What is your headache telling you? Discover the hidden causes and find effective relief. Explore the different types of headaches, their symptoms, and customized treatment options.

Decoding the Location of Your Headache

Headaches can be a frustrating and debilitating experience, interfering with your daily life. But did you know that the location of your headache can provide valuable insights into the underlying cause? Let’s explore what the different headache spots are telling you and how you can find relief.

Top of the Head: Tension Headaches

Headaches that occur at the top of the head are typically a result of tension headaches, the most common type of headache. These are characterized by a dull, aching pain, tightness, or constant pressure around the head. Tension headaches are often triggered by changes in diet, poor sleeping habits, physical activity, or stress.

Back of the Head: Tension and Neck Issues

Headaches at the back of the head are also a source of tension headaches, especially if you’re experiencing neck or spinal muscle spasms. Poor posture can also contribute to these types of headaches.

Side of the Head: Migraines and Cluster Headaches

Pain on the side of the head is a good indicator of a migraine. Migraines are triggered by hormones, diet, caffeine, or stress. If the pain is severe and persistent, it may be a sign of a cluster headache, which is commonly associated with allergies or stress.

Behind the Eye: Migraines and Sinus Infections

Headaches that occur behind the eye are another sign of migraine. However, if you’re experiencing pain behind both eyes, it may be a symptom of an infection in the Ethmoid or Sphenoid sinus cavity, which may require more than just medication to find relief.

Forehead: Tension, Migraines, and Sinus Issues

Headaches located in the forehead can be a sign of a tension headache. If the pain is only affecting one side of the forehead, it may be an indicator of a migraine or cluster headache. Forehead headaches can also be commonly caused by an infection of the Frontal sinus, and frequent headaches in this area may require more than just medication to find relief.

Treating Your Headaches

The treatment for your headache will depend on the type of headache you’re experiencing. Over-the-counter medications, hot or cold compresses, and sleep can be helpful for some types of headaches. However, if you’re experiencing temporary or constant headaches, it’s best to consult with a medical professional for a proper diagnosis and personalized treatment plan.

Sinus Headaches and ADVENT

While sinus headaches may be confused with migraines or tension headaches, they are common if you suffer from sinusitis or have issues within The Breathing Triangle®. Fortunately, ADVENT has helped over 30,000 people find relief from their chronic sinus and sleep issues through simple in-office solutions.

Migraines: Causes and Triggers

Migraines are a type of headache that may occur with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound. In most people, a throbbing pain is felt on only one side of the head. Migraines are caused by abnormal brain activity, and the exact chain of events remains unclear. However, most medical experts believe the attack begins in the brain and involves nerve pathways and chemicals that affect blood flow in the brain and surrounding tissues.

Migraine headaches tend to first appear between the ages of 10 and 45, and they may run in families. Migraines occur more often in women than men, and some women experience fewer migraines during pregnancy.

Migraine attacks can be triggered by a variety of factors, including caffeine withdrawal, changes in hormone levels, changes in sleep patterns, exercise or other physical stress, loud noises or bright lights, missed meals, odors or perfumes, smoking or exposure to smoke, and stress and anxiety. Certain foods, such as chocolate, dairy products, foods with monosodium glutamate (MSG), foods with tyramine, fruits, meats containing nitrates, and onions, can also trigger migraines.

It’s important to note that true migraine headaches are not a result of a brain tumor or other serious medical problem. Only a healthcare provider can determine if your symptoms are due to a migraine disorder or another condition.

There are two main types of migraines: migraine with aura (classic migraine) and migraine without aura.

What Your Headache is Telling You

You can’t focus during a meeting, you dread picking the kids up after school and your date night sounds awful. Headaches are interfering with your life. ADVENT is here to explain what the location of your headache is telling you and what you can do to finally find some relief.

What Exactly is a Headache?

A headache occurs when the pain-sensitive structures in your head are stimulated by over-activity or underlying disease.

While there is a myriad of reasons for a headache, here’s what the location of your headache is telling you:

Top of the Head

Headaches that occur at the top of the head are typically a result of tension headaches, which are the most common. Associated with a dull pain, tightness or constant pressure around the head, they are triggered by things like a change in diet, poor sleeping habits, activity or stress.

Back of the Head

Back-of-the-head headaches are also a source of tension headaches, especially if you’re experiencing neck or spinal muscle spasms. Headaches in the back of the head may also be a result of poor posture.

Side of the Head

Pain on the side of the head is a good indicator of a migraine. Migraines are triggered by hormones, diet, caffeine or stress. If the pain is severe and continues on a daily or weekly basis, it may be a result of a cluster headache, which is commonly associated with allergies or stress.

