Headache in Polycystic kidney disease

Headache is defined as pain in the head that is located above the eyes or the ears, behind the head (occipital), or in the back of the upper neck. Headache, like chest pain or dizziness, has many causes. There are two types of headaches: primary headaches and secondary headaches. Primary headaches are not associated with (caused by) other diseases. Examples of primary headaches are migraine headaches, tension headaches, and cluster headaches. Secondary headaches are caused by associated diseases such as brain tumors, strokes, meningitis, subarachnoid hemorrhages, caffeine withdrawal, or discontinuation of analgesics. In rare occasions, headaches may signal heart attacks.

The most common symptoms are pain in the back and the sides (between the ribs and hips), and headaches. The dull pain can be temporary or persistent, mild or severe.

Headaches can also be a sign of polycystic kidney disease, but this can often be overlooked because headaches are common and are a symptom of many other conditions. Additionally, about a quarter of people with PKD have a floppy valve in their heart, according to the National Kidney Foundation. The faulty valve can cause a fluttering or pounding feeling in the chest and may also cause chest pain. The presence of these symptoms is often the first indication that a person has polycystic kidney disease.


In PKD, headache is mainly related to high blood pressure. To eliminate headache, the patients should lower blood pressure. However, medications can not keep the blood pressure within control effectively. High blood pressure in PKD is caused by renin-angiotensin system .The enlargement of cysts cause increased secretion of renin thus activating  renin-angiotensin system . Therefore, to lower high blood pressure, the patients should take therapy focusing on shrinking enlarged cysts.


Apart from the reasons above, headache can be caused by mental problems such as depression, anger and worry. From the perspective of Chinese Medical science, the extreme emotions affect the health of human beings. As an old saying goes, fear harms kidney, angry harms liver, happy affects heart, worry harms lung and thinking affects spleen. Thus, it is important to control your mood, especially fear, for patients with Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD).