The whole top half of my head resonates năm 2024

When it comes to headaches, the difference between one rare type of head pain and more common conditions is a matter of night and day.

Imagine going to bed after an otherwise normal day, eager for a restful night of sleep, only to be suddenly awakened by a headache. You might feel the pain on just one side of your head or all around, and it might last anywhere from 15 minutes to 4 hours.

If this sounds familiar, you may have hypnic headache syndrome, a disorder that happens only while you’re asleep and mostly affects women over 50. People who get these types of headaches typically have more than 10 of them in a month.

Hypnic headaches are also called “alarm clock headaches,” because they usually happen at the same time of night, most often between 1 and 3 a.m. These headaches rarely occur during daytime naps.

The pain they cause can range from mild to severe. More severe pain is often described as throbbing. You also might have:

• Sensitivity to light or sound
• Nausea

Doctors aren’t sure what leads to hypnic headaches. Research suggests there may be a connection between them and certain stages of sleep, but more studies are needed to figure out what brings them on and how they might be prevented.

Your doctor will start by asking about your sleep patterns and habits, like if you snore or are restless during the night. Then they’ll try to rule out other possible causes, including:

• Another primary headache disorder, like cluster headaches or migraine
• Sleep apnea
• Nighttime high blood pressure or low blood sugar
• Nighttime seizures
• Overuse of certain medicines
• Inflammation in an artery in your head
• Head injury or bleeding in your brain
• Brain tumor

To do this, your doctor may suggest one or more of these common tests:

• Blood tests
• Sleep studies
• Computed tomography (CT) scan -- a series of X-rays taken from different angles that are put together to show a more complete picture of your brain
• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan -- powerful magnets and radio waves are used to make detailed images of your brain

If your symptoms match all those linked to hypnic headache and your doctor can’t find any other reason for them, the first thing they’ll probably recommend is some caffeine before bed. You might take it in a pill or simply have a cup of coffee before hitting the sack.

Your doctor also might suggest indomethacin, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), to help with the pain.

If those don’t work well enough, another option might be lithium carbonate, a mood-stabilizing drug often used to treat bipolar disorder and cluster headaches. But you shouldn’t take it if you have heart disease or a problem with your kidneys.

Other medications used to treat hypnic headaches include:

• Aspirin
• Migraine medications like frovatriptan and sumatriptan
• Atenolol (a beta blocker)
• Belladonna, phenobarbital (a barbiturate), and ergotamine (a migraine medication)
• Flunarizine (a calcium channel blocker)
• Lamotrigine (a seizure medication)
• Melatonin
• Prednisone (a steroid)

For many people, these headaches go away with treatment, but more research is needed to find medications that work for everyone.

Head pressure can result from headaches or ear infections, but it can also signal a more severe condition, such as a concussion or tumor. It may occur with other symptoms like dizziness.

A number of conditions can cause a sensation of tightness, weight, or pressure in the head. These sensations can range in intensity from mild to severe.

Most conditions that result in head pressure aren’t cause for alarm. Common ones include tension headaches, migraine, conditions that affect the sinuses, and ear infections.

Abnormal or severe head pressure is sometimes a sign of a serious medical condition, such as a brain tumor or aneurysm. However, these problems are rare.

Read on to learn more about types of pressure and what they might mean.

Do you feel pressure all over your head? Is the pain restricted to your forehead, temples, or a single side? The location of your pain can help your doctor identify potential causes.

Pressure, aches, and pain in the head have many potential causes. Tension headaches and migraine are among the most common.

Tension headaches

How it feels: Pain from tension headaches is generally mild to moderate in severity. Some people describe it as an elastic band squeezing their head.

What it is: Also known as tension-type headaches (TTH), tension headaches are the most common type of headache. The lifetime prevalence of TTH ranges between 30–78%. However, their causes aren’t well understood.

Causes:

• stress
• anxiety
• depression
• poor posture

Sinus headaches and other sinus conditions

How it feels: A constant pressure behind your forehead, cheekbones, nose, jaw, or ears. It will also come along with other symptoms, such as nasal discharge.

What it is: Your sinuses are a series of connected cavities behind your forehead, eyes, cheeks, and nose. When the sinuses become inflamed, they produce excess mucus, which can lead to head pressure. This is also known as a sinus headache. True sinus headaches are rare; it’s easy to mistake a migraine for one.

Causes:

• allergies
• colds and flu
• sinus infections (sinusitis)

Ear conditions

How it feels: Dull but constant pressure in the temples, ears, jaw, or side of the head. Ear conditions can affect one or both sides of the head.

What it is: Ear infections and earwax blockages are common ear conditions that can cause head pressure and ear pain.

Causes:

• ear barotrauma
• ear infections
• earwax blockage
• labyrinthitis
• ruptured eardrum
• outer ear infection (swimmer’s ear)

Migraine

How it feels: Migraine pain is usually described as pulsing or throbbing. It typically occurs on one side of the head, and it can be so intense that it’s disabling. A migraine attack is often accompanied by additional symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.

What it is: Migraine is a common type of headache disorder. It first appears in adolescence or early adulthood and tends to reoccur. Migraine attacks often include warning signs and progress through distinct stages.

Causes: The causes of migraine aren’t well understood, although genetic and environmental factors appear to be involved.

Other headaches

What they feel like: Pressure, pulsing, or throbbing all over or in a specific area of the head. Some headaches are accompanied by eye pain.

What they are: Most people experience a headache at some point in their lives. There are hundreds of types of headaches, including cluster, caffeine, and .

Causes: Headaches are caused by a wide range of factors. Some are medical conditions, while other types are symptoms of another condition.

Concussions and other head injuries

How it feels: A concussion results from a head injury and can cause a sensation of mild pressure in your head or a headache. Related symptoms include confusion, nausea, and dizziness.

What it is: A concussion is a mild head injury. It occurs when the brain shakes, bounces, or twists inside the skull, which can affect brain activity and damage brain cells.

Causes: Concussions and other head injuries are caused by sudden impact to the head or whiplash. Falls, car accidents, and sports injuries are common.

Brain tumor

How it feels: Pressure or heaviness in the head or neck. Brain tumors can cause severe headaches and are often accompanied by other symptoms, such as memory problems, vision problems, or difficulty walking.

What it is: A brain tumor occurs when cells grow and multiply to form an abnormal mass in the brain. Brain tumors are rare.

Causes: Brain tumors can be noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). They can originate in the brain (primary tumors) or grow from cancer cells that have traveled from elsewhere in the body (secondary tumors).

Brain aneurysm

How it feels: Severe head pain that comes on suddenly. People who’ve had aneurysms rupture describe it as “the worst headache of their life.”

What it is: A brain aneurysm is a bulging or ballooning blood vessel. Excess pressure can cause the bulge to rupture and bleed into the brain.

Causes: The causes of brain aneurysms aren’t well-understood. Risk factors include high blood pressure, smoking cigarettes, and age.

Other conditions

A number of other conditions can cause head pressure. Some of these include:

• dehydration or hunger
• dental infections and other dental problems
• fatigue, and conditions or medications that cause fatigue
• high blood pressure
• infections, such as meningitis and encephalitis
• muscle strain in the head or neck
• stroke and transient ischemic attack (ministroke)

Sometimes, head pressure occurs on its own, but it may also be accompanied by other symptoms.

Pressure in the head and ears

Pressure in the head and ears might be a sign of an ear infection, earwax blockage, or dental infection.

If you suspect an infection, make sure to discuss your symptoms with a doctor to determine what treatment is needed.

Pressure in the head and dizziness

Dizziness accompanied by head pressure can be a sign of a number of conditions, including:

• allergic reaction
• concussion or head injury
• dehydration
• heat exhaustion
• high blood pressure
• infection
• migraine
• panic attack

Pressure in the head and neck

The stress in the nerves and muscles of the neck can cause pain in the head. Sometimes, pressure or pain appears in both the head and the neck. This can be caused by headaches, such as tension headaches or migraine. Other causes include whiplash, poor posture, muscle strain, and concussions.

Pressure in the head and eyes

Head pressure accompanied by eye pressure can be a sign of eyestrain, allergies, or sinus infections. Migraine and other headaches can also cause eye-related symptoms.

Some causes of head pressure and pain don’t require medical treatment. Home remedies and lifestyle changes may help to improve your symptoms.

Tension headaches, in particular, have been linked to stress, poor sleep, and mental health conditions such as depression and anxiety. Menstruation may also cause tension headaches.

Here are a few things to try if you experience chronic tension headaches:

• Reduce sources of stress.
• Make time for relaxing activities, such as taking a hot bath, reading, massage, or stretching.
• Improve your posture to avoid tensing your muscles.
• Get enough sleep.
• Treat sore muscles with ice or heat.

Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, such as aspirin, naproxen (Aleve), ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), or Excedrin, can also help. That said, ask your doctor first before trying them.

The treatment your doctor will recommend depends on the underlying cause of head pressure and pain.

When the source of your head pressure isn’t clear, or symptoms suggest a more serious condition, a doctor might order a CT scan or an MRI scan. Both of these diagnostic procedures produce a detailed image of your brain that your doctor will use to learn more about what is causing your pain.

When headaches occur on a regular basis, your doctor might prescribe medication to help prevent them. These include , anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants, and other pain relievers. If your headaches are disrupting your daily life, your doctor will likely be able to help.

Lifestyle changes and alternative therapies are also effective in treating tension headaches. Alternative therapies primarily focus on relieving stress and tension. These include:

• acupuncture
• biofeedback
• essential oils

Can head pressure be related to anxiety?

Tension headaches have been linked to anxiety. If you’re experiencing anxiety or stress accompanied by pressure in the head, you might be having a tension headache.

Why does my head feel heavy without a headache?

There are many things that can cause head heaviness without headaches. Examples include fatigue, brain fog, dizziness, as well as stress.

Learn more: Why does my head feel heavy?

When should I worry about head pressure?

Speak with a doctor in the following cases:

• You consistently have to take pain medication for head pressure
• You experience pain more than two times per week.
• Your discomfort is long-term (chronic), severe, or unusual for you.
• Your headaches or pressure disrupt your day-to-day activities

If you don’t already have a primary care provider, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healthline FindCare tool.

Depending on your condition, your doctor might refer you to a neurologist or ear, nose, and throat specialist (ENT), also known as an otolaryngologist.

The most common causes of pressure and pain in the head are tension headaches and migraine. Both of these conditions respond well to treatments.

In rare cases, pressure in the head is a sign of a more serious condition. If the issue persists, you should see a doctor.

Why do I have so much tension on the top of my head?

Headaches on top of your head are usually caused by stress and poor posture, but can also be related to dehydration, sleep deprivation, sinus infections or allergies, and certain medications.

What does the top of the head pain mean spiritually?

Vertex; The top of the head is associated with our connection to the Universe or God. Pain here is associated with separation from that higher power. It is also associated with the Kidneys and the emotion is Fear.

Why is the top of my brain throbbing?

There are many reasons, such as a fever, infection, high blood pressure, head injury, and mental or emotional problems. Most headaches aren't due to an emergency condition, such as a bulging blood vessel in the brain (aneurysm). But call 911 if you get a sudden headache with no obvious cause that's extremely intense.

Why do I feel weird at the top of my head?

Tension, migraine, and occipital neuralgia are some of the possible causes. In some cases, a person may need medical attention. Localized pain at the top of the head could stem from a variety of causes. In most cases, this type of headache will not indicate an underlying health condition and will resolve on its own.