Do you have a headache in the back of your head? Are you looking for a reason and don’t know what to do? In the article we answer your questions and give some advice from our therapists on what to do if the back of your head hurts. We warn you that only specialists can make an accurate diagnosis. The reasons why a headache in the back of the head hurts are quite serious. Therefore, if you are reading this material now, then think about making an appointment with a therapist for an accurate diagnosis. The causes of headaches in the back of the head can be different. We have collected the most common cases and invite you to get acquainted with them.
Causes of pain
Pain in the back of the head can be caused by injury: a blow or a fall. But patients usually know about this. It can also be caused by prolonged stress, incorrect head position while sitting and excessive physical activity. This symptom is typical for people who work at computers or at a desk.
Among the pathological causes of pain in the back of the head are:
- diseases of the nervous system;
- pathologies of the heart and blood vessels;
- damage to the jaw apparatus;
- infectious diseases.
To establish the exact cause, an additional examination is required, which is prescribed by a doctor.
Why does my head hurt in the back of my head?
Pain in the back of the head in the morning, for example, may indicate developing arterial hypertension. You should purchase a blood pressure monitor and get into the habit of taking blood pressure readings every day in the morning. Be careful, if your blood pressure rises, you must definitely visit a therapist to receive treatment and take preventive measures. To stop the development of the disease, give up coffee and strong tea, reduce physical activity, and do not eat fried and spicy foods.
If you have a headache in the back of your head, make an appointment with a therapist at the Diamed clinic nearest to you. Registration is made via the multi-channel telephone number of our clinics 8 (495) 221-21-14 or through the online registration form. You can also order a free call through the “Call me back” button or call directly to the clinic closest to you at the phone number listed on the Contacts page.
Representatives of the fair sex after 30 years and not only the back of the head can hurt due to stress factors. Overexertion, another risk factor, primarily causes pain in the back of the head.
Programmers, motorists and other representatives of professions whose activities are not related to active movement also often have headaches in the back of their heads. Cervical ailments are a very common cause of pain in the back of the head. At the same time, unpleasant sensations increase due to movements.
Cervical spondylosis usually occurs in adulthood due to lack of activity. Painful sensations affect the upper shoulder girdle and can also radiate to the organs of vision and hearing. Unpleasant sensations are almost constant.
Myogelosis also provokes pain in this area, as does occipital neuralgia, which also manifests itself in the form of attacks of pain in the back of the head. Neuralgia often causes hyperesthesia. The disease can develop due to osteochondrosis, hypothermia, etc.
Cervical migraine also includes pain in the back of the head among its symptoms. Pain in the back of the head can also be caused by problems with blood vessels. Pulsating painful sensations inside the skull may be accompanied by problems with venous outflow.
So, let's summarize. Pain in the back of the head most often indicates:
- migraine;
- hernias in the cervical spine;
- hypertension;
- spondylosis;
- inflammation of the occipital nerve;
- osteochondrosis;
- vertebrobasilar insufficiency.
Diseases associated with the symptom
The reason why the back of the head hurts may be pathology. Diseases characterized by symptoms:
- neuralgia;
- cardiopsychoneurosis;
- hypertension;
- cervical osteochondrosis;
- migraine;
- cervical spondylosis;
- myositis - inflammation of the neck muscles;
- myogelosis;
- malocclusion;
- lymphadenitis is inflammation of the lymph nodes near the neck.
They can be detected using diagnostic tests, some tests and examinations.
Diagnostic measures and treatment
To understand the origin of regular headaches, a comprehensive examination is required:
- laboratory research;
- MRI;
- electroencephalography;
- X-ray;
- Dopplerography and others.
Based on the diagnostic results, the cause is determined and treatment is prescribed. When choosing a treatment plan, the patient's medical history and response to medications are taken into account. You can alleviate the condition before seeing a doctor in the following ways:
- ventilate the room;
- do self-massage;
- lie down in a horizontal position;
- release tension, take a few deep breaths.
If the pain recurs after taking analgesics and lasts for several days, this is a reason to contact a specialist.
The choice of treatment method depends on the cause of headaches in the back of the head. The main methods are drug therapy, physiotherapy, massage.
Diagnostics
You can get rid of occipital pain in the head only after discovering the cause of its occurrence. For this purpose the following is carried out:
- inspection and palpation;
- general blood analysis;
- ECG;
- Ultrasound of the heart;
- Ultrasound of head and neck vessels;
- EEG;
- X-ray of the cervical spine.
If infection is suspected due to lymphadenitis, additional tests and examinations are prescribed in specialized institutions (anti-tuberculosis dispensary, dermatovenerological dispensary, infectious diseases hospital or department).
How and where exactly can the back of the neck hurt?