Side-of-the-head headaches are also brought on by tension headaches, inducing pressure and pain.

Behind the Eye

Headaches that occur behind the eye are another sign of migraine. If you’re experiencing pain behind both eyes, it may be a symptom of infection in the Ethmoid or Sphenoid sinus cavity – a sign you may need more than medication to find relief.

Forehead

If you’re experiencing a headache located in the forehead, it may be another sign of a tension headache. If the pain is only affecting one side of the forehead it may be an indicator of a migraine or cluster headache. Forehead headaches are also commonly caused by infection of the Frontal sinus. Frequent headaches in this area are a sign you may need more than medication to find relief.

Treating Your Headaches

Treatment for your headache depends on the type of headache you’re experiencing and can vary anywhere between over-the-counter medications, hot or cold compresses and sleep, to prescription medications. If you are experiencing temporary or constant headaches, please consult with a medical professional.

Treating Sinus Headaches with ADVENT

While sinus headaches may be confused with migraines or tension headaches, they are common if you suffer from sinusitis or have issues within The Breathing Triangle®.

Not to worry, there are many simple in-office solutions for you to solve your chronic sinus headaches. In fact, ADVENT has helped over 30,000 people get to the root of their sinus and sleep issues for good…

Migraine: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia

A migraine is a type of headache. It may occur with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, or sensitivity to light and sound. In most people, a throbbing pain is felt only on one side of the head.

A migraine headache is caused by abnormal brain activity. This activity can be triggered by many things. But the exact chain of events remains unclear. Most medical experts believe the attack begins in the brain and involves nerve pathways and chemicals. The changes affect blood flow in the brain and surrounding tissues.

Migraine headaches tend to first appear between the ages of 10 and 45. Sometimes, they begin earlier or later. Migraines may run in families. Migraines occur more often in women than men. Some women, but not all, have fewer migraines when they are pregnant.

Migraine attacks may be triggered by any of the following:

• Caffeine withdrawal
• Changes in hormone levels during a woman’s menstrual cycle or with the use of birth control pills
• Changes in sleep patterns, such as not getting enough sleep
• Drinking alcohol
• Exercise or other physical stress
• Loud noises or bright lights
• Missed meals
• Odors or perfumes
• Smoking or exposure to smoke
• Stress and anxiety

Migraines can also be triggered by certain foods. Most common are:

• Chocolate
• Dairy foods, especially certain cheeses
• Foods with monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Foods with tyramine, which includes red wine, aged cheese, smoked fish, chicken livers, figs, and certain beans
• Fruits (avocado, banana, citrus fruit)
• Meats containing nitrates (bacon, hot dogs, salami, cured meats)
• Onions
• Peanuts and other nuts and seeds
• Processed, fermented, pickled, or marinated foods

True migraine headaches are not a result of a brain tumor or other serious medical problem. Only a health care provider can determine if your symptoms are due to a migraine disorder or other condition.

There are two main types of migraines:

• Migraine with aura (classic migraine)
• Migraine without aura (common migraine)

An aura is a group of nervous system (neurologic) symptoms. These symptoms are considered a warning sign that a migraine is coming. Most often, the vision is affected and can include any or all of the following:

• Temporary blind spots or colored spots
• Blurred vision
• Eye pain
• Seeing stars, zigzag lines, or flashing lights
• Tunnel vision (only able to see objects close to the center of the field of view)

Other nervous system symptoms include yawning, difficulty concentrating, nausea, trouble finding the right words, dizziness, weakness, numbness, and tingling. Some of these symptoms are much less common with migraine headaches. If you have any of these symptoms, your provider will likely order tests to find the cause.

An aura often occurs 10 to 15 minutes before the headache, but can occur just a few minutes to 24 hours before. A headache does not always follow an aura.

The headaches usually:

• Start as a dull ache and get worse within minutes to hours
• Are throbbing, pounding, or pulsating
• Are worse on one side of the head with pain behind the eye or in the back of the head and neck
• Last 4 to 72 hours

Other symptoms that may occur with the headache include:

• Chills
• Increased urination
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea and vomiting
• Sensitivity to light or sound
• Sweating

Symptoms may linger, even after the migraine goes away. This is called a migraine hangover. Symptoms can include:

• Feeling mentally dull, like your thinking is not clear or sharp
• Needing more sleep
• Neck pain

Your provider can diagnose migraine headache by asking about your symptoms and family history of migraines. A complete physical and neurological exam will be done to determine if your headaches are due to muscle tension, sinus problems, or a brain disorder.

