Causes of Headaches (Cont.)

Subacute Headache Causes

As with acute headaches, there are many possible causes of subacute headaches, or headaches that occur over a period of weeks to months. These headaches may signify something serious, especially if the pain worsens over the months or if it occurs in the elderly.
 
Some possible causes of subacute headaches include:
 
  • Temporal arteritis (also known as giant cell arteritis)
  • A brain tumor
  • A brain abscess, which is a pocket of pus inside of the brain
  • Bleeding inside of the brain, such as with a subdural hematoma
  • Trigeminal neuralgia
  • Glossopharyngeal neuralgia
  • Postherpetic neuralgia
  • High blood pressure (hypertension)
  • Pseudotumor cerebri, which a condition in which pressure builds up inside of the brain because of an increase in fluid
  • Certain medical conditions, such as inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis), systemic lupus erythematosus, or HIV/AIDS.
     

Chronic Headache Causes

Chronic headaches are headaches that a person has experienced for years. While each attack may be quite disabling, these types of headaches are not usually caused by a serious condition. The most common cause of chronic headaches is tension headaches (also known as tension-type headaches or stress headaches). Some other chronic headache causes include:
 
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Written by/reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD
Last reviewed by: Arthur Schoenstadt, MD