Dr Zoe shares the red-flag warning signs your headache is serious – and needs medical attention

Scottish Sun

6 days ago

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WITH the holidays upon us, it can be a challenging time for parents to juggle the stresses of work and childcare while trying to keep the family active and healthy.
Physical activity is essential for children, not just for their health but for their development, happiness and self-esteem.
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Sun columnist Dr Zoe answers your health concerns
Credit: Olivia West
Recent data shows that 53 per cent of children are not getting the 60 minutes of physical activity they need per day to be healthy.
Joe Wicks's latest initiative is fantastic.
It's called 'Activate' and it is a fun, accessible new animated series, backed by the Government, to help address childhood inactivity.
Each five-minute episode offers bursts of energy, fun and movement that can be enjoyed at home or on the go.
View it free on YouTube Kids.
One of the best ways to inspire children to be active, now and in the future, is to be active yourself.
We are children's most important role models.
Here is a selection of what readers have asked this week . . .
Mum dies after going to A&E with a 'sudden headache'
IS HEAD PAIN CANCER?
Q: I HAVE been getting severe headaches for a few months now.
My doctor prescribed codeine, but even that does not help.
If l press the back of my neck and my temples, it alleviates the pain for a while.
Please can you advise me what to do as l am very worried?
A: Tension headaches, the most common type of headache, often involve pain or pressure in the temples, forehead or back of the neck.
Applying pressure to these areas can sometimes help and the best painkillers for tension headaches are paracetamol, aspirin or ibuprofen.
Activities to help you relax, such as exercise, yoga and massage, can be beneficial.
Stress, dehydration, lack of sleep, poor posture and eye strain can cause tension headaches, too.
Another possible cause that can be alleviated with pressure is cervicogenic headaches, which originate from issues in the cervical spine (neck), such as arthritis or muscle tension.
Pain starts in the neck and spreads to the head, often worsening with certain neck movements.
It could be that you are performing 'acupressure' while pressing your neck and temples.
Acupressure works by applying pressure to specific points on the body, to relieve pain, muscle tension and promote wellbeing.
It's a manual therapy technique rooted in Chinese medicine, similar to acupuncture but without needles.
So even if the pain in your head isn't directly linked to these sites, pressing can help, as you have found.
In people over the age of 50 who develop severe headaches, pain or tenderness at the temples, sometimes with scalp tenderness or jaw pain when chewing, we must rule out an inflammatory condition called temporal arteritis, which can lead to vision loss or stroke if untreated.
Another red flag is 'thunderclap' headaches, which are sudden onset and severe, reaching maximum intensity within five minutes, and which can indicate a bleed within the brain.
Other symptoms that cause concern include headaches accompanied by fever, stiff neck or confusion (suggesting meningitis); headaches with neurological symptoms like vision changes or weakness; headaches after head trauma; and headaches that progressively worsen or don't respond to treatment.
Sick of feeling always off balance
Q: ABOUT two years ago I suffered a bout of blurred vision and sickness.
I was diagnosed with vertigo before being told I had vestibular neuritis which, owing to damage it had done to the nerves in my ear, could not be cured.
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Dr Zoe helps a reader who has vestibular neuritis
Credit: Getty
I've been told I would have this for life.
Is there any way I could be cured of this and be able to walk without fear of falling over?
It is ruining my life.
A: I'm sorry to hear how much this diagnosis has impacted your quality of life.
Long-term dizziness and instability from vestibular neuritis can be deeply distressing but it's important to know there are still options that may help you regain stability – many people see significant improvement even if the condition is described as 'incurable'.
Vestibular neuritis means inflammation of the vestibular nerve.
This is the nerve that takes messages from the balance organ within the inner ear to the brain.
It's most commonly caused by a viral infection of the nerve.
It tends to cause sudden and severe dizziness, nausea and issues with balance for a week or two. In most cases, things resolve fully after two to three months, but in a small number of cases, such as yours, symptoms persist.
There's currently no way to reverse permanent nerve damage in the vestibular system.
However, it's not inevitable for symptoms to persist for life.
Many people achieve substantial recovery of their balance and reduction of dizziness through specialised therapies even years after their initial illness.
You could ask to be referred for vestibular rehabilitation therapy.
This treatment uses physical and occupational therapy techniques to treat vertigo and balance disorders, designed to help your brain 'recalibrate' to the changed signals from your balance system.
Chronic dizziness can also take a toll on your mental health, so seeking talking therapy might also help your recovery.
TIP OF THE WEEK
