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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Friday, May 24, 2013
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NetWellness is a global, community service providing quality, unbiased health information from our partner university faculty. NetWellness is commercial-free and does not accept advertising.
Friday, May 24, 2013
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Anesthesia |
Headache after epidural07/17/2007 |
I recently had a spinal epidural during childbirth and am now having severe headaches. The difference is the headache began about a week ago and my child is 5 weeks old. I realize this is an extended period of time. Is there a possible relation?
Most post-dural puncture headaches (PDPH) - the official name for a spinal headache - occur with a few hours to days after a recognized dural puncture. A dural puncture is when the needle penetrate the dura - the membrane containing the spinal fluid, nerves and spinal cord. Your headache is unlikely to be due to PDPH because its onset a month later is so far from when the epidural was performed. Another factor is that, unless you have forgotten to mention it, there was no obvious dural puncture - in most case when this occurs, the doctor is aware that the needle has made a hole in the dura.There are many cause for severe headache, and quite a few of these can have very serious consequences. Unless these headaches conform to a previous pattern with a known, benign cause, like tension headache or migraine, you should definitely seek immediate medical attention.
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Gareth S Kantor, MD Assistant Professor of Anesthesiology School of Medicine Case Western Reserve University |
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