Why PKD Patients Have Headache

Headache is one of the most common physical discomforts of human being and according to the statistics by the United Kingdom there are 85% of all the population will at least suffer from one headache within one year and there are 38% adults will be bothered by headache within 2 weeks.
Headache is one of the most common symptoms of polycystic kidney disease, along with back pain and flank pain. Most people think that headache is so common and do not pay enough attention to it. However in case of headache in PKD, it should not be ignored and more importance and attention should be attached to it because it might be related to a very serious medical condition---aneurysms.
Aneurysms are bulges in the walls of the blood vessels in the brain and it is one common complication of PKD. If the headache is obviously different from other headaches or it is very serious, it is more likely to be caused by cerebral aneurysms especially if the patients have family history of aneurysms. Under such condition, related tests such as CT scan and Ultrasound should be done as soon as possible to make clear the diagnosis and take timely and proper preventions and treatments because aneurysms is the most harmful condition in PKD and it is the major cause of early death of PKD patients. It has the risk of infections and ruptures and cause very severe consequences. Therefore headache should not be ignored.
Headache can also be caused by high blood pressure. Due to the thickening of the walls of blood vessels and the deposition of blood clots, the blood flow is slowed down and there will be insufficiency of blood supply to the brain and this will cause headache and dizziness. What is more, hypertension can increase the tension and load of the aneurysms and speed up the arteriosclerosis of the aneurysms walls. This will increase the risk of aneurysms rupture and worsen the illness. Therefore it is very important to bring the blood pressure at a stable value. Various anti-hypertension medicines as well as developing healthy lifestyles, proper diets and exercises can help bring the high blood pressure down.