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What Causes Headache And Neck Pain After A Broken Blood Vessel In Neck?
Question: My dad had a vein in his neck that burst. Neurologist said either it got pinched or didnt grow with birth. I have the same headaches. Can i have the same thing?
For many years my dad was suffering with neck pain and headaches. Just a few years ago he had a stroke. Theres 2 veins in the spine that go to the brain. One of them snapped. Doc/neurologist said either it didnt grow since birth or it got pinched. Luckly enough being 2 veins, after one snapped the other took over blood flow. Doc said left vein is for right brain. Right is for left brain. Vein is still severed and sealed in his neck. He said his neck pain was felt in the tendin running from the back of his head down to his shoulder blade. Latley i have been feeling the same type if neck pain and headaches as he had. Im really worried could i have been from him. Could it be hereditary? Doctors told him theres no cure because the veins are in the spine .
For many years my dad was suffering with neck pain and headaches. Just a few years ago he had a stroke. Theres 2 veins in the spine that go to the brain. One of them snapped. Doc/neurologist said either it didnt grow since birth or it got pinched. Luckly enough being 2 veins, after one snapped the other took over blood flow. Doc said left vein is for right brain. Right is for left brain. Vein is still severed and sealed in his neck. He said his neck pain was felt in the tendin running from the back of his head down to his shoulder blade. Latley i have been feeling the same type if neck pain and headaches as he had. Im really worried could i have been from him. Could it be hereditary? Doctors told him theres no cure because the veins are in the spine .
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
I must say that your history is not very clear and I am not sure that you have been explained things or understood them correctly. I do not think it was a vein causing your father's stroke, it was an artery. There are 4 arteries bringing blood to the brain, 2 carotid arteries for the anterior part (one on each side, right and left) and 2 vertebral arteries for the posterior part of the brain (which in the skull join in a single artery, the basilar artery). Also left vessel for right brain and vice versa is not correct, the right carotid is for the right side of brain an the the left carotid for left side. What your doctor must have meant is that damage to the left side of the brain manifests with symptoms in the right side of the body and vice versa.
Now to judge what happened to your father is not easy. The doctor saying the artery may have not developed since birth or it got "pinched" means that they are not sure what happened at all as the two things have different causes and meaning.
A closed artery during life may have been due to an atherosclerotic plaque or due to a dissection. If due to an atherosclerotic plaque then it has nothing to do with the preceding head and neck pain, it causes symptoms only when it leads to stroke, the neck and head pain were a coincidence, due to other factors (tension type headache for example).
Dissection on the other hand is a tear in the wall in the artery, perhaps that was what you mean by pinching. It can manifest with pain in the head and neck. However usually those are acute, of an abrupt onset and after an initiating event such as a trauma. So there still is the possibility that the previous chronic pain in head and neck were not related.
Whether it is possible for you to be having the same thing....if a dissection, it often is in the setting of a genetic issue with connective tissue which makes your arteries more fragile, so a predisposition may be inherited. However I would consider that unlikely because as I said it is an acute abrupt event, not long standing chronic pain. If symptoms persist a head and neck MRI may be scheduled and till then you may take some aspirin which offers protection in preventing stroke. But I do not think it to be likely as I said, adding it more as a precaution because of the few info I have on your father's case. If you may add some reports or more precise medical information about your father's stroke, might be helpful.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
I must say that your history is not very clear and I am not sure that you have been explained things or understood them correctly. I do not think it was a vein causing your father's stroke, it was an artery. There are 4 arteries bringing blood to the brain, 2 carotid arteries for the anterior part (one on each side, right and left) and 2 vertebral arteries for the posterior part of the brain (which in the skull join in a single artery, the basilar artery). Also left vessel for right brain and vice versa is not correct, the right carotid is for the right side of brain an the the left carotid for left side. What your doctor must have meant is that damage to the left side of the brain manifests with symptoms in the right side of the body and vice versa.
Now to judge what happened to your father is not easy. The doctor saying the artery may have not developed since birth or it got "pinched" means that they are not sure what happened at all as the two things have different causes and meaning.
A closed artery during life may have been due to an atherosclerotic plaque or due to a dissection. If due to an atherosclerotic plaque then it has nothing to do with the preceding head and neck pain, it causes symptoms only when it leads to stroke, the neck and head pain were a coincidence, due to other factors (tension type headache for example).
Dissection on the other hand is a tear in the wall in the artery, perhaps that was what you mean by pinching. It can manifest with pain in the head and neck. However usually those are acute, of an abrupt onset and after an initiating event such as a trauma. So there still is the possibility that the previous chronic pain in head and neck were not related.
