Sometimes it seems that if you have a headache, it does not require special attention. Such a violation of he alth does not seem to be something dangerous. But this is only at first glance. These symptoms can indicate a variety of things. It is possible that this is an external sign of disease processes in the body.
In fact, such an ailment is far from harmless. In addition to the fact that pain can signal some deeper disease processes in the human body, its strength and intensity can be very high. There are several options for the course of this ailment. One of the most common types is neck pain. In this article we will try to carefully understand what it is. What are the causes of a headache in the back of the head? Should I be worried? Let's talk about everything in order.
Causes of a headache in the back of the head
In order to successfully deal with such pain, you need to understand the causes of its occurrence. Often it is only a symptom of other disorders. Therefore, it is very important to make the correct diagnosis. After that, it will be possible to carry out effective treatment.
- One of the most important reasons is increased emotional stress, nervous strain, and the occurrence of a stressful state. As a result, this sometimes leads to a spasm of blood vessels, a sharp change in pressure. This can cause a headache in the back of the head. As a rule, violations that are associated with such causes are neither too strong nor too long.
- The causes of a headache in the back of the head can be covered in various kinds of head or neck injuries. In this case, hematomas, damage to the vertebrae or blood vessels may occur. As a result, a pinched nerve or blood vessel can occur, which can cause severe pain. In this case, intracranial pressure may rise sharply.
- It should be noted that a sharp increase in blood pressure in itself can cause severe headaches. It is clear that in order to cure the malaise, in this case, first of all, it is necessary to normalize blood pressure.
- Even the usual overexertion of the muscles that connect different parts of the skull can lead to malaise. If we are talking about overstraining the muscles that are located on the temples, then this leads to occipital pain, which will gradually reverberate throughout the head. Usually in the area (it becomes denser to the touch), wherethis is the case, the head reacts painfully when touched.
- Sedentary lifestyle is not uncommon these days. One of its possible consequences is the development of osteochondrosis. With the development of the disease, the distance between the vertebrae becomes smaller, and because of this, the nerve endings can be pinched, which creates pain in the neck and head. In this case, pain can occur even with a slight movement of the neck.
- It is also possible that due to the increased load on the cervical spine, deformation of the intervertebral tissue and gradual abrasion of the vertebrae occur. This leads to a gradual degeneration of this tissue. In this case, bone processes are sometimes formed. This disease is called cervical spondylosis and can cause regular neck pain.
- Even the usual thickening of the muscle tissue in the neck can lead to such problems. This disease is called myogelosis and can be caused by several different causes.
- If you are regularly exposed to drafts.
- This may be due to the constant overexertion of the neck muscles.
- Poor posture can also be the cause.
- If you are constantly under severe stress.
If the occipital nerve is affected, it can cause severe and sharp pain. If you have neuralgia, then treatment should be carried out quickly and effectively. This disease, unfortunately, not only creates severe pain, but can also progress rapidly
This is far from exhausting the possible causes of a headache in the areaocciput. In order to cure them, you must first make the correct diagnosis.
Symptomatic hypertension
Sometimes a person has high blood pressure for a long period of time. If this is not a one-time occurrence, but has become something common, then we are most likely talking about a disease. The most common cause of it is a violation of the regulation of the brain tone of blood vessels. However, in some other cases, this disease is already secondary. It is in this case that they say that this is symptomatic arterial hypertension. We emphasize that in the latter case there is another, rather serious disease, and an increase in pressure is its consequence. What could be its cause in this case?
- One of the likely causes could be kidney disease. In this case, we can talk not about one of these diseases, but about several: chronic pyelonephritis, