Dizziness and head pain: Head pressure and dizziness: Causes, treatment, and more
Head pressure and dizziness: Causes, treatment, and more
A feeling of pressure in the head or behind the eyes, along with dizziness, can occur with some types of headache. The symptoms may worsen if a person changes position. Some conditions, such as sinusitis, can cause both a headache and dizziness.
Head pressure and dizziness can often occur due to migraine. Any chronic or very severe and sudden symptoms may warn of a serious underlying condition.
It is important to note that there are four types of dizziness:
- Vertigo: A person experiences a sensation that they are moving when they are still or feels as though they are spinning.
- Disequilibrium: A person feels wobbly or off-balance.
- Presyncope: A person feels as though they are passing out.
- Lightheadedness: A person feels vague, as if they are losing connection with their environment.
A person might be able to identify which type of dizziness they feel, which could help a doctor diagnose the cause accurately.
This article will list some possible causes of head pressure and dizziness occurring together. It will also cover some treatment options for each one and explain when a person should contact a doctor.
However, these are not the only possible causes of head pressure and dizziness. A person should contact a doctor to receive a full examination and the correct diagnosis.
Seasonal allergies, which doctors sometimes call allergic rhinitis, can cause feelings of pressure in the head and sinuses.
Some people also experience symptoms such as sneezing, itchy eyes, a sore throat, and a general feeling of being unwell. Any of these symptoms can lead to dizziness, especially if a person feels very congested or develops sinusitis.
How to treat allergies
A number of treatments can help ease the symptoms of allergies. The first is avoiding allergens by staying indoors more often during allergy season or using an air filter. Some people also find that wearing masks helps ease allergy symptoms.
Taking allergy medications can also ease symptoms. Immunotherapy, which exposes a person to very small quantities of the allergen to stop their body from overreacting to it, can also be helpful. People who are interested in a permanent solution to allergies could ask a doctor about immunotherapy in the form of allergy shots.
Learn more about allergy medications here.
A headache that results from sinusitis can cause feelings of pressure in the head, especially near the front of the face and under the eyes. This happens because fluid builds up in the sinuses, generally due to an infection.
Some people also get dizzy, feel sick, or have lower energy levels.
How to treat sinusitis
Applying heated pads or warm compresses to the face may help. Some people may also find relief by taking allergy medications or over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers.
Antibiotics can treat some sinus infections, but only if they are due to bacteria. They cannot help with viral infections.
Some people may develop a chronic form of sinusitis that may require a consultation with a specialist.
Learn about home remedies to ease sinus pressure here.
Ear infections usually affect the middle ear, which is just past the eardrum. These infections are common among children. Sometimes, an ear infection follows another illness, such as a sinus infection or the flu.
The middle ear makes fluid itself to keep itself clean. This fluid should drain into the throat through an opening. However, if the throat becomes swollen, the opening swells shut. Therefore, the fluid collects, which can be painful. It may then become infected.
Symptoms may come on suddenly, and most people develop a fever. A person may also have pressure in the head, ringing in the ears, or dizziness.
How to treat an ear infection
Lying down with the ear that hurts facing up, with a heated pad on top, may help relieve the pain of an ear infection. This is because gravity helps the fluid from the ear drain into the throat.
Also, the heat from the pad helps keep the drainage site open.
Taking OTC pain relievers can also help ease the symptoms.
Antibiotics may help treat middle ear infections, especially in young children and people with weak immune systems. However, draining the ear by lying on the correct side will help stop the condition from recurring and prevent a ruptured eardrum, which could happen due to fluid buildup.
Learn more about how to treat ear infections here.
Migraine is a neurological type of headache that happens when changes in the brain cause head pain and other unusual sensations.
Some people experience migraine as head pressure along with other neurological symptoms, such as:
- dizziness
- sensitivity to light
- vomiting
- hearing unusual sounds
- seeing unusual lights
How to treat a migraine headache
Taking pain relievers may help ease a migraine headache, but people experiencing chronic migraine headaches should contact a doctor.
They can prescribe medications to prevent migraine headaches and rule out other conditions.
The doctor may also recommend keeping a log of headaches to help with identifying potential triggers.
Learn about migraine triggers and how to avoid them here.
A tension headache happens when muscle tension radiates to the head. A person may also experience shoulder or neck pain.
Tension headaches tend to come on slowly, getting worse over time and causing pain throughout the head and sometimes a feeling of pressure. Very bad tension headaches can also make a person feel dizzy.
How to treat a tension headache
Some people may find relief from tension headaches by applying hot or cold packs to the neck or head or by taking OTC headache medications.
Chronic tension headaches occur when a person experiences a tension headache for 15 or more days per month for at least 3 months. They sometimes happen when a person has underlying muscle issues, sits at a computer all day, or has chronic stress.
A doctor may be able to identify strategies for dealing with these issues.
Learn about 19 natural remedies for headaches here.
High blood pressure, especially a sudden shift in blood pressure, may cause pain and pressure in the head, as well as dizziness.
Any type of pain, including that associated with headaches, may also cause high blood pressure. However, in this case, relieving the headache may not lead to lower blood pressure.
How to treat high blood pressure
It is important to talk with a doctor about high blood pressure, as making behavioral changes and taking medications, such as beta-blockers, can help.
A person may find that managing stress or eating less salt can also help lower their blood pressure.
A home blood pressure reading with a systolic (top) number above 180 or a diastolic (bottom) number above 120 warrants a 911 call or a trip to the emergency room.
Learn about 15 ways to naturally lower blood pressure here.
When a person has intracranial hypertension, it means that there is higher pressure from the fluid that cushions the brain.
This can happen for many reasons, including:
- a serious head injury
- a stroke
- an infection or growth in the brain, including a brain tumor
A person may experience a chronic throbbing headache or neurological symptoms such as vision issues or difficulty concentrating. If this is the case, a person should contact a doctor, as these symptoms can be life threatening.
Some people develop intracranial hypertension for no clear reason. Doctors call this idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Making certain lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, may help with IIH.
Learn more about increased intracranial pressure here.
A person should contact a doctor if they:
- have an ear infection or ear pain that gets worse or does not improve within a few days
- have a headache that lasts longer than a day or have frequent headaches
- have severe allergies
- think that they may have migraine headaches
- have headaches that affect their mental health or daily functioning
A person should go to the emergency room if they experience any of the following:
- a sudden, unexplained, very severe headache that makes it impossible to do anything else, along with other symptoms, such as nausea or tingling
- stroke symptoms, such as numbness on one side of the body or a drooping face
- loss of consciousness, a feeling of being very well, or a worry that their headache is an emergency
Some other symptoms a person might notice with a headache and dizziness include:
- nausea
- fatigue
- a fever
- congestion or face pain
- sneezing
- panic or anxiety
The following symptoms can also occur, but they are more likely to signal an emergency:
- numbness on one side of the body
- confusion
- blurry vision
- high blood pressure
When a headache or dizziness lasts for a long time, it is more likely that a person has a chronic or serious condition, such as migraine, head pressure from a tumor or infection, or a brain injury.
A person should avoid self-diagnosing and contact a doctor if they are concerned.
Learn more about persistent headaches here.
Some people develop may headaches or dizziness after eating. This does not necessarily mean that food caused the symptoms, so it is important to look at other factors.
Sometimes, however, food poisoning, food sensitivities, and even overeating may cause dizziness and headaches, as well as stomach pain.
A person may also develop a headache after eating sugar.
Learn more about sugar headaches here.
Headaches can be very painful, but they are usually harmless. In most cases, a person can manage the symptoms at home.
When the headache is intense or lasts a long time, however, it is important to contact a doctor. Receiving early treatment can improve the outlook even for very serious illnesses.
A person should avoid self-diagnosing and instead seek an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment for symptoms of any severity that are concerning them.
Head pressure and dizziness: Causes, treatment, and more
A feeling of pressure in the head or behind the eyes, along with dizziness, can occur with some types of headache. The symptoms may worsen if a person changes position. Some conditions, such as sinusitis, can cause both a headache and dizziness.
Head pressure and dizziness can often occur due to migraine. Any chronic or very severe and sudden symptoms may warn of a serious underlying condition.
It is important to note that there are four types of dizziness:
- Vertigo: A person experiences a sensation that they are moving when they are still or feels as though they are spinning.
