Almost always, frequent headaches at night are symptoms of a serious problem, such as a heart attack. Therefore, urgent and effective treatment is needed. It is required to consult a neurologist, and not to perform self-medication. Why headache at night, described in the article.
Types of pain
Night headaches differ in appearance time and duration:
- Frequent discomfort may indicate arterial hypertension, Horton syndrome, and vascular atherosclerosis.
- Paroxysmal cutting occurs in people with hemicrania and hypertension.
- Unilateral pains appear with hemicrania. They are observed in the frontotemporal part.
- Repeated appear with inflammation of 5 pairs of cranial nerves.
Whatever the pain, they lead to discomfort. An expert can prescribe effective treatment when the exact cause of the disease is identified. According to the mechanism of the appearance of pain, they can be as follows:
- Stress. In this situation, the pressure will be in the area of the eyes, head. This type occurs before bedtime and can last from half an hour to 5-7 days.
- Cluster Appears in front of the head. It is a strong type of cephalgic syndromes. The pain is spontaneous, short-term. Attacks can be from 60 minutes.
- Hypochondriac. It arises from a strong focus on brain diseases and similar diseases. The pain appears in the evening. In the middle of the night a person wakes up from a malaise.
- Organic It develops with pathologies in the brain, for example, with hemorrhage, tumors and other neoplasms of the brain tissue. It is observed with a heavy load throughout the day. It can be both at bedtime, and at it.
- Temporal. It occurs with temporal arteritis. Pain radiates to the neck and shoulder. Appears in the evening and when resting.
- Cephalgic syndrome. It develops from intracranial hemorrhage, in which speech, vision is disturbed, ataxia appears.
Before starting treatment, you should determine why the head hurts at night. The use of effective methods of therapy will eliminate all these types of discomfort.
Etiology of the disease
If the headache at night, the causes of this phenomenon are different. This occurs from inflammation in the ENT organs or due to diseases of the mandibular joint. More discomfort is observed with:
- violation of arterial and venous blood flow;
- inflammation of 5, 9, 10 pairs of cranial nerves;
- anatomical and physiological changes in the upper spine;
- brain damage;
- psychogenic and other factors.
Often pain during sleep occurs with arterial vascular pathology. In any case, only the doctor can determine the cause of the discomfort.
Hypotension
If a headache appears from strong loads on the body throughout the day, then this is considered a sign of low blood pressure. To eliminate the symptom, you must drink coffee and dark chocolate.
This is a common reason why headache at night. To normalize the pressure, the doctor prescribes effective medications, and also provides recommendations for correcting the lifestyle.
High pressure
This is another reason why my head hurts at night, and passes in the morning. Moreover, the pressure may be arterial or intracranial. Pain is usually manifested by seizures. Usually it occurs in the back of the head or frontotemporal. This state of health often manifests itself in overweight women. Painful sensations can aggravate when coughing or sneezing.
Intracranial pressure arises from tumors. Well-being worsens with its progression. Localization can be in the left or right hemisphere, it all depends on the location of the tumor. The pain is pulsating, splitting, or deep. This usually happens after a heavy load on the body, a long stay in a horizontal position.
Uncomfortable sensations also appear from other causes: concussion, hemorrhage, fatigue, stress. If pain at night occurs with ICP, then surgical intervention is necessary. With hypertension, medications are used.
Histamine disease
This is another reason why my head hurts at night and in the morning. Unpleasant sensations are usually observed every day and last about two hours. Localization can be in one of the eye sockets, on the left or on the right.
This disease develops from the frequent use of alcohol, products with tyramine, climate change. Treatment is based on addressing the causes that lead to seizures.
Intoxication
Why does my head hurt in the evening and at night? This occurs with various infections and poisonings. You may also experience fever, tinnitus, loss of strength and depression. Night pain develops from toxins and pathogens.
Unpleasant sensations arise from non-compliance with the treatment regimen and taking the drug. In the morning, the head is disturbed due to a decrease in the concentration of drugs that are used to treat infection. Therapy aims to eliminate the source. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs help temporarily rule out malaise.
Cluster Cephalgic Syndrome
Why does the headache at night, if the pressure is normal? With cluster cephalgic syndrome, pain occurs from unknown causes. It manifests itself in the eyes, forehead, temples, usually in the form of seizures. Discomfort is usually observed at the same time and lasts about an hour.
They treat the disease with triptans, ergotamine and oxygen inhalations. During the period of attacks, you need to adhere to the treatment regimen, diet. It is still important to exclude alcohol.
Migraine
Why does a headache at night, and in the morning pass? The cause may be a neurological illness - migraine. It is manifested by acute throbbing pain in the forehead and temples. Bright light stimuli, loud sounds, smells, nausea, apathy can affect a person. Migraine may be after waking up.
The treatment is based on triptans, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Alternative medicine is also used. It is also important to change your lifestyle. Phytotherapy and psychotherapeutic methods are used.
Hypoglycemia
Why does the back of my head hurt at night? From a lack of sugar in the blood, a feeling of hunger appears. This is accompanied by severe headaches. This condition can interfere with falling asleep, which prevents a good rest. In this situation, proper nutrition, a rational distribution of meals is required.
Heart attack or stroke
Why does my head hurt at night while sleeping? Sometimes this is a symptom of a heart attack or stroke. Therefore, if a bad dream due to pain in the head, you must consult a specialist.
Pathology of the spine
This is another common reason why headaches after night. Throbbing discomfort is associated with impaired blood circulation in the brain. The pain from infection, sudden movements and overstrain are exacerbated.
Temporal arteritis
Why does the older generation have a headache? Often this is associated in temporal arteritis. Usually unpleasant sensations are aching in nature, concentrated in the back of the head or in the temples. There is a high fever, muscle pain, visual disturbance.
The doctor prescribes treatment only after identifying the cause. Usually it is supposed to take antibacterial agents, which must be drunk with a course.
Psychogenic factors
Why does my head hurt when you sleep at night? Pain can be accompanied by nightmares. It is difficult for a person to wake up independently, until discomfort reaches its apogee. After waking up, apathy and depression often appear. The condition occurs with mental stress and mental fatigue or chronic lack of sleep.
In this case, doctors recommend more rest, do yoga and exercise. Relaxing treatments, including self-massage, are also needed.
All causes of headache at night are listed here. To eliminate an unpleasant symptom, sometimes compliance with effective means or procedures is required. After treatment, prevention is necessary.
Diagnostics
A single pain is eliminated by analgesics, but if it is systematic, consultation with a neurologist or therapist is required, which will direct you to an examination to specific specialists.
To establish the cause requires a comprehensive examination, consisting of:
- UZDG of arteries of a neck, "gray matter".
- Electrocardiography
- Electromyography.
- Puncture of the cerebrospinal fluid.
If necessary, the doctor can prescribe a blood plasma test, biochemistry, urine analysis. There may still be other methods of examination, depending on the nature of the course of the disease.
You should not assign yourself funds on your own. This should be done by a doctor. Diagnosis allows you to assign effective treatment methods. All therapy should be performed under medical supervision.
Treatment
To eliminate pain at night you need to choose a course of treatment, you should know why the head starts to hurt at night. Therapy is performed depending on the type of ailment:
- With tensiose discomfort, painkillers are used. Sometimes the symptoms disappear after anti-inflammatory drugs - Ibuprofen, Paracetamol. If the disease does not disappear after 7 days, then the pathology is eliminated by exercise therapy.
- In migraines, it is necessary to exclude irritating factors: tobacco smoke, loud and monotonous noise.
- Cluster crises are treated with injections of drugs, oxygen therapy.
- With high intracranial pressure, elimination of the focus of inflammation in the "gray matter" is required. Trepanation is performed.
- With temporal arteritis, antibacterial medications should be taken.
- If tension is associated with strong loads, stresses, you need to neutralize the provocateurs. You can reduce the intensity of symptoms with the help of exercise therapy, a light massage.
Do not treat the pathology on your own, since the causes of the disease can be serious. Only a qualified doctor can establish the nature of the ailment, recommend a suitable therapy.
With changes in blood pressure
If the pain appears with hypotension, then funds are needed to increase the pressure. To do this, apply:
- eleutherococcus;
- ginseng;
- caffeine;
- citramone.
When hypotension appeared from starvation, then thanks to a full meal, it will be possible to get rid of discomfort without the use of painkillers. Medicines should be prescribed by a doctor. You can alleviate the condition yourself with a cool bath, relaxation and good sleep.
Preparation for sleep
Sometimes night headaches appear in the absence of proper preparation for bedtime. Therefore, the following recommendations should be followed:
- For 1 hour before bedtime, you should not watch TV and use the phone. This habit negatively affects health. From the radiations of the display, emotions, thoughts, a bad dream appears. The brightness of the screen is harmful to the eyes. These are just some of the consequences of this habit. But it will be useful to read literature.
- It is necessary to stop communication one hour before bedtime. This applies to telephone conversations, mail checking and live conversations.
- Do not eat before bedtime. It is also harmful to lie on an empty stomach. It is advisable to have a snack 2 hours before bedtime, but use light food.
- You should also not drink tea and coffee. But herbal teas, which have a calming effect, help. These fees can be bought at pharmacies.
- Do not drink alcohol before bedtime. At night, it is difficult for organs to cope with the toxins that are in table wine or beer.
- In the evening, it is undesirable to take a hot bath or a contrast shower. It is advisable to carry out hardening procedures in the morning. A warm bath with sea salt will do. The temperature should not be more than 37 °.
- In a dream, people spend at least 6-7 hours. During this period, the oxygen concentration in the room decreases. To make it easier to wake up in the morning, you need to ventilate the bedroom before going to bed.
For quick falling asleep and a good rest, infusions of herbs are used. It is better to consult a doctor, since some plants with certain ailments may be contraindicated. The following infusions are effective:
- It will take 2 tbsp. l Valerian root, which is filled with a glass of boiling water. Insisting is an hour. The drink is cooled and filtered. Take it should be 2 tbsp. l 4 times a day.
- A remedy from tinctures of hawthorn and propolis is used. Not more than 3 times a day, 2 drops are used 30 minutes before meals.
If you follow these simple rules, you can improve the quality of sleep. A person will sleep better and therefore will feel great during the day.
Prevention
Preventing pathology is easier than treating it. Simple guidelines must be followed to rule out headaches:
- Need a dream for at least 8 hours.
- Work breaks should be taken.
- It is necessary to reduce the consumption of caffeinated drinks.
- The exclusion of alcoholic cocktails and tobacco products is required.
- Effective walking, running, swimming.
Headache at night is not a separate pathology. Usually this is a symptom of some kind of ailment. Therefore, the root cause must be neutralized. If the origin cannot be identified, then the therapy is aimed at preventing, mitigating the subsequent crisis.