Pain in the back of the neck can manifest itself in different ways. First of all, sensations are divided into several types (depending on the place of their manifestation:
- Visceral: develops as a result of problems with internal organs below the neck.
- Somatic: develops as a consequence of injuries to the spinal column.
- Central: develops as a consequence of damage to the central nervous system.
- Neuropathic: develops due to disruption of the peripheral or central nervous system, if they are caused by improper activity of neurons.
Treatment
Once the diagnosis is established, adequate treatment is selected. It is aimed at eliminating the cause of the headache. Treatment options:
- rest and painkillers for pathologies of the nervous system;
- drugs that lower blood pressure and cardioprotectors for heart diseases;
- ointments and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for myositis;
- physiotherapy, physical therapy and massage for osteochondrosis;
- antispasmodics for neurocirculatory dystonia;
- antibiotics for tuberculous lymphadenopathy;
- antiretroviral therapy for lymphadenitis initiated by HIV infection.
In some cases, nootropics are prescribed to improve blood circulation in the brain. But their effectiveness has not been clinically proven, so taking these drugs remains at the discretion of the doctor and the patient.
Often headaches go away after visiting a chiropractor. This is not a massage, but rather a treatment of pathologies of the spine and muscles. Sessions may be painful, but after them there is a noticeable relief of the condition, and unpleasant sensations occur much less frequently.
A headache cannot be tolerated - at this time brain cells are damaged. It is worth taking an analgesic and consulting a doctor to find the cause of poor health.
Read also: Why do you feel dizzy?
Dear patients! Remember that only a qualified doctor can make an accurate diagnosis, determine the causes and nature of the disease, and prescribe effective treatment. You can make an appointment with our specialists or call a doctor at home by calling 8-(4822)-33-00-33
Be healthy and happy!
In what cases should you consult a doctor?
Pain syndrome is a reaction to an inflammatory process, tissue injury, impaired blood supply or ischemia. A headache can bother even a completely healthy person. If the painful manifestations go away after taking analgesics and do not recur after the drugs stop working, there is no need to worry. The reasons for contacting a medical specialist are the following factors:
- pain continues for 5 or more days;
- painkillers relieve the condition temporarily or do not work at all;
- pain starts from the back of the head and moves to the arms and neck;
- frequent and intense headaches.
Severe headaches: what to do
99% of the population experiences a headache at some point in their life. If this pain is periodic and is not accompanied by loss of consciousness and severe neurological disorders, then people adapt to it. And in vain. With proper discipline of the patient, in more than half of the cases, headache treatment is quite successful. Unfortunately, not everyone goes to the doctor on time.
Doctors name many causes of headaches. In the latest classification there are over two hundred of them. The main ones are vertebrogenic (the name is very symbolic - this category includes all types of headaches that arise due to obstruction of blood flow in the back of the head), pain due to migraines, with changes in blood pressure, after traumatic brain injuries and with infectious diseases ( even, for example, with a chronic runny nose).
Psychogenic headaches also occur. This includes tension headaches (mental or physical), as well as pain associated with anxiety and depression. Most often it is an aching, or pressing, or throbbing pain, concentrated in the occipital, temporal or frontal areas, or “spread” throughout the head. Patients agree on one thing: it can be tolerated for quite a long time, more than an hour for sure. And there is no motivation to immediately go to the doctor. This is how they live - for years, decades... A handful of pills, good sleep, timely vacation - and everything returned to normal by itself.
It will hurt and go away
If not only your family and colleagues know about your headache, but even your followers on social networks, and based on its intensity, you can, without measuring your blood pressure, figure out how many and what antihypertensive drugs you need to take this time, or you know exactly what kind tablet and in what dosage it helps, and carry the medicine with you, if your attending doctor raises his eyes to the ceiling and, sighing heavily, coos something confidentially about how “you need to worry and be less nervous,” then such a headache is most likely , will give you the opportunity to procrastinate further. And when your head hurts, you don’t really want to make an appointment, go to the doctor, explain something to someone... In any case, soon the “head will pass” and life will shine with all its colors again.
During a headache attack, people behave quite typically. A person seeks privacy; smells, bright lights and sounds are irritating. Some try to lie down and not move, some, on the contrary, walk around the room without stopping.
Remember Alla Pugacheva’s video about noisy neighbors? There is a wide bandage on the head, the nerves are stretched to the limit. Here is a portrait of a typical sufferer. The world is reduced to the size of a darkened and quiet bedroom. The condition when the head still does not hurt, on the contrary, is accompanied by an attack of violent activity and intense body movements. Everything is familiar.