- Disequilibrium: A person feels wobbly or off-balance.
- Presyncope: A person feels as though they are passing out.
- Lightheadedness: A person feels vague, as if they are losing connection with their environment.
A person might be able to identify which type of dizziness they feel, which could help a doctor diagnose the cause accurately.
This article will list some possible causes of head pressure and dizziness occurring together. It will also cover some treatment options for each one and explain when a person should contact a doctor.
However, these are not the only possible causes of head pressure and dizziness. A person should contact a doctor to receive a full examination and the correct diagnosis.
Seasonal allergies, which doctors sometimes call allergic rhinitis, can cause feelings of pressure in the head and sinuses.
Some people also experience symptoms such as sneezing, itchy eyes, a sore throat, and a general feeling of being unwell. Any of these symptoms can lead to dizziness, especially if a person feels very congested or develops sinusitis.
How to treat allergies
A number of treatments can help ease the symptoms of allergies. The first is avoiding allergens by staying indoors more often during allergy season or using an air filter. Some people also find that wearing masks helps ease allergy symptoms.
Taking allergy medications can also ease symptoms. Immunotherapy, which exposes a person to very small quantities of the allergen to stop their body from overreacting to it, can also be helpful. People who are interested in a permanent solution to allergies could ask a doctor about immunotherapy in the form of allergy shots.
Learn more about allergy medications here.
A headache that results from sinusitis can cause feelings of pressure in the head, especially near the front of the face and under the eyes. This happens because fluid builds up in the sinuses, generally due to an infection.
Some people also get dizzy, feel sick, or have lower energy levels.
How to treat sinusitis
Applying heated pads or warm compresses to the face may help. Some people may also find relief by taking allergy medications or over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers.
Antibiotics can treat some sinus infections, but only if they are due to bacteria. They cannot help with viral infections.
Some people may develop a chronic form of sinusitis that may require a consultation with a specialist.
Learn about home remedies to ease sinus pressure here.
Ear infections usually affect the middle ear, which is just past the eardrum. These infections are common among children. Sometimes, an ear infection follows another illness, such as a sinus infection or the flu.
The middle ear makes fluid itself to keep itself clean. This fluid should drain into the throat through an opening. However, if the throat becomes swollen, the opening swells shut. Therefore, the fluid collects, which can be painful. It may then become infected.
Symptoms may come on suddenly, and most people develop a fever. A person may also have pressure in the head, ringing in the ears, or dizziness.
How to treat an ear infection
Lying down with the ear that hurts facing up, with a heated pad on top, may help relieve the pain of an ear infection. This is because gravity helps the fluid from the ear drain into the throat.
Also, the heat from the pad helps keep the drainage site open.
Taking OTC pain relievers can also help ease the symptoms.
Antibiotics may help treat middle ear infections, especially in young children and people with weak immune systems. However, draining the ear by lying on the correct side will help stop the condition from recurring and prevent a ruptured eardrum, which could happen due to fluid buildup.
Learn more about how to treat ear infections here.
Migraine is a neurological type of headache that happens when changes in the brain cause head pain and other unusual sensations.
Some people experience migraine as head pressure along with other neurological symptoms, such as:
- dizziness
- sensitivity to light
- vomiting
- hearing unusual sounds
- seeing unusual lights
How to treat a migraine headache
Taking pain relievers may help ease a migraine headache, but people experiencing chronic migraine headaches should contact a doctor.
They can prescribe medications to prevent migraine headaches and rule out other conditions.
The doctor may also recommend keeping a log of headaches to help with identifying potential triggers.
Learn about migraine triggers and how to avoid them here.
A tension headache happens when muscle tension radiates to the head. A person may also experience shoulder or neck pain.
Tension headaches tend to come on slowly, getting worse over time and causing pain throughout the head and sometimes a feeling of pressure. Very bad tension headaches can also make a person feel dizzy.
How to treat a tension headache
Some people may find relief from tension headaches by applying hot or cold packs to the neck or head or by taking OTC headache medications.
Chronic tension headaches occur when a person experiences a tension headache for 15 or more days per month for at least 3 months. They sometimes happen when a person has underlying muscle issues, sits at a computer all day, or has chronic stress.
A doctor may be able to identify strategies for dealing with these issues.
Learn about 19 natural remedies for headaches here.
High blood pressure, especially a sudden shift in blood pressure, may cause pain and pressure in the head, as well as dizziness.
Any type of pain, including that associated with headaches, may also cause high blood pressure. However, in this case, relieving the headache may not lead to lower blood pressure.
How to treat high blood pressure
It is important to talk with a doctor about high blood pressure, as making behavioral changes and taking medications, such as beta-blockers, can help.
A person may find that managing stress or eating less salt can also help lower their blood pressure.
A home blood pressure reading with a systolic (top) number above 180 or a diastolic (bottom) number above 120 warrants a 911 call or a trip to the emergency room.
Learn about 15 ways to naturally lower blood pressure here.
When a person has intracranial hypertension, it means that there is higher pressure from the fluid that cushions the brain.
This can happen for many reasons, including:
- a serious head injury
- a stroke
- an infection or growth in the brain, including a brain tumor
A person may experience a chronic throbbing headache or neurological symptoms such as vision issues or difficulty concentrating. If this is the case, a person should contact a doctor, as these symptoms can be life threatening.
Some people develop intracranial hypertension for no clear reason. Doctors call this idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Making certain lifestyle changes, such as losing weight, may help with IIH.
Learn more about increased intracranial pressure here.
A person should contact a doctor if they:
- have an ear infection or ear pain that gets worse or does not improve within a few days
- have a headache that lasts longer than a day or have frequent headaches
- have severe allergies
- think that they may have migraine headaches
- have headaches that affect their mental health or daily functioning
A person should go to the emergency room if they experience any of the following:
- a sudden, unexplained, very severe headache that makes it impossible to do anything else, along with other symptoms, such as nausea or tingling
- stroke symptoms, such as numbness on one side of the body or a drooping face
- loss of consciousness, a feeling of being very well, or a worry that their headache is an emergency
Some other symptoms a person might notice with a headache and dizziness include:
- nausea
- fatigue
- a fever
- congestion or face pain
- sneezing
- panic or anxiety
The following symptoms can also occur, but they are more likely to signal an emergency:
- numbness on one side of the body
- confusion
- blurry vision
- high blood pressure
When a headache or dizziness lasts for a long time, it is more likely that a person has a chronic or serious condition, such as migraine, head pressure from a tumor or infection, or a brain injury.
A person should avoid self-diagnosing and contact a doctor if they are concerned.
Learn more about persistent headaches here.
Some people develop may headaches or dizziness after eating. This does not necessarily mean that food caused the symptoms, so it is important to look at other factors.
Sometimes, however, food poisoning, food sensitivities, and even overeating may cause dizziness and headaches, as well as stomach pain.
A person may also develop a headache after eating sugar.
Learn more about sugar headaches here.
Headaches can be very painful, but they are usually harmless. In most cases, a person can manage the symptoms at home.
When the headache is intense or lasts a long time, however, it is important to contact a doctor. Receiving early treatment can improve the outlook even for very serious illnesses.
A person should avoid self-diagnosing and instead seek an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment for symptoms of any severity that are concerning them.
Treatment of dizziness and headache: causes and symptoms
- Advantages
- Reviews
- Doctors
- Articles
- Contacts
- Licenses
Benefits
European level equipment
Friendly team of experienced doctors
Calling an ENT doctor at home
Online consultation
Reception of ENT doctors around the clock!
Interdisciplinary approach to patient care
The branch of the ENT clinic plus 1 in Moscow City is engaged in professional treatment of headaches and dizziness in adults.
Appointment is conducted by Overchenko Kira Vladimirovna – neurologist, otoneurologist, specialist in headache and dizziness, candidate of medical sciences, researcher of the department of vestibulology and otoneurology of NMICO FMBA of Russia. Kira Vladimirovna successfully treats headaches and dizziness, including complex and difficult-to-diagnose conditions, knows international diagnostic approaches, therapeutic maneuvers, which in some cases allow you to get rid of dizziness attacks at the first appointment.
A personal approach to understanding the causes and treatment of headaches and dizziness
A modern good headache doctor will never say that “everyone has a headache and dizziness” by prescribing random painkillers or prescribing “vascular” drips. Every human body, every medical case is individual. For a correct diagnosis, it is important to understand exactly how a person feels pain and dizziness (and the word “dizziness” describes a fairly wide range of sensations).
For example, in the same patient, several types of dizziness can be combined due to one disease. Or because of several present at the same time. The same is true for different types of headaches.
Misdiagnosis, incorrect medication tactics, ignoring the problem, self-treatment of headaches and dizziness – all this harms the quality of life almost equally. Up to the point that a headache may develop from excessive use of painkillers or constant dizziness from fear of a recurrence of an attack of dizziness. A person begins to experience panic attacks in anticipation of a new debilitating attack.
Therefore, for a correct diagnosis, it is necessary to study the history of the disease in detail, ask about the patient’s feelings, conduct an examination and specialized tests. To do this, you need a sufficient time of admission – 30-45 minutes, and a competent, interested, highly specialized doctor. All this we offer you in our clinic at the reception of Overchenko Kira Vladimirovna.
Contact us if:
- You experience recurrent or chronic headaches (occipital, temporal, facial), dizziness, tinnitus.
- You have already been diagnosed – such as “VSD”, “clamped vessels”, “narrowing of the vertebral artery”, “dizziness in the elderly”, “osteochondrosis”; treatment for headache or dizziness has been tried, but the problems have not disappeared.
Our Headache Specialist:
- tells you what lies behind false diagnoses;
- develop a complete dizziness and headache treatment plan;
- will explain how the vestibular apparatus works, how to do vestibular exercises correctly, why the cause of pain is not in the vessels and osteochondrosis;
- talk about the symptoms and treatment of different types of headaches;
- in some types of dizziness can remove it at the very first appointment – thanks to therapeutic maneuvers to return the fallen otoliths (parts of the “motion sensor”) in the inner ear.
Do not tolerate or put up with severe headaches and severe dizziness. If the previous therapy did not help you, it is far from the only one!
Make an appointment at our headache clinic in Moscow and enjoy life!
Important!
If you have been suffering from headaches for many months or years, it is essential that you keep a headache diary, developed by the world’s headache management community, before you see a doctor. You can download it here.
Pain in the shoulder, arm, cervical region, headaches, dizziness
Higher medical education. She graduated from the First Medical University named after academician I.P. Pavlov in 2015, in 2016 she completed her internship in the specialty “neurolology”. The internship, as well as the next 2.5 years of work, took place in the city hospital #26 at the department of general neurology. In clinical practice, patients with pain syndromes were extremely common.
Based on the experience of senior colleagues, supported by settled, and in some way promoted by authoritative experts, ideas about the causes of pain, I built the treatment on a standardized scheme: painkillers, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), vitamins, sometimes I had to resort to more potent drugs ( antidepressants, anticonvulsants). Exercise therapy was also prescribed, but within the framework of the hospital and with a short hospital stay, many patients did not even have time to reach the exercise therapy room, and therefore the visit to physiotherapy exercises was postponed to the outpatient stage (patients arrived or not, I can’t say). Over time, patients returned again, but subsequent exacerbations were worse, poorly responded to drug treatment. In the routine of work, I didn’t really ask myself the question “why?”, There are standards, there are well-established treatment regimens, there are MRI reports and hernias, which were transferred to the hands of neurosurgeons if our “treatment” no longer helped.
One day, a patient was admitted to the department with severe pain, in a forced position. For 4 days the drugs did not relieve the pain, he slept kneeling on the floor with his head on the bed. We couldn’t send him for an MRI as he couldn’t lie flat because of the pain. On the 4th day it became easier, the patient went to the study. I expected to see at least a large hernia there, or an inflammatory lesion of the vertebrae, but … there were not even protrusions on the MRI !!!
The patient was discharged citing muscle spasm. And I have some questions.
During my maternity leave, I became interested in the causes of back pain. Gradually, moving from the repetition of anatomy and physiology to the clinical manifestations of diseases, I moved on to methods of treatment. And it turned out that drugs are not the first line of treatment. I reached the methods of physical rehabilitation, to kinesitherapy. When the time came to return to work, I began to understand that in the previous conditions I would not be able to fully help patients suffering from pain.