Whether it is possible for you to be having the same thing....if a dissection, it often is in the setting of a genetic issue with connective tissue which makes your arteries more fragile, so a predisposition may be inherited. However I would consider that unlikely because as I said it is an acute abrupt event, not long standing chronic pain. If symptoms persist a head and neck MRI may be scheduled and till then you may take some aspirin which offers protection in preventing stroke. But I do not think it to be likely as I said, adding it more as a precaution because of the few info I have on your father's case. If you may add some reports or more precise medical information about your father's stroke, might be helpful.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I apoligose for lack of detail. At best of my knowledge what i know is since his 20's he been having neck pain and headaches. Proceeded to his late 40s when he had the stroke. Just before the stroke happened his symptoms were as follows. Neck pain on one side only but fluctuated from right and left side. Headaches, vision problems, sometimes muscle spasims in face or jaw. Sometimes swelling in face. Then one day his stroke happened. He was able to call ambulance himself. They thought he was drunk cuz a stroke victem shouldnt have been able to function like he did. After XXXXXXX test was done. It showed a severd vein or artery in his spine. Im not sure what they are called. His neurologist brought his students in to observe this cuz he couldnt believe how well dad could function. He still had to basically learn how to walk again. They told him one of the 2 veins or arterys had severed and sealed inself. They said the left was for right brain. And right for left brain. The reason he recovered so well is that the "line" which wasnt severed had taken over blood flow. Maybe these doctors just werent sure and were wrong. Ly concern is that i feel the same pain in my neck. But a cpuple advil always takes care of it. But i can push on my neck where my headaches start and its tender. Headaches usually only happen in the evenig after i have been at work for at least 8 hours. Alcohol sets its off usually the next morning. My dad couldnt drink cuz it was cause flare ups. I been getting these headaches for about 7 years now. But through the years it was like once a month maybe less. Now, its like every day. Very minimal headache pain, just enpugh to notice a bit of neck pain and a small bit of a headache. Usually behind the eyes. I have been a heavy equipment operator for 11 years which is hard on the neck,back,and spine. I relally hope its not serious and just maybe tension or misaligned vertebrae. I cant see how my father could have passed somethig like this onto me .
Brief Answer:
Chronic headache doesn't look related to stroke
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information.
Reading at your description on your father's history a dissection looks indeed to have been the most likely cause for his stroke. But it reinforces what I said that the chronic headaches he had since his 20s were related to that. As I said a stroke is an acute event, you do not have headache for 20 years prior to the stroke. It is a case of a primary headache like migraine or tension type headache, both very common, most of us experience some tension type headache at one time or the other, some of us more often. The dissection and stroke in his late 40s are not directly related.
The same applies to your headaches as well, are not related to any condition leading to stroke. From the description of them starting in the evening after a long days work, most probable cause looks either tension type headache or cervicogenic headache (related to arthritic changes in the neck vertebrae). One other cause to be excluded is also high blood pressure, some measurements during these headache episodes are recommended to exclude that.
I hope to have been of help.
Chronic headache doesn't look related to stroke
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information.
Reading at your description on your father's history a dissection looks indeed to have been the most likely cause for his stroke. But it reinforces what I said that the chronic headaches he had since his 20s were related to that. As I said a stroke is an acute event, you do not have headache for 20 years prior to the stroke. It is a case of a primary headache like migraine or tension type headache, both very common, most of us experience some tension type headache at one time or the other, some of us more often. The dissection and stroke in his late 40s are not directly related.
The same applies to your headaches as well, are not related to any condition leading to stroke. From the description of them starting in the evening after a long days work, most probable cause looks either tension type headache or cervicogenic headache (related to arthritic changes in the neck vertebrae). One other cause to be excluded is also high blood pressure, some measurements during these headache episodes are recommended to exclude that.
I hope to have been of help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I assume you are asking about aspirin because I mentioned it before? No, after you provided more information I am really confident you do not have a stroke, so I do not think it necessary, as I said I mentioned it more as a precaution.
As for Advil, occasionally taking it won't hurt, even for some weeks. But taking it for months and years in a row is not preferable (not because of liver, but predispose to ulcers, high blood pressure and kidney damage). The cause of the headache should be addressed.
If tension type headache then relaxation exercises, activities like yoga may help. If daily treatment is needed amitriptyline is preferable in order to prevent pain episodes.
If more related to the vertebral column (an x-ray or MRI may be done to confirm), then physical therapy to strengthen the muscle supportive system is advised. Also if possible taking 5-10 minutes pauses during your work may help the spine.
Wishing you good health
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
I assume you are asking about aspirin because I mentioned it before? No, after you provided more information I am really confident you do not have a stroke, so I do not think it necessary, as I said I mentioned it more as a precaution.
As for Advil, occasionally taking it won't hurt, even for some weeks. But taking it for months and years in a row is not preferable (not because of liver, but predispose to ulcers, high blood pressure and kidney damage). The cause of the headache should be addressed.
If tension type headache then relaxation exercises, activities like yoga may help. If daily treatment is needed amitriptyline is preferable in order to prevent pain episodes.
If more related to the vertebral column (an x-ray or MRI may be done to confirm), then physical therapy to strengthen the muscle supportive system is advised. Also if possible taking 5-10 minutes pauses during your work may help the spine.
Wishing you good health
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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