In general, older individuals have less headaches than younger people. For example, between ages 21 and 34, the prevalence of headaches is 92% in women and 74% in men; after age 75, it drops to 55% and 21%, respectively. Older individuals also have less migraines. Once a person reaches age 70, less than 10% of people in that age bracket suffer from migraines.

If your elderly parent has been suffering from headaches recently, there could be causes that you might want to investigate to provide her some relief. An occasional headache is nothing for concern, but if your parent has complained to you or her home care provider about suffering with consistent or frequent headaches, it would be wise to make an appointment with her physician for an examination to discover the cause.

Late-Life Migraine Accompaniments

Late-life migraine accompaniments have neurological symptoms that may affect speech, vision, and movement. They are much like the “aura” that comes before a migraine strikes. With late-life migraine accompaniments though, a headache only occurs in about 50% of the cases, and when it does, it can be quite mild.

Because these types of “migraines” cause vision and balance issues, they may lead to falling for your parent. If your home care provider has noticed your parent has a hard time moving around when experiencing one of these episodes, you might want to look into getting treatment so that her headaches don’t lead to her injuring herself. There are medications that can be taken to reduce the symptoms.

Stroke

Headaches often accompany a stroke. Many who have this type of headache describe it as incapacitating or the worst headache of their lives. If your parent describes a sudden-onset headache of this strength, you should seek immediate help for her.

Head Trauma

Ninety percent of people who have received head trauma from a fall or a blow to the head will suffer with a headache afterward. The headaches can cover a wide range of variations from mild to severe, occasional to consistent and can occur anyplace in the head. One cause of the headache can be a subdural hematoma, which is a bleeding on the brain due to injury. This can lead to a very dangerous consequence so if you know your parent has fallen or hit her head, it’s important to get her checked out right after it happens to make sure she is not suffering from a subdural hematoma.

Temporal Arteritis

Temporal arteritis is a disease that affects a person’s arteries, causing them to swell and narrow. This can affect the blood vessels that deliver oxygen from the heart to the brain, causing a headache. The pain associated with it is often described as a throbbing near the temples.

Postherpetic Neuralgia

If your parent has had shingles, especially if they presented on her face or head, she may develop postherpetic neuralgia, a condition that is nerve pain lingering from the outbreak of shingles. It seems to be worse in those that are over 80 years old. Your doctor will be able to help provide treatments for relief from this type of headache.

If you’re parent is complaining of multiple headaches or if over-the-counter medications don’t seem to bring relief, it might be time to bring her in and have her examined to see if you can find relief.

Source: https://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/geriatric-headaches

If You Or An Aging Loved One Are Considering Hiring Home Care in Largo, FL, Please Contact The Caring Staff At Assisting Hands Home Care Today! 727-748-4211.