There is no specific test to prove that your headache is actually a migraine. In most cases, no special tests are needed. Your provider may order a brain CT or MRI scan if you have never had one before. The test may also be ordered if you have unusual symptoms with your migraine, including weakness, memory problems, or loss of alertness.

An electroencephalogram (EEG) may be needed to rule out seizures. A lumbar puncture (spinal tap) might be done.

There is no specific cure for migraine headaches. The goal is to treat your migraine symptoms right away and to prevent symptoms by avoiding or changing your triggers.

A key step is learning how to manage your migraines at home. A headache diary can help you identify your headache triggers. Then you and your provider can plan how to avoid these triggers.

Lifestyle changes include:

• Healthier sleep habits, such as getting enough sleep and going to bed at the same time each night
• Healthier eating habits, including not skipping meals and avoiding your food triggers
• Managing stress
• Losing weight, if you’re overweight

If you have frequent migraines, your provider may prescribe medicine to reduce the number of attacks. You need to take the medicine every day for it to be effective. Medicines may include:

• Antidepressants
• Blood pressure medicines, such as beta blockers
• Anti-seizure medicines
• Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) agents

Botulinum toxin type A (Botox) injections may also help reduce migraine attacks if they occur more than 15 days a month.

Some people find relief with minerals and vitamins. Check with your provider to see if riboflavin or magnesium is right for you. Some of these medicines may not be safe for a pregnant or breast-feeding woman to take.

TREATING AN ATTACK

Hydration with fluids is often helpful, with or without the use of medicines. Other medicines are taken at the first sign of a migraine attack. Over-the-counter (OTC) pain medicines, such as acetaminophen, naproxen, ibuprofen, or aspirin are often helpful when your migraine is mild. Be aware that:

• Taking medicines more than 3 days a week may lead to rebound headaches. These are headaches that keep coming back due to overuse of pain medicine.
• Taking too much acetaminophen can damage your liver.
• Too much naproxen, ibuprofen or aspirin can irritate your stomach or kidneys.

If these treatments do not help, ask your provider about prescription medicines. These include nasal sprays, suppositories, or injections. The group of medicines most often used is called triptans.

Some migraine medicines narrow the blood vessels. If you are at risk for having a heart attack or have heart disease, talk with your provider before using these medicines. Some migraine medicines should not be used by pregnant women. Talk with your provider about which medicine is right for you if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant.

Other medicines treat symptoms of migraine, such as nausea and vomiting. They may be used alone or along with the other drugs that treat the migraine itself.

Feverfew is an herb for migraines. It can be effective for some people. Before using feverfew, make sure your provider approves. Herbal remedies sold in drugstores and health food stores are not regulated. Work with a trained herbalist when selecting herbs.

PREVENTING MIGRAINE HEADACHES

If your migraines occur more than twice a week, your provider may place you on medicines to take every day, which may help prevent your migraines. The goal is to prevent how often migraines occur and how severe the headache is. These types of medicines may help prevent or reduce migraine headaches:

• Medicines commonly used for high blood pressure (such as beta-blockers, angiotensin blockade agents, and calcium channel blockers)
• Certain medicines used to treat depression
• Certain medicines used to treat seizures, called anticonvulsants
• Botulinum toxin type A injections for select patients
• Medicines that block CGRP

Newer devices that provide different kinds of nerve stimulation or magnetic stimulation are also being evaluated for treatment of migraine headaches. Their exact role in treating migraines remains unclear.

Each person responds differently to treatment. Some people have migraines only rarely and need little to no treatment. Others need to take several medicines or even go to the hospital sometimes.

Migraine headache is a risk factor for stroke. Risk is higher in people who smoke, more so in women who have migraines that occur with aura. In addition to not smoking, people with migraines should avoid other risk factors for stroke. These include:

• Taking estrogen containing birth control pills
• Eating unhealthy foods, which can cause high cholesterol or high blood pressure

Call 911 or the local emergency number if:

• You are experiencing “the worst headache of your life.”
• You have speech, vision, or movement problems or loss of balance, especially if you have not had these symptoms with a migraine before.
• A headache starts suddenly.

Schedule an appointment or contact your provider if:

• Your headache pattern or pain changes.
• Treatments that once worked no longer help.
• You have side effects from your medicine.
• You are taking birth control pills and have migraine headaches.
• Your headaches are more severe when lying down.

Headache – migraine; Vascular headache – migraine

• Headache – what to ask your doctor

• Migraine headache
• Migraine cause
• CT scan of the brain
• Central nervous system and peripheral nervous system

Ailani J, Burch RC, Robbins MS; Board of Directors of the American Headache Society. The American Headache Society Consensus Statement: Update on integrating new migraine treatments into clinical practice. Headache. 2021;61(7):1021-1039. PMID: 34160823 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34160823/.

