Coughing is a common health complaint among various age groups. It’s a reflex action of the respiratory system to get rid of foreign objects that travel into the nose and down to the throat. When you’re down with the flu, you will likely cough more often than usual. Unfortunately, besides throat irritation and abdominal muscle pain, coughing can also cause other problems such as headaches or migraines.
But why do some people get a headache when coughing? How are headaches and coughing connected, and what can you do to cope besides visiting a chiropractor for migraines and headaches? Learn more as we take a closer look at cough headaches.
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Doctors classify cough headaches into two types – primary or secondary. Most of the time, the primary type affects people in theirs 40s to 50s and causes discomfort for up to 30 minutes. You can quickly distinguish it by spotting the following:
On the one hand, if you have a secondary cough headache, you will notice more severe pain. The episodes can also last longer than a few hours and extend for up to several weeks. You might also experience the following:
Studies explain that primary headaches rarely leave a lingering impact on the body, while secondary cough headaches cause severe discomfort. Additionally, a primary headache when coughing develops because of the pressure applied to your muscles. The amount of force needed to expel foreign bodies or contaminants can strain the abdomen, chest, shoulders, and neck and leave you at risk of experiencing aching in your head.
In contrast, secondary headaches usually get triggered by underlying health problems such as Chiari type 1 malformation, cervical subluxation, brain aneurysm, brainstem tumor, and skull abnormalities. The congestion that results from the underlying causes leads to the onset of headaches.
Naturally, getting rid of cough headaches entails eliminating the root cause of your coughing problem. It would help to seek your doctor’s assistance to determine whether you have a primary or secondary type of headache. You may need to undergo diagnostic procedures like an MRI scan, CT scan, or magnetic resonance angiography to check for skull abnormalities that may be the reason behind your pain. You can also visit a chiropractor for migraines and headaches to determine if a neck misalignment is causing your cough headaches.
If the diagnostic finding reveals that you have primary headaches, you can try the following remedies:
On the one hand, if your doctor tells you that you have a secondary cough headache, here are some remedies you can use depending on the underlying condition:
It’s not fun to experience cough headaches, especially if it happens frequently. It can leave you frustrated and anxious because you constantly anticipate an episode of pain and discomfort. The episodes can also make you vulnerable to other health problems like migraine attacks, a highly debilitating condition that can leave a severe and lasting impact on your life, work, and relationships.
Thankfully, you can potentially get rid of your symptom by seeking an upper cervical doctor. Whether you have a primary or secondary cough headache, upper cervical chiropractic presents as an excellent option because it’s natural and holistic.
It comes in extra handy in boosting your ability to heal naturally because it eliminates signal interferences between the brain and various body parts.
Thousands of ailing patients have found hope, healing, and recovery after getting their C1 and C2 bone positions corrected. Some have even managed to improve their migraine symptoms because they no longer experience frequent or severe headaches.
So, if you want to eliminate problems such as having a headache when coughing, we strongly recommend talking to an upper cervical chiropractic practitioner. It would help to get your neck bones checked for misalignment so you can determine if the adjustments can help you cope with your symptoms better.
Locate a nearby practice and book your initial upper cervical consultation today!
TV show host Montel Williams describes how specific chiropractic care has helped his body.
The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present.