**Spinal headache** is a relatively common complication among people who have undergone lumbar puncture or spinal anesthesia.... During these two procedures, the membrane that surrounds the spinal cord, the lower part of the spine, sacral and lumbar nerve roots is punctured. During the puncture, cerebrospinal fluid is drained from the spinal canal....During spinal anesthesia, medication is injected into the spinal canal to numb the nerves in the lower half of the body. If spinal fluid leaks from the puncture site during this time, you may have a spinal headache. Most spinal headaches, also known as post-dural puncture headaches, usually resolve on their own without the need for treatment. What are the symptoms of spinal headache? Spinal headache symptoms include: - Pain and throbbing cramps that vary from mild to severe. - Pain that is usually worse when sitting or standing and is reduced or completely relieved by lying down. Read more: Causes of persistent headaches Spinal headache is often associated with such symptoms: - dizziness - Ringing in the ears - Blurred or double nose - hearing loss - convulsions - sensitivity to light - Nausea and vomiting - Neck pain or stiffness ### Time to see a pain specialist: If you have a headache after a lumbar puncture or spinal anesthesia, tell your doctor...especially if the headache gets worse when you sit or stand. What is the cause of spinal headache?.. Spinal headaches are caused by the leakage of spinal fluid through a hole in the membrane that surrounds the spinal cord... This leakage reduces the pressure exerted by the spinal fluid on the brain and spinal cord and eventually leads to a headache. Spinal headaches usually appear within 48 to 72 hours after a lumbar puncture or spinal anesthesia.... Epidural anesthesia can sometimes lead to spinal headaches. Although epidural anesthesia is injected just outside the membrane that surrounds the spinal cord, there is a possibility of a spinal headache if the membrane is accidentally punctured.. For more information, read the article on the cause of pain on the right side of the head. Risk factors in the development of spinal headache Things that increase the possibility of complications are as follows: - people between 18 and 30 years old - ladies - Pregnancy - History of frequent headaches - Performing procedures with a large needle or making multiple holes in the spinal cord membrane - Existence of small body mass How is spinal headache diagnosed When visiting Dr. Mohammad Hossein Delshad, you will be asked many questions to diagnose the disease and physical examinations will also be done for you... Sometimes the doctor recommends an MRI to rule out other possible causes to diagnose this type of headache. How is spinal headache treated? The doctor tries to consider the basic methods for treating the patients first... At first, things like rest, drinking a lot of fluids, caffeine consumption, and taking oral painkillers are recommended. Read more: Headache caused by eye pressure ### Keeping the body hydrated When you drink a lot of water, it leads to an increase in the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid...sometimes it is necessary to receive fluids through an intravenous injection. ### caffeine Usually, at this time, your doctor will advise you to consume drinks with high caffeine content. ### Rest You may need 24 to 48 hours of rest. ### Drug therapy If the initial drugs are not effective for the patient, the doctor prescribes different drugs depending on the patient's conditions in the next stage of treatment. If your headache does not improve within 24 hours, finally pain specialist will suggest epidural blood patch treatment to the patient... During this procedure, a small amount of blood enters the hole space to form a clot and close the hole, eventually relieving your headache. Usually, this treatment method is used to relieve spinal headaches that do not get better by themselves and you have not succeeded in treating it with the primary methods. Does spinal headache have complications?. If this type of headache is not treated on its own, you should see a doctor for treatment, otherwise it can cause serious complications, including subdural hematoma and seizures. Subdural hematoma refers to bleeding in the skull that puts a lot of pressure on the brain. Other rare complications include infection and bleeding in the back.