WHEN lifting something, particularly if it is big, heavy or from floor level, always remember the mantra: 'Legs, not back'.
Bend your knees and keep your back straight while you use your leg muscles to raise the weight.
This may help to prevent back injury.
WEEKEND WARRIOR WIN
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Exercising only at the weekend can be enough to slash your risk of dying young
Credit: Getty
EXERCISING only at the weekend can be enough to slash your risk of dying young, a study found.
Researchers at Harvard University, USA, said 'weekend warriors' with diabetes get as much benefit as people who work out every day.
Cramming physical activity into Saturday and Sunday is common as many of us struggle to make time in our daily lives.
It might seem like less exercise but a study showed the heart benefits can be just as great.
Data from 52,000 Americans with diabetes showed that weekend warriors had a 21 per cent lower risk of dying young compared to those who didn't exercise.
Their risk of dying from heart disease was 33 per cent lower, study authors wrote in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.
The key was simply to hit the NHS target of at least two and a half hours of moderate activity over the two days.
Commenting on the study, Professor Ronald Sigal of the University of Calgary, said: 'Regular physical activity is recommended for most people with or without diabetes.
'On the whole, these findings are encouraging.
'They provide evidence that protective effects of physical activity against cardiovascular and overall mortality could be achieved through one or two weekly physical activity sessions.'
Sport England figures show adults trying to get fit is on the rise, with 30million people – 64 per cent of adults – hitting the NHS exercise target last year.
CALL TO HAVE HPV JAB
HUNDREDS of thousands of young adults will be contacted by the NHS in an HPV vaccine catch-up campaign.
The jab is given at schools and is targeting the elimination of cervical cancer in the UK in the next 15 years.
More than 418,000 people have left school unvaccinated in the past three years and many more people under the age of 26 are unprotected.
NHS England is contacting young adults who have not had the vaccine to prevent infection with the sexually transmitted HPV virus.
Many strains are harmless but a few cause cervical cancer, and cancers of the mouth, throat, penis, vagina and anus.
The NHS wants to use the one-dose vaccine to wipe out cervical cancer in England by 2040.
Dr Amanda Doyle at NHS England said: 'This vaccine is hugely important but it isn't just for girls and women.
"It's also vital for boys and men to get vaccinated to protect themselves against cancers of the mouth, throat or genitals, while preventing spreading the HPV infection to partners.
'Encouraging progress has been made but we know there is much more to do.'
Public health minister Ashley Dalton added: 'If you missed your vaccination at school, it's not too late to get vaccinated.
'Don't hesitate to make an appointment with your GP – one jab could save your life.'
Eligible patients should get a letter, email, text or NHS app notification.
Patients can call their GP practice if they think they need any vaccinations.
Q: I AM a pensioner and I need an RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] vaccine.
I have had this illness twice, last time I lost 2st.
I have begged my doctor for the jab but they say I can't have it because they have a limit on the people they can give it to – and at 83 years old, I am outside their limit.
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Dr Zoe helps a reader who needs the RSV [respiratory syncytial virus] vaccine
Credit: Getty
I was born with cysts on my lungs, I have COPD, asthma, bronchiectasis and am having tests for a lump on my lung.
I asked the lung specialist for help but my GP still refuses.
A: Thank you for writing in and I hear your frustrations.
Unfortunately, I cannot give you the news that you want to hear but I can at least explain why your GP is not allowed to give you the RSV vaccine.
RSV is a common cause of coughs and colds, which usually get better by themselves, but can sometimes be serious for babies and older adults.
In September 2024, the NHS introduced an RSV vaccine programme, which is currently only offered to people aged 75 to 79 (or for those who turned 80 after September 1, 2024, who are eligible until August 31, 2025).
So you are not eligible to receive the RSV vaccine on the NHS and it is not down to your GP's choice or discretion, unfortunately.
Your NHS respiratory doctor cannot override this either, as the age-based rules do not currently allow for clinical discretion or prioritisation based on chronic illness alone.
The decision to limit the programme to those under 80 comes from clinical trial evidence and national guidelines, as studies did not provide enough data on vaccine effectiveness and safety in the 80+ age group.
The eligibility criteria may change in the future, depending on new evidence or updates to UK vaccination policy.
If you still wish to be vaccinated, it may be possible to access the vaccine privately.
Or, you can discuss other RSV preventive measures with your GP.
I'm sorry it's not the answer you wanted, but hopefully understanding that it is out of your GP's hands will alleviate some of your frustration, and help you to maintain a good, trusted, doctor-patient relationship.
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