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HYPERTENSIVE
HEADACHE VERSUS
HYPNIC HEADACHE
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Another cause of a waking headache that eases after
being up and about is sleep apnea. This is thought to
be caused by low blood oxygen and retention of carbon
dioxide. Hypnic headache is another headache that comes
on in the early morning hours and tends to last for two to
three hours. Its cause is unknown and it generally remits
after a while, but may require preventive medication. It is
not caused by any underlying illness.
Certainly your blood pressure needs to be brought
under control. If the headaches persist, then other possible causes should be investigated.
For about six months I have been waking up with
what are, for me, unusual headaches—at the
front of my head above my eyes. They start in
the very early morning between 1 am and 3 am
and are still there when I wake up at 7 am. This
happens every day without fail. The headaches
Robert Kaniecki, MD
The Headache Center
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
disappear about an hour after waking. I also have
lightheadedness and some blurred vision.
Two weeks ago my doctor diagnosed high blood
pressure (220/114). He put me on amlodipine. My
HEADACHES FOR 18
YEARS–AND NO RELIEF
lightheadedness has nearly disappeared, but I
still get the headaches even though my blood
pressure is now down to 145/79. Do you think
I started having migraines while pregnant with
these headaches are still linked to hypertension
my third child, when I was 37. The pain is lo-
or are they something more sinister? – Jenn A.
cated at the left temple and over my left eye.
The pattern of your “waking” headaches is typical of
hypertensive headache. Usually the diastolic (lower) reading is over 120 in a true hypertensive headache. The fact
that you not only had severe hypertension, but blurred
vision, makes me think that your pressure may actually
have been even higher at times.
Sometimes it feels like the side of my face is
kind of numb and sometimes my teeth hurt.
headaches although a sinus series x-ray showed
everything normal. I took Benadryl® for sinus
www.headaches.org
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National Headache Foundation
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6/2/14 8:10 PM