Content
Post-spinal headache, also known as post-spinal anesthesia headache, is a type of headache that appears a few hours or days after the administration of the anesthetic and can disappear spontaneously in up to 2 weeks. In this type of headache, the pain is more intense when the person is standing or sitting and improves soon after the person lies down.
Despite being uncomfortable, post-spinal headache is considered a complication due to the technique used in the procedure, being reported by some people who have undergone this type of anesthesia, and passes after a few weeks of supportive treatment, with the use of remedies that help relieve pain faster.
Main symptoms
The main symptom of post-spinal headache is, in fact, headache, which can appear up to 5 days after the administration of anesthesia, being more common to appear after about 24 to 48 hours. The headache usually affects the frontal and occipital region, which corresponds to the back of the head, and can also extend to the cervical region and the shoulders.
This type of headache usually worsens when the person sits or stands and improves when lying down and may be accompanied by other symptoms such as stiff neck, nausea, increased sensitivity to light, the appearance of tinnitus and decreased hearing.
Causes of post-spinal headache
The cause that leads to headache after spinal anesthesia is still not very clear, however they have been explained according to theories, the main one being that at the moment the puncture is made at the place where the anesthesia is performed. applied, CSF extravasates, the CSF, decreasing the pressure at the site and promoting a deviation in brain structures related to pain sensitivity, resulting in headache, in addition to the fact that CSF loss is greater than its production, with imbalance.
In addition, some studies report that there are some factors that may favor the development of post-spinal headache, such as the use of large-gauge needles, repeated attempts at anesthesia, the person's age and gender, degree of hydration, leakage of a large amount of CSF at the time of puncture and pregnancy.
How the treatment is done
The headache after spinal anesthesia usually goes away after a few weeks, however it is recommended that the person drink plenty of fluids to help relieve it faster. In addition, the use of remedies that help relieve headache and other associated symptoms may be recommended.
When hydration and the use of medications indicated by the doctor are not enough, epidural blood packing, also known as blood patch. In this case, 15 ml of blood is collected from the person and then punctured at the place where the first puncture was made. Some studies indicate that through this technique it is possible to temporarily increase epidural pressure, helping to combat headache.