provide information about any family member who has migraines or frequent headaches, including related health diagnoses.

 

o Physical examination - The doctor will be performing a comprehensive physical examination with a focus on the upper portion of the body including the head, neck, and shoulders.

 

o Neurological examination - Meanwhile, the neurological exam will include vision, hearing, mobility, nerves, and reaction time tests.

 

o Blood tests - Blood tests may also be performed in order to rule out the likelihood of infection and other blood related health conditions in which headache is a primary symptom.

 

o Spinal fluid test - The spinal fluid test will be done if the doctor thinks that the headaches are actually a result of specific types of infection or bleeding in the brain.

 

o Imaging - This may include computed tomography (CT scans) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These two tests are able to show any changes both in

the bones and the blood vessels. They also can see if there is any presence of cysts and growths that can be the causes of your headaches.

 

o Neuroimaging - This is another form of imaging test intended to be taken during an actual headache episode to find out what's going on inside.

 

o EEG - The acronym stands for electroencephalogram. It's a test that tells your doctor if there are changes in brain wave activity. It is helpful in diagnosing conditions like seizures, brain tumors, brain swelling, and head injury.

 

In the end, be sure you immediately go to your neurologist when you feel like the family doctor can't help you anymore in managing the pain caused by your headaches. If ever you need to treat hyperhidrosis, check our site for details about it.