spinal headache, a severe headache occurring after spinal anesthesia, lumbar puncture, or epidural anesthesia, caused by a leak of cerebrospinal fluid from the subarachnoid space. Severe spinal headache may be accompanied by diminished aural and visual acuity. Treatment usually includes keeping the patient flat in bed to relieve the meningeal irritation, promoting increased fluid intake to increase the intravascular volume and increase the production and volume of cerebrospinal fluid, and administering analgesics to reduce pain. If severe headache persists, an autologous blood patch procedure may be performed. Also called postdural puncture headache. See also epidural blood patch.
