Hit On Head Above Ear, Small Headaches Since Impact. Recurring Pain On Stopping Medicines. CT Clear. Cause?

Posted on Thu, 23 May 2013

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Thu, 23 May 2013 Answered on

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 Last reviewed on

Question : I am a male, lives in india, aged 37 yrs. I got hit by car door corner in the left head just above the ear before 6 months. As the corners were very sharp, I had a big pain as soon as I got hit. But no outside damage.
After that, I had smaller headaches in the hitted area & exactly on the opposite side of the head, i.e., above rightside ear. I have gone to a reputed hospital & consulted with a doctor. He asked me tp take ct san and x XXXXXXX & said that nothing to worry. Given some medicine for 1 week. As long as I have taken the medicine, there is no pain. After that Pain started again. It is not a continious pain. per day 3 or 4 times like that, each time for some half an hour.
I myself afraid of cancer & started taking beta carotine XXXXXXX food like carrot or green tea. Whenever I takes that pain will not be there for 2 to 3 days. Again I will realise the pain. Especially if i take any paracetemol tablets for flu, the pain increases. Sometimes if I takes head bath, I will not have the water chillness in the head. But If I take green tea, next 10 days I am realising the chillness sense. I don't understand what happened to me.
Again I have gone to some other doctor. He has given tests for sugar, thyroid & EEG. Then replied that no sugar problem, thyroid problem. But there are some problems with EEG test. changes are there. Now he asked me to take MRI scan. Now my question is :
1] What I am suffering from?
2] Why this headache only at this place or its opposite area?
3] How it is getting controlled by carrot/green tea?
4] Should i do MRI? If I do that will there be any side effect of radiation?
5] What is the food habit I should follow in order to be in safer side? Foods to be omitted.
6] Am I a cancer patient? or what is it?

Kindly guide me. I am little bit afraid. Not because for my life. By considering my family members, sice I am the only bread winner in my family. Please guide me.

Answered by Dr. Jorge Brenes-Salazar (57 minutes later)

Dear XXXXXXX

Thanks for sharing your health concerns.

1) According to your history with head trauma, no evidence of fracture or major abnormalities in the CT scan, you probably are suffering from post-concussion headaches; these are relatively common after a closed head trauma and can last several weeks to months. The underlying causes are not well understood, but it might be related to disruption in the function of the arteries that supply the brain, just like migraine

2) The location of the headache might be related to the areas where blood flow regulation is altered; for example in migraine, the vessels that dilate in one side can generate pain in that area or contralateral; the circulation of the brain is connected from both sides

3) I wouldn’t understand why carrot helps, but green tea probably is helping through caffeine, which is an analgesic for headaches through constriction of the blood vessels

4) I believe an MRI would be reasonable to detect any areas of damage not detected by CT; it is the best modality to look at the brain. It does not use radiation

5) Follow a healthy diet, XXXXXXX in fruits and vegetables, low salt, low saturated fat and lean protein.

6) Although brain cancer is always a concern with headaches, the normal CT is reassuring and the fact that headaches started after the trauma point more towards other functional diagnoses; the MRI will certainly be able to rule out masses in the brain, but it is less likely given your explanations

Thanks, hope that is helpful, wish you the best to you and your family, thanks for your hard work, blessings,

Dr Brenes-Salazar MD
Mayo Clinic Rochester, MN, USA

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T

Follow up: Dr. Jorge Brenes-Salazar (17 hours later)

Thanks for your clearcut reply sir.

I have one more problem, sometimes, I feel my head is tighten or stiff & I need to shrink and release my eyes in order to get normality. Even though the symptom prevails for some hours. Why is this?

Sometimes, morning while I wake up, I have small pain in the hitten area just for a while, i.e., 1 minute. Why is this?

Secondly, can you give example for lean protien foods.

Thanks.

Answered by Dr. Jorge Brenes-Salazar (6 hours later)

Dear XXXXXXX

Thanks for your reply.

1) The neck stiffness might be related to muscle tension of the muscles of the head and neck; it might also be related to the closed head trauma that you sustained; relaxation exercises for your neck might help as well

2) Lean protein sources: fish, eggs, red meat, soy, poultry with low fat.

Hope this is helpful, wish you and your family a blessed health,

Dr Brenes-Salazar MD

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Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Raju A.T