Headache is one of the main symptoms of more than 40 different pathologies. Moreover, the causes of these pathologies can radically differ from each other. In cases where the head hurts on the one hand, the range of possible diseases will be noticeably reduced. However, in order to make an accurate diagnosis, it is necessary to take into account a number of concomitant symptoms of the disease, as well as use laboratory and instrumental studies. In this article, we will talk in more detail about the reasons why a headache on one side occurs. You can also find information on how to overcome this unpleasant symptom.
Why does a headache on one side hurt ?
Among the ailments that can lead to the development of such a unilateral headache, special attention should be paid to the most common. Diseases that cause a headache on one side are described below.
Oral diseases
Very unpleasant sensations caused can be problems with the teeth, as well as other ailments developing inside the oral cavity. As a rule, in such situations, pain affects the area of the temple, from which there is damage. For example, if you have a headache on the left side, then, most likely, your tooth root has inflamed on the same side.
Temporal arteritis
Temporal arteritis is an autoimmune disorder that is associated with the inflammatory process of medium and large arteries. As a rule, temporal arteritis is observed in patients whose age is more than 50 years. This disease manifests itself in the form of severe headaches, redness of the scalp, as well as bouts of depression and insomnia. Therefore, if the head hurts on the left side or on the right, perhaps this is the disease in question. Do not ignore these symptoms, it is better to seek help from a doctor. If this is not done, then the patient may lose all eyesight.
Intracranial bleeding
We continue to consider why the head hurts on the left or on the right. The reason for this may be intracranial bleeding. If there is damage to the vessels that feed the brain, then intracranial hematoma can form. Head injuries as a result of a stroke, accident result in a hematoma. The spread of bruising is also the cause of increased intracranial pressure. That is why the patient has a shooting headache, which is accompanied by a slowing of the heartbeat, general inhibition, confusion, as well as convulsive seizures and vomiting. Do not ignore the symptom in which the head hurts on the left or right. Such bleeding can lead to very disastrous consequences, even death. If after several days after the blow the pain persists, then you should definitely consult a doctor.
Cluster pain
Paroxysmal unilateral sensations that appear in the front of the head, near the eyes, are found in most cases in men. If the head and eye hurt on the one hand, then often such a shooting and bursting syndrome is so strong that a person simply can not carry out normal life activities. In addition, the patient suffers from other symptoms:
- runny nose;
- tearing;
- tides;
- redness of the eyes.
The main symptom of cluster pain is their periodicity. As a rule, they appear at the same time of day. The duration of seizures can be from several minutes to one and a half hours. In this case, you should pay attention to the fact that the interval between attacks will always be the same. If the eye and head hurt on one side due to cluster pain, then this symptom can disappear as suddenly as it appeared. It is impossible to stop soreness with conventional painkillers. As a rule, the medications prescribed by the doctor are needed for this. In some cases, oxygen therapy is prescribed for therapy.
ENT diseases
We continue to consider why the left temple or the right one hurts. First of all, the cause may be ENT diseases. For example, acute angina or chronic sinusitis are factors that can lead to the appearance of puffiness, they irritate the nerve endings and provoke the appearance of pain in absolutely any part of the head. Therefore, if you are tormented by the question of why the left temple hurts, then the reason may lie in the usual sinusitis.
Migraine
If you translate this term from the ancient Greek language, then it translates as "half the head." This is due to the fact that the pathological condition is characterized by the occurrence of shooting unilateral pains, which eventually become pulsating. Quite often, a migraine headache when touching on one side.
The frequency of the attack can be different, although this happens no more than 8 times in one month. The duration of such an attack can range from several hours to several days. In addition, with a migraine headache on one side, the pressure also drops, a person feels photophobia and nausea. In some situations, such attacks are accompanied by an aura, in which there is a clouding in the eyes, problems with concentration appear, and auditory and visual hallucinations can also occur.
It is believed that those who have a genetic predisposition to this disease most often suffer from migraines. It should be noted that a drug that could permanently eliminate a headache with migraines does not exist. Recent anti-migraine therapy has been shown to reduce the duration and frequency of painful attacks.
Atmosphere pressure
As you know, low atmospheric pressure, at which only one part of the head can get sick, affects a person. This is absolutely normal, as are the effects of magnetic storms. Therefore, if a person was affected by lowered atmospheric pressure, then do not worry much about this.
Tumors
Neoplasms that are localized in the brain can cause an increase in intracranial pressure, as well as the subsequent spread of a painful syndrome that is shooting, dull or bursting. In addition to the fact that with an existing tumor, the head hurts at one point to the left or right, other symptoms also appear, consisting in the following:
- bouts of vomiting and dizziness;
- changes occurring in the psychoemotional sphere;
- sudden and significant weight loss;
- epileptic seizure.
You should also pay attention to the fact that the patient begins to worsen in the event of severe nervous shock or stress.
Spinal column diseases
Soreness is localized near the neck, on the left or on the right side relative to the center line, characterized in this case as dull or aching. These unpleasant sensations can intensify during turns, as well as other head movements. The one-sided pain that is caused by a problem with the spine is in most cases observed in people who are over 35 years old. In addition, such a symptom can be found in those who mainly lead a sedentary lifestyle.
Kosten's Syndrome
This disease can be associated with rheumatism, trauma of the temporomandibular joint, gout, as well as the presence of certain infectious pathologies. With this syndrome, the ear and head hurt on one side. In addition, there is a burning sensation on the tongue, as well as dryness in the oral cavity. An accurate diagnosis can only be made with x-rays.
Tensile pain
In another way, this pathological condition is called tension headaches. This ailment is characterized by moderate severity of pain, which covers one of the sides of the head and lies in the central region of the forehead. Stress pain, which intensifies in the evening, can be constricting or dull. Concomitant symptoms of the disease are as follows:
- the appearance of problems with sleep;
- pronounced sensitivity to various sound devices;
- general fatigue.
Statistics show that the disease takes on a chronic form in only 3% of recorded cases. As a rule, it is not possible to find out what specifically caused the development of this disease.
Head injuries
If the patient has scalp pain on one side, as well as a headache, then perhaps the cause is traumatic brain injury. As a rule, this kind of damage is accompanied by severe soreness from the side where the blow was delivered. It should be noted that the presence of injury itself can be determined much later. Therefore, if the scalp hurts on one side, and other symptoms appear, you need to seek help from a doctor. Other noticeable signs of traumatic brain injury are as follows:
- general weakness;
- nausea and vomiting;
- tinnitus;
- dizziness.
Symptoms will become more pronounced when the victim makes sudden movements.
Diagnostics
In all cases, the treatment of all of the above diseases cannot be carried out without a preliminary examination by a specialist. First of all, it is necessary for the doctor to make the correct diagnosis, having a detailed history of a particular pathology. To do this, the patient must describe the nature of the resulting soreness, duration and frequency, as well as other symptoms that accompany the disease.
In some cases, it is possible to assess the general condition of the patient only with the help of instrumental or laboratory research methods, which should include ECG, CT, MRI, ultrasound, a blood test, as well as the detection of hormonal levels. Only after receiving the data can a specialist make a final decision as to which therapeutic method to use for the most effective treatment in a particular case.
Migraine treatment
Many people who periodically suffer from headaches due to migraines use their own remedies for symptom relief. To do this, you need to take some special position of the body, in which the pain goes away. Someone uses an ice warmer, which is applied to the forehead, to eliminate the symptom. Another helps to overcome a migraine cold shower.
Of course, such drugs will alleviate migraine attacks to one degree or another, but in this situation there are a number of disadvantages. First of all, such procedures will only alleviate the symptom, but they will not be able to completely relieve the patient from pain. In addition, such methods are not always available, because a person’s head can become ill at any time. That is why those patients who often suffer from migraines should always have with them medications that can quickly suppress an attack.
Which pills to choose?
Most patients who have a headache due to migraine headaches use non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. This should include, for example, medicines made on the basis of ibuprofen. These drugs can very well stop a headache attack, but you should pay attention to the fact that they have, although a small, but a list of contraindications and side effects.
Specialists call anti-inflammatory non-steroid drugs the first-choice drugs. They mean that they are prescribed to all patients who suffer from headaches during migraines. And if anti-inflammatory non-steroid drugs do not help in the fight against this symptom, then the most powerful drugs are prescribed, which should include those made on the basis of ergot alkaloids, which have a very significant list of side effects. As a rule, anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs successfully stop attacks of pain. After applying 400 mg of ibuprofen, the patient does not have a headache so much, the duration of the attack decreases, as well as the severity of other symptoms: vomiting, nausea, anxiety, photophobia.
Conclusion
In some cases, headache attacks can go away on their own, without the use of drugs, after which they are no longer repeated. However, relapses are often observed, with each time the soreness becomes even stronger. If you are tormented by this condition, then you must necessarily seek help from a doctor. If a headache is a symptom of any serious illness, then it can become chronic. In addition, if the symptom is not cured on time, this can provoke very serious consequences for the patient's body.