A pressing headache is a common occurrence that every person has to face regardless of age. As a result, this leads to inhibition of the general condition, which is expressed in sleep disturbance, decreased performance, lack of mood and increased irritability. The causes of this condition can be various, ranging from a banal lack of sleep and ending with the development of diseases in the body.
Features of a pressing headache
If the discomfort is temporary, which goes away without any inconvenience to a person, then this should not cause any anxiety. This can be caused by vascular spasm. But in the case of prolonged pressing pain, which prevents a person from fully living and working, you should pay attention to this and find out the cause of the pathological process.
Pressive headaches are divided into 2 main categories:
- primary - not related to disease;
- secondary - as a symptom of concomitant pathologies.
The most dangerous are uncomfortable sensations that appear suddenly without provoking factors and do not wane over a long period.
Main reasons and location
An uncomfortable condition can be triggered by certain diseases. The cause of pain can be identified by its location.
- Increased intracranial pressure. In this case, a pressing headache appears in the forehead, spreading from the top of the head to the eyes. Uncomfortable manifestations are often felt and have a aching character. This type of pain can be a symptom of a stroke.
- Concussion, head injuries. In this case, a severe headache presses on all sides. An unpleasant sensation appears the day after an injury or after 2 weeks.
- Influenza, SARS. These diseases cause a pressing headache that can spread all over the head or localize purely in the forehead, eyes, neck or temples.
- Meningitis. The disease is manifested by severe headache, pressing on the eyes. A characteristic difference of the pathology is fever and a sharp deterioration in the patient's condition.
- Hypertension In this case, the headache presses on the temples, spreading initially from the back of the head. Additional symptoms include fever in the head, tinnitus, and nausea.
- Viral respiratory diseases. In this case, the cause of a dull headache pressing on the eyes is the toxins that accumulate as a result of the life of the viruses. This provokes vascular edema and their further compression by adjacent tissues.
- Cervical osteochondrosis. An uncomfortable sensation appears after sleep, if a person was sleeping in an uncomfortable position, and can also occur as a result of a sharp turn of the head. In this case, pain is felt on one side and is accompanied by a noise in the ears, flickering "flies" in front of the eyes or hearing loss.
- Anemia. Pathology is characterized by a critical decrease in the number of red blood cells in the blood, the function of which is to transport oxygen throughout the body. In addition to pain, anemia is accompanied by dizziness, fainting, and general weakness.
- Migraine. In this case, a headache appears on one side in the area of the eyes and forehead, and subsequently it spreads to the crown. Often, an uncomfortable sensation is accompanied by photophobia.
- Inflammation of the nasal and frontal sinuses (sinusitis, frontal sinusitis). Against the background of these reasons, a headache presses on the eyes or there is a feeling of fullness inside the head. This is facilitated by the accumulation of mucus inside the skull, which does not find a way out due to swollen adjacent tissues.
Provocative factors
In addition to diseases, the appearance of discomfort can be caused by a violation of the usual lifestyle or by external exposure:
- Bad habits. This factor negatively affects the elasticity of the walls of blood vessels, and also provokes an increase in cholesterol to a critical level. This can trigger the development of a heart attack and stroke.
- Hunger. In the absence of glucose that feeds the brain, a headache also appears. Various diets can trigger discomfort.
- Exposure to cold. The appearance of pressing pain in the forehead and slightly higher may be the body's reaction to low temperatures in the absence of a headgear.
- The reaction to the heat. A sharp increase in temperature by 5 degrees increases the probability of a migraine attack by 7.5%. This occurs against the background of the expansion of blood vessels located under the trigeminal nerve.
- Alcohol intoxication. As a result of this, severe pressing headaches are felt, which are caused by a lack of oxygen in the brain.
- Unbalanced diet. Spicy, fatty and salty foods, as well as containing a large number of preservatives, provoke the formation of cholesterol plaques, which reduce vascular obstruction.
- Depression. In this case, a pressing headache is a somatic sign of an oppressed state that develops against the background of a critical decrease in serotonin (the “hormone of happiness”) in the body.
- Excessive caffeine intake. For an adult, it is enough to drink no more than 2 cups of coffee during the day. Exceeding this norm can cause a headache.
- Hormonal disbalance. Discomfort appears due to restructuring in the body during adolescence, during pregnancy and with menopause.
- Stress, overwork, hard physical work, lack of proper rest. Regular exercise negatively affects the general well-being of a person. Therefore, the body sooner or later begins to malfunction, signaling this as a headache.
Characteristic signs
Pressure headache is difficult to confuse with other species, as it differs in certain features.
Key features:
- initially there is pain in the temples and in the forehead, and then it spreads to the back of the head;
- often unpleasant sensations are accompanied by discomfort in the neck, which subsequently migrates to the eye area;
- most often pain is observed on the one hand and is aching monotonous in nature;
- the duration of the attacks is from 15 minutes to several hours.
Dangerous concomitant symptoms that cannot be ignored
In addition to pressing head pain, additional discomfort may be present. Therefore, it is important to monitor the patient's condition and respond to dangerous symptoms in time, so they can lead to serious health consequences.
The main signs, the presence of which require hospitalization:
- body temperature of 39 degrees and above;
- incoherent speech;
- persistent drowsiness;
- loss of consciousness;
- vomiting that does not bring relief;
- decreased visual acuity;
- loss of sensation;
- intermittent breathing;
- headache that does not subside after taking analgesics.
The presence of at least one of these symptoms in combination with a pressing headache should be cause for alarm and calling an ambulance.
First aid
To stop an unpleasant symptom, it is recommended to use drugs that have a quick effect.
In this case, the following drugs are most effective:
- Fanigan
- Ketanov
- "Aspirin";
- Sedalgin;
- Ibuprofen
- "Spazmalgon";
- "Paracetamol".
But it is worthwhile to understand that these drugs provide only first aid and temporarily relieve pain. They are not suitable for the treatment of the disease. With the frequent appearance of attacks of pain, it is necessary to undergo an examination.
Home Remedy Recipes
In the case of a single attack of a pressing headache, which was provoked by an external factor, you can use some recommendations to eliminate the discomfort.
- You should lie on the couch and take a comfortable position. At the same time, it is important to relax as much as possible and not to burden yourself with mental work, so you should refuse to listen and watch something.
- Soak a towel in cool water, squeeze and put it on your forehead. This will help relieve nervous tension.
- It is also recommended to wash your face with cool water and wipe the neck area. If possible, take a cool shower. After that, you can drink cool water or cool tea, if there is no nausea.
- Ventilate the room by opening the window, but so that there are no drafts.
- After the pain subsides, it is recommended not to burden yourself with any work during the day.
If subsequently the attacks resume, then you should not further delay the trip to the doctor.
How important is specialist help?
A headache pressing on the eyes or on another area of the head is often only a symptom of the disease. Therefore, the sooner the main reason for its appearance is identified and the treatment is carried out, the less painful it will affect health.
The frequent occurrence of pain should be a reason for contacting a specialist, since any ignoring the problem, as well as self-medication at random can only significantly aggravate the situation.
Diagnostics
To identify the cause of the discomfort, you should consult a therapist. The doctor will first conduct a survey of the patient for the presence of concomitant symptoms in addition to headache.
In the future, it may be necessary to conduct the following examinations:
- CT (computed tomography) - helps to find areas in which the movement of blood flow is disturbed, and also confirms or refutes the presence of injuries;
- MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) - helps to identify the tumor;
- laboratory tests - confirm and refute the presence of an inflammatory process in the body.
After all the tests, the doctor makes a diagnosis and prescribes a course of treatment.
Drug treatment
Based on the established diagnosis, drugs can be prescribed for the treatment of a disease that provokes a pressing headache:
- antispasmodics;
- antidepressants;
- antipyretic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs;
- antihypertensive drugs;
- antiviral drugs;
- venotonic drugs;
- iron-containing products.
Some of these drugs can be used simultaneously to relieve pain and treat the underlying disease. But how to combine them correctly and in what dosage to take, only the attending physician can clarify.
Alternative methods of therapy
Alternative medicine can be used to relieve a headache attack that presses on the back of the head or in another area. Their effect is especially relevant when an unpleasant sensation appears due to some provoking factor.
- 10 g of cinnamon pour 50 ml of hot water. After 30 minutes add 10 g of sugar to the mixture. Drink the drug for 1 tbsp. l every hour until the pain subsides.
- 20 g of valerian root pour 250 ml of boiling water. Boil the mixture for 30 minutes using a water bath. After that, leave and let it brew for 1 hour, strain. Drink the product three times a day before meals, drinking 50 ml of the drink at a time.
- Wipe the temples and forehead with fresh peeled lemon until the pain passes.
Prevention
To prevent repeated bouts of pain, you should follow simple recommendations. They include the basic ideas of a proper lifestyle that will help maintain and strengthen health.
- The duration of sleep should be 8 hours.
- Constantly control posture, which will avoid spinal curvature.
- Exercise, which will help normalize blood circulation.
- Perform regular light massage of problem areas that cause discomfort.
- Exclude heavy and junk food from the diet, preferring fruits and vegetables.
- Get rid of bad habits.
- Take outdoor walks regularly.
- Allow the body to fully relax after exercise.
Pressing pain in the head is not the norm, as it signals a malfunction in the body. Therefore, the sooner the cause of its appearance is identified, the faster the person will return to his usual way of life.