The pressure in the head, described as "tightening the iron rim around the head", "clamping the head in a vice" - is one of the types of headaches frequently reported by patients. Anyone who has experienced it knows that this ailment is troublesome and can exclude a person from normal life for several hours. What are the causes of the pressure in the head? When with pressure in the head should we immediately see a doctor?

The pressure in the head , that is, severe pain of a pressing and continuous nature, can be felt on both sides of the head, in front and behind it. The pressure in the head may be accompanied by symptoms such as:

  • feeling of crowding in your head and eyeballs
  • pulsating temples
  • neck muscle tension
  • dizziness
  • head tingling
  • face reddening
  • clogged ears

The pressure in the head usually lasts from 30 minutes to several hours. This ailment may result from diseases of other organs and systems, e.g. spine diseases, eye diseases, dental diseases, and even kidney diseases, e.g. kidney failure. The oppression in the head, however, has the character of the so-called primary, i.e. it does not result from present, diagnosed and treated diseases, but is an independent symptom.

There are many factors that cause pressure in the head. Here are the most common ones.

Oppression in the head - 9 main causes

  1. tension headache , that is dull, distressing pain, increasing pain - from weak to strong, usually slowly increasing; it usually appears on both sides of the head, around the forehead and the back of the head, but it is difficult to pinpoint where it originated; it is the tension headache that is most often defined as a feeling of pressure in the back of the head - "like someone put their head in a vice"
  2. stress- especially chronic stress, but experiencing constant anxiety, fear, or just situations that cause some emotional discomfort in us
  3. fatigue- especially chronic fatigue
  4. dehydrationof the body
  5. hunger and dietary mistakes- skipping meals, not maintaining meal times, eating too heavy meals to compensate for the missed ones, starvation, and too much accumulation of food in the diet with caffeine, monosodium glutamate and nitrites, and alcohol
  6. low physical activity- lack of exercise, even in the form of walks in the air,when the body, and hence the brain, is not getting enough oxygen; also staying in unventilated rooms for too long
  7. external stimuli- too strong reactions of the body to strong light, loud sounds, some smells
  8. drugs- pressure headache is one of the most common side effects of drugs
  9. posture defects- from temporary, incorrect body positions in a certain position, e.g. when working at a computer, while sleeping, and ending with spine diseases

Oppression in the head - diagnostics

The diagnosis of pressure in the head, if this type of pain occurs more often, consists in checking whether it results from a malfunction of any of the organs and how much it is troublesome and dangerous for the patient.

The causes of pressure in the head are diagnosed in 2 stages. The first stage is to make a thorough interview and gather as much information as possible from the patient about this ailment. The doctor may then ask for:

  • location of pressure- in the temples (one or both), in front of the head, behind the head, behind the ears, etc .; does it always appear in the same place or different?
  • intensity of oppressionon a certain scale - is it always the same when it gets stronger, etc.
  • duration- if pressure pains are repeated, how long was the shortest and how long
  • nature of pain- prickly, throbbing, dull, persistent, wavy, etc.
  • dependence on body position and certain activities- does it occur e.g. when bending down, standing up, lying flat, during a runny nose or coughing, etc.
  • dependence on treatment methods , i.e. whether it passes, for example, after taking painkillers, after a walk, etc.

In most cases, such a detailed interview allows you to make a diagnosis: what is the cause of the pressure in the head and determine the appropriate treatment. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to implement the second diagnostic stage and perform additional specialist tests, e.g. blood counts, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.

Pressure in the head - when to see a doctor immediately?

Compression headache can also be a sign of a serious threat to he alth and life. When should we contact a doctor as soon as possible? Then, when the pressure headache:

  • appeared after a head injury
  • appeared suddenly, for the first time in my life - especially in people over 50
  • is as strong as never before
  • appears in certain situations - e.g. when coughing, or in positions - e.g.tilting the head down
  • is accompanied by symptoms such as: fever, stiff neck, confusion, visual disturbances, weakness, dementia, speech disorders, seizure
  • Headache - causes and types
  • Migraine - causes, symptoms, treatment
  • Migraine with aura - causes, symptoms, treatment
  • 10 ways to avoid headaches

Category:

He alth