Pain at its maximum
But one day the pain overshadows everything. It becomes so strong that you immediately understand: this is a “different” pain, unusual, unlike anything else. “Wild” is what her patients call her. Burning, boring, tearing or squeezing the head, piercing, sharp, intolerable, covering the entire head or part of it. This may be accompanied by loss of consciousness or confusion, convulsions, nausea and vomiting, immobility of one limb or half of the body, impaired speech or vision. Anything! After this, you are unlikely to experience any joy in life...
Medical advice will come later. And now - medical observations. In 99% of cases, with such a severe pain attack, people first take “some” pill. From those that are in the medicine cabinet, they were found at a neighbor’s place, they were shown on TV (well, where at first “everything hurts”, and then there is gulpfuls of happiness and the world is beautiful and amazing).
In principle, this is the right tactic. The only problem that most doctors point out is the dosage. With a strong, almost unbearable headache, eager to “drown out” it immediately, people take an absolutely insane amount of painkillers that can “poison” the body for a long time. And then people wait. When it “passes,” when “the pill takes effect,” when morning comes. And when it gets really bad...
If the attack took you by surprise
So, a severe, first-time headache. You are conscious, externally there is no damage. What could it be? Whatever! After all, the brain itself cannot hurt - it has no pain receptors. Pain occurs due to tension or irritation of many pain-sensitive areas located in the head or neck: the skull (periosteum), muscles, nerves, arteries and veins, subcutaneous tissue, eyes, sinuses and mucous membranes. That's why:
Tip #1.
Do not try to diagnose yourself! If you have a severe, sudden, first-time headache, call a doctor! Sit down and call someone adequate and not fussy to help you (in case you lose consciousness). Do not take more than double the dose of painkillers and remember that the medicine takes time to work.
Tip #2.
Before dialing an ambulance, take your temperature. Because a headache can accompany the onset of a viral or infectious disease. In any case, you will give the doctor the opportunity to begin work on making a diagnosis two minutes earlier. Remember, sometimes minutes can save a life.
Tip #3.
Try touching your chin to your chest. If you can’t because the pain in the occipital region is intensifying, feel free to dictate this terrible symptom to the call center operator. Because meningitis is not a toy, but a very dangerous complication of many seemingly harmless acute respiratory viral infections.
Tip #4.
If you have a tonometer, measure your blood pressure. And preferably on both hands. Because a good half of all new cases of hypertensive crises are accompanied by very severe cephalgia. And a hypertensive crisis is already serious. It can easily lead to a heart attack or stroke.
Tip #5.
Remember in detail what happened the day before. There is a special type of headache - toxic. It occurs when poisoned by various chemicals or as a side effect from taking medications. This headache is often caused by drugs that lower blood pressure, nitrates, psychotropic drugs and many other substances. By the way, many teenagers’ lives were saved by the meticulousness of their parents, who inquired in detail from their sick child about the circumstances of the party the day before.
Tip #6.
Look and feel. Even a healthy person can experience a sharp headache after heat or sunstroke, being in a stuffy room, or from carbon monoxide poisoning or car exhaust. By the way, don’t forget about such a thing as amnesia. A person hit on the head sometimes completely forgets the circumstances of the injury. Look at yourself in the mirror, palpate the skin under your hair and neck for bruises, wounds or scratches.
Tip #7.
Don't waste time. The most unpleasant case is the presence of a space-occupying formation in the brain. It could be a tumor, an abscess, or even bleeding. The diagnosis can only be made with the help of neuroimaging, so if you have a headache for a long time, do not delay contacting a neurologist. Remember: headaches have no equal in their diversity!
Tip #8.
If the headache goes away as suddenly as it appeared, no. In some of its types, for example, with intracerebral bleeding, there may be a “bright” period before the most serious complications appear. Wait for the doctor. Don’t rush to write your will and finish the “most important things.” Try to sit comfortably and relax.
Tip #9.
When visiting a doctor, keep a piece of paper ready with a note of exactly what medications you took for headaches. And medical gratitude will have no boundaries!
Attention! If the headache is accompanied by loss of consciousness or confusion, convulsions, nausea and vomiting, immobility of one limb or half of the body, impaired speech or vision, then without any options, call a doctor immediately
. And do not engage in self-medication and mutual assistance.
For those around you, there is only one piece of advice: do not let the patient die from your “care.” Do not try to give water to a person lying unconscious, do not put foreign objects in the mouth during a convulsive attack, do not “flush the stomach” if there is profuse vomiting that does not bring relief, do not shake a dangling arm or leg! Loosen constricting clothing, allow fresh air to flow, and carefully turn your head to the side.
The sooner the patient gets to the hospital, the greater his chances of remaining alive and unharmed. After all, pain can be a manifestation of such serious diseases as stroke, meningitis or encephalitis. Remember, only a doctor can make a diagnosis. And the advice “do no harm” applies not only to doctors...
Valentina Saratovskaya
Photo thinkstockphotos.com
