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Why Have I Been Having Headache At The Back Of My Head?
Question: I have been having headache at the back of my head. It isn't severe. Sometimes it seems like a band is around my head. Tonight I feel like I got hit in the head. It feels like a bump inside my head. I have no other symptoms such as vision or speech impairment, no nausea, no seizures, or anything like that.
Brief Answer:
Questions so that I can advise
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
I have a few questions for you to help me advise:
1. How often have you been getting headaches?
2. How severe are the headaches?
3. How long do they last?
4. How long of a period are you headache free?
5. Do they occur more often when you are stressed?
6. Does the base of your head or neck feel tight when they start?
7. Do you have any nausea, or discomfort with light or sound while you have the headaches?
8. Can you tell when one is coming on?
9. Do they correlate with anything such as red wine, chocolate, not having usual amount of coffee or cola?
10. Did you ever have head trauma?
11. Do you take any meds or supplements?
12. Do you get enough sleep and water? Do they come on more often when you don't?
Thanks - I'll respond after I hear back
Questions so that I can advise
Detailed Answer:
Hello XXXXXXX
I have a few questions for you to help me advise:
1. How often have you been getting headaches?
2. How severe are the headaches?
3. How long do they last?
4. How long of a period are you headache free?
5. Do they occur more often when you are stressed?
6. Does the base of your head or neck feel tight when they start?
7. Do you have any nausea, or discomfort with light or sound while you have the headaches?
8. Can you tell when one is coming on?
9. Do they correlate with anything such as red wine, chocolate, not having usual amount of coffee or cola?
10. Did you ever have head trauma?
11. Do you take any meds or supplements?
12. Do you get enough sleep and water? Do they come on more often when you don't?
Thanks - I'll respond after I hear back
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
In answer to your questions.
1. I have been getting them for the last week. They started after I had to strain real hard to poop. They usually start up in the afternoon. I don't have them when I get up in the mornings.
2. They are't severe. I can deal with them without medicine. You just know it is there. A dull pain I guess you would say.
3. Usually until I go to sleep. They do come and go.
4 I was fishing yesterday and once I was on the water yesterday afternoon they were gone. I would say I'm usually free of them for several hours.
5.Maybe.
6. I don't think so.
7. No
8. Yes
9. Maybe with the cola. I started drinking alot of Mountain Dew about the same time they started.
10.I hit my head in the bathtub about 15 years ago.
11. No I don't. I hate taking medicine. So I try to suffer through.
12. I sometimes don't sleep enough.
I have just got over a really bad cold. I do have some sinus issues with allergies.
Thank you
I didn't hit my head when I fell in the bathtub . I forgot to mention that.
They do seem to be getting better. It isn't as bad as they were 3 or 4 days ago.
1. I have been getting them for the last week. They started after I had to strain real hard to poop. They usually start up in the afternoon. I don't have them when I get up in the mornings.
2. They are't severe. I can deal with them without medicine. You just know it is there. A dull pain I guess you would say.
3. Usually until I go to sleep. They do come and go.
4 I was fishing yesterday and once I was on the water yesterday afternoon they were gone. I would say I'm usually free of them for several hours.
5.Maybe.
6. I don't think so.
7. No
8. Yes
9. Maybe with the cola. I started drinking alot of Mountain Dew about the same time they started.
10.I hit my head in the bathtub about 15 years ago.
11. No I don't. I hate taking medicine. So I try to suffer through.
12. I sometimes don't sleep enough.
I have just got over a really bad cold. I do have some sinus issues with allergies.
Thank you
I didn't hit my head when I fell in the bathtub . I forgot to mention that.
They do seem to be getting better. It isn't as bad as they were 3 or 4 days ago.
Brief Answer:
Thoughts on this
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for the additional information.
The information about them starting up around the time you started drinking a lot of Mountain Dew may mean that they are affected by caffeine or withdrawal from caffeine. If the Mountain Dew has artificial sweetener in it such as aspartame, that can cause headaches too.
Given that they are not severe, and that they do go away with rest (they are gone when you wake up), they don't sound as though they represent something that is very concerning.
I would recommend slowly tapering off sodas and replacing them with something more healthful (water, vitamin water, etc). SLOWLY tapering off is key as doing it too quickly may result in a rebound headache if that is what is going on.
Get regular sleep too - try to establish a routine and stick to it - to get a full night sleep.
Sinus headaches are characteristically in the facial area (forehead, cheeks). Stress headaches often start at the back due to muscle contraction at the base of the skull. Migraine headaches often have an "aura" that they are coming on, and are often on one side of the head. They are often accompanied by nausea and sound and light can be painful. Certain foods can bring them on, causing dilation or constriction of the blood vessels of the brain, but foods/chemicals such as caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and additives in general, can cause headaches in and of themselves without being part of a migraine.
So - try to eat and drink clean, have good sleep "hygiene" (routine, bedtime, etc), adequate water, and see if that doesn't take care of it.
If the headaches persist or worsen, however, then do go in to be seen. But I suspect these minor changes may do the trick.
Thoughts on this
Detailed Answer:
Thanks for the additional information.
The information about them starting up around the time you started drinking a lot of Mountain Dew may mean that they are affected by caffeine or withdrawal from caffeine. If the Mountain Dew has artificial sweetener in it such as aspartame, that can cause headaches too.
Given that they are not severe, and that they do go away with rest (they are gone when you wake up), they don't sound as though they represent something that is very concerning.
I would recommend slowly tapering off sodas and replacing them with something more healthful (water, vitamin water, etc). SLOWLY tapering off is key as doing it too quickly may result in a rebound headache if that is what is going on.
Get regular sleep too - try to establish a routine and stick to it - to get a full night sleep.
Sinus headaches are characteristically in the facial area (forehead, cheeks). Stress headaches often start at the back due to muscle contraction at the base of the skull. Migraine headaches often have an "aura" that they are coming on, and are often on one side of the head. They are often accompanied by nausea and sound and light can be painful. Certain foods can bring them on, causing dilation or constriction of the blood vessels of the brain, but foods/chemicals such as caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and additives in general, can cause headaches in and of themselves without being part of a migraine.
So - try to eat and drink clean, have good sleep "hygiene" (routine, bedtime, etc), adequate water, and see if that doesn't take care of it.
If the headaches persist or worsen, however, then do go in to be seen. But I suspect these minor changes may do the trick.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you
Brief Answer:
Your welcome
Detailed Answer:
Your welcome!
Best regards,
Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, MD
Your welcome
Detailed Answer:
Your welcome!
Best regards,
Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh, MD
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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