Headache is a very common ailment - it can appear due to stress, infection, too high blood pressure, it is also a symptom of migraine. Headache is also one of the symptoms of COVID-19. It may appear at the beginning of the disease - before the onset of symptoms such as fever, cough or muscle pain - or in its next symptomatic phase. How do I know if a headache is a symptom of COVID-19 and how to relieve it?
Headache , next to fever, cough, muscle pain and fatigue, as well as respiratory problems, one of the symptoms that may indicate SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection. It is one of the rarer symptoms of COVID-19, but at the same time - as research shows - it is the most common neurological symptom associated with COVID-19.
Currently available analyzes show that COVID-19 headache occurs in approximately 10-11% of people. people infected with the coronavirus, more often in men than in women. It is also often accompanied by a lack of smell and taste, as well as gastrointestinal discomfort.
Why does my head hurt with COVID-19?
So far, the mechanisms that lead to COVID-19 headaches are not well understood. One of the most likely causes is a direct attack by the virus on the trigeminal nerve endings in the nose or mouth, which researchers believe would also explain the loss of smell and taste.
Headache with COVID-19 - how to recognize it?
How do you know if your head hurts due to COVID-19 ? People who have had a coronavirus infection with an accompanying headache describe this pain as extremely severe. It hurts not only the forehead or temples, but the whole head, where strong pressure is felt. In clinical trials, this pain is described as having an acute onset that is different from headache episodes to date.
Characteristically, the headache of COVID-19 is usually different from that of migraine: unlike it, it is not pulsating but constant pain, and in most cases it is not accompanied by sensitivity to light or sound or nausea.
The fact that the headache may be related to the coronavirus infection can be recognized by the fact that:
- is strong and doesn't feel like painfelt so far
- covers the whole head
- intensifies during movement, especially when tilting the head
- it does not disappear completely after taking painkillers, but it goes away partially for a few hours and then comes back with a similar intensity.
How long does a COVID-19 headache last and when does it go away?This - as shown by the observations so far - is an individual matter. In many people, it lasts several hours to several days (from observations carried out on a group of 262 participants, a headache lasting more than 72 hours was reported by 10.3%), but there are also people whose headache lasts for the entire duration of the disease and lasts even for a period of time. a few more months.
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