Garza I, Robertson CE, Smith JH, Whealy MA. Headache and other craniofacial pain. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff’s Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 102.

Hershey AD, Kabbouche MA, O’Brien HL, Kacperski J. Headaches. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, Shah SS, Tasker RC, Wilson KM, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 21st ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 613.

Practice guideline update summary: Acute treatment of migraine in children and adolescents: Report of the Guideline Development, Dissemination, and Implementation Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology and the American Headache Society. Neurology. 2020;94(1):50. PMID: 31822576 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31822576/.

Tassorelli C, Diener HC, Dodick DW, et al. Guidelines of the International Headache Society for controlled trials of preventive treatment of chronic migraine in adults. Cephalalgia. 2018;38(5):815-832. PMID: 29504482 pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29504482/.

Updated by: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

Causes of headache in the parietal part of the head. Why does it hurt?

Causes of headache in the parietal part of the head. Why does it hurt?

Gimranov Rinat Fazylzhanovich
Neurologist, neurophysiologist, experience – 33 years;
Professor of Neurology, MD;
Clinic for Rehabilitation Neurology. About the author

Publication date: October 3, 2021

Updated: October 25, 2022

Headache in the parietal part of the head is a common phenomenon, although the causes of discomfort in this area vary.

More often, cephalalgia is the body’s reaction to external stimuli, including psychological ones [1]. The problem is solved with the help of medicines available in the pharmacy and the elimination of the negative factor. But also, a similar symptom can be a signal of the development of a dangerous pathology or disease.

Article content:

• 1 Causes
  • 1.1 External factors
  • 1.2 Diseases
• 2 Diagnosis
• 3 Treatment 9 0025
• 4 References

Causes

There are many causes that can cause localized cephalalgia. As a rule, the head hurts in the parietal part due to the episodic impact of negative factors on this area of ​​the head.

Do not brush aside the regularly occurring pain in the crown area or try to cope with it on your own. Seeing a doctor will keep you healthy. Consultation and examination will allow to exclude a dangerous condition or to identify and treat it.

External factors

There are many reasons why an adult or a teenager has a headache in the area of ​​the crown where the bones of the skull meet.

Common factors that worsen a person’s well-being are:

1. Abuse of alcohol, nicotine-containing substances, drugs, energy drinks. Toxic substances, entering the body, have a negative effect on the circulatory system. Including on the vessels responsible for supplying oxygen to the brain.
2. Severe stress, both one-time and regular. Overexertion of the nervous system causes cephalalgia in any part of the head.
3. Side effects from drugs. Typically, they occur when trying to self-treat any disease.
4. Improper nutrition. Excessive indulgence in sugary or fatty foods with monosodium glutamate. It is also harmful and fasting with limiting the amount of useful substances entering the body.
5. Abrupt climate change. This can be both weather changes within the territory of a person’s residence, and a change in the climatic zone during travel [2]. In both cases, discomfort disappears after a while, when the body adapts to new conditions.

1. Stuffiness, lack of oxygen in the room. Therefore, it is important to regularly, and before going to bed too, ventilate the room.
2. Regular lack of sleep or sleeping in an uncomfortable position.
3. Physical overwork

But external, harmless factors do not always cause parietal cephalgia. There are other, more dangerous reasons for this.

Diseases

Serious diseases or pathological changes in the body also become the cause of a headache in the crown region. Then the attacks become regular or permanent. The right decision with such a state of health is to go to the clinic for a full examination.

Common diseases that cause discomfort in the region of the crown are:

1. Systemic hypertension or a sharp increase in blood pressure (hypertensive crisis). Simultaneously with pain in the crown region, tinnitus occurs, vision deteriorates, dizziness appears with nausea. Feeling worse when a person lies down, the patient feels better when standing.

1. Infection or inflammatory process that occurs with damage to the membranes (meningitis) and brain tissues (encephalitis). Additional symptoms are a sharp significant increase in body temperature, signs of intoxication.

1. Tumor, benign or malignant. Gradually increasing, the neoplasm compresses the nearby membranes and centers in the brain. This process leads to the appearance of a variety of symptoms, depending on the specific localization of the neoplasm. The pain is constant, pulsating or manifests itself in the form of seizures after sleep, physical exertion. Additionally, a person may lose consciousness, behave inappropriately, speech disorders occur, coordination suffers.

1. Intoxication, poisoning. Brain neurons suffer from toxic substances, swell, die. The work of the centers of the brain is disrupted. A person experiences a feeling of nausea, vomiting occurs, dizziness [3].

1. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. The displacement of the cervical vertebrae and their deformation leads to pinching of the nerves and compression of the vessels that feed the brain. There is cephalgia in the back of the head, crown. Due to the deterioration of blood flow, neurons starve, as evidenced by severe pain in the parietal region.

Also, cephalalgia in the vertex manifests itself as separate variants of ischemic strokes and pre-stroke conditions. When speech or consciousness is disturbed against such a background, the face becomes asymmetrical, emergency medical care is needed. Not an analgesic pill.

If the head hurts constantly in the crown area, do not drown out the discomfort with painkillers. Consult a doctor to determine the true cause of this condition and get rid of it forever.

Diagnosis

To determine the exact reasons why the crown of the head hurts, contact the clinic for a full examination. The sooner, when attacks of unpleasant sensations become constant, and it is not possible to independently identify the external factor that activates them.

After a conversation with the patient, during which the accompanying symptoms are clarified and assessed, the doctor prescribes instrumental examinations to help identify a specific problem [4]: ​​

• Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain will show neoplasms, vascular aneurysms and other abnormalities. It helps to determine the area of ​​localization of the pathology for possible further surgical intervention.

• Blood tests: general and biochemical. Allow to determine the presence of infection, as well as toxic substances that poison the body.

• Diagnostic ultrasound, transcranial Doppler, used to examine blood vessels. Gives an assessment of their condition, patency, finds places of narrowing (stenosis) in atherosclerosis, deformation due to osteochondrosis of the neck.

• Radiography, including CT, determines the condition of the skull bones, the presence of traces of trauma or neoplasms.

After receiving the results, the doctor analyzes them and makes an accurate diagnosis. If necessary, refer the patient for further treatment to a doctor of the appropriate profile.

Treatment

Depending on the reason why the parietal part of the head hurts, treatment is prescribed. Professional doctors know about the effectiveness of complex therapy. The clinic selects a course for a particular patient, combining multidirectional methods.

To achieve a stable result, the diagnosis and additional factors are taken into account. Among them: age, gender of the patient, other diseases, allergies, tolerance of certain methods, drugs.

In the treatment of head pain, three main approaches are traditionally combined:

• Medication, medicinal. Specific names of drugs and their dosage are assigned to each patient separately. The course is adjusted by the doctor as the patient is observed.

• Physiotherapy is used for certain diseases only if there are no contraindications to certain methods of influence. As a rule, procedures are prescribed after the subsidence of acute processes. Good results are obtained by the thoughtful use of transcranial magnetic stimulation, TMS [5].

• Surgical intervention in neurosurgery clinics helps to prevent a critical condition when an aneurysm or neoplasm is detected. After the intervention of the surgeon, the patient is waiting for a period of rehabilitation.

The use of traditional methods in the treatment of diseases affecting the brain is not recommended without a good reason. If you want to include any home remedy in the course of treatment, consult with your doctor first.

References

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If you suffer from a headache? — Medical center “Healer”

February 11, 2021

February 11, 2021

If you suffer from a headache?

Make an appointment

Patients’ complaints of headaches are one of the most common symptoms encountered in the daily practice of a neurologist. The cause of pain in the head, as a rule, depends on the specific location of its location: pain in the back of the head, frontal part or in the temples. Often a headache is a companion of a serious illness. Therefore, first of all, it is necessary to diagnose it correctly.

Does your head hurt all the time, every day? Here are the questions I ask at the reception in the first place:

• Have you ever had headaches that made you want to close the curtains, turn off the TV and lie down so that no one touches you?
• Have you noticed a connection with menstruation before and now?
• Did you have a headache during pregnancy?
• How many painkillers do you take per month?

What is chronic headache?

Specialists speak of chronic headache when the pain lasts more than 2 weeks in a month for 3 months or more. It includes:

– migraine;

– tension headache;

– drug-induced headache (abuse of painkillers).

The most common is chronic migraine. The word “chronic” does not mean the duration of the disease (1, 5, 10 years), but the number of days with a headache per month! According to the diagnostic criteria – more than 15 days with a headache per month, 8 of which are migraine lasting more than three months.

But! It is important to understand that these may be:

• frequent migraine attacks, more than 2 weeks per month;
• frequent background pain in the head with periodic outbreaks of pain with features of migraine;
• daily headache due to drug abuse;
• headache with symptoms of concomitant diseases.

Therefore, it is very important to tell your treating neurologist what kind of headaches you used to worry about. There was never a history of migraine features in chronic tension headache. When such a headache in your case is explained by vegetovascular dystonia (VVD), pressure, cerebral ischemia, osteochondrosis, you need to see a cephalologist.