Whether it is located above your eyes, on one of the two sides of your face or diffusely, the location of your pain speaks volumes about the nature of your headache. Update on the different possible causes, with Dr Gérald Kierzek, medical director of True Medical.
How to recognize the different types of headache?
Headaches are grouped in several categories:
- Tension headache;
- Migraines;
- Migraines with aura or ophthalmic migraines;
- Sinusitis;
- Stroke headache, meningitis;
- Drug headache.
What is the meaning of headaches according to their location?
Do you often have a headache? This migraine episode may be due to a stress peak, a drug abuse or even meteorological changes. But it can also be the consequence of a more worrying health problem … which turns out to be identifiable depending on the location of your pain. Explanations.
Unilateral pain: why do I have a headache on the right or left side?
“”There migraine is, by nature, unilateral. Hence its name “mid-chip”, which designates a single side of the skull. This pain can be triggered by countless factors, such as stress, light, lack of sleep, hunger, etc. “says Dr. Kierzek.
But it happens that the pain turns, even migrates to another area of the skull. Let us see below why.
Bilateral pain: pain on both sides
“”When the pain is diffuse on both sides, and goes up in helmet from the back of the head, it is a tension headache linked to stress or muscle tension “ specifies our expert.
Pain that radiates at the back of the head
“”There Arnold’s neuralgia Generally translates into pain, which arises from the base of the skull and extend to the temple. Pain is caused by the compression of Arnold’s nerve also called the large occipital nerve“, Assures the expert.
Dazzling pain on half of the face
“”When the pain, dazzling, is located at the level of the cheek or around the eye, it is a vascular algie of the face . Only one side of the head is concerned. Unpleasant symptoms can accompany this syndrome; as an important nasal congestion. Here, the pain is such that some people hit their heads against the walls“, warns the medical director of True Medical.
Pain above the eyes
“”Pulsatile pain above the eyes, at the forehead, is reminiscent of sinusitis. It does not matter in itself; But can cause uncomfortable symptoms“, Warns Dr. Kierzek.
An electric discharge on one side
“”In case of Trijumeau neuralgia an electric discharge manifests itself on one side of the face. She can also repeat herself in salvo“warns the emergency doctor.
Pain on one side, then on the other
“”This is called rocking headache. It is hurt from one side of the head and then on the other with also neurological signs which alternate on one side then on the other (partial epilepsy crisis, paralysis, …). We must be wary, because this pain can announce a cerebral thrombophlebitis, which corresponds to the obstruction of a vein around the brain by a clot“, alerts Dr. Kierzek.
Eye pain
“”A very intense eye pain, accompanied by headache and a blurred vision are a reflection of a glaucoma Acute with closed angles. This hypertension inside the eye is characterized by too high ocular tension“Concludes the medical director of True Medical.
Front pain
Front pain can have several causes, such as migraine, tension headaches, frontal sinusitis or visual fatigue.
Pain above the skull (fatigue, heat …)
The most frequent cause is the tension headache, causing helmet pain and a feeling of tightening all around the head. These pains can be associated with fatigue and lack of sleep. It can also be caused by muscle tensions at the neck, dehydration or surrounding heat.
Tempes: persistent temporal headache
Time headaches can be related to migraines or tension headaches, but not only. Eye problems as well as bruxism are possible causes of temporal pain.
Faq
Tension headache: where is the headache linked to stress?
The stress -related headache manifests itself in tension headaches. The pains are located at the temples, the forehead, the top and the rear of the skull as well as at the level of the neck. Often, the tension headache is described as a pain in vice or around the skull.
Where is the headache in a stroke?
The pain in the event of a stroke occurs very brutally and it is very intense. The pain can be located only on one side of the head or at the back of the skull. The pain can be diffuse.
When to consult?
In case symptoms which last, of a persistent headache or if the headache is not relieved by taking over the counter analgesic drugs, it is preferable to consult your general practitioner. If the pain prevents the patient from carrying out his usual activities, it is also better to consult his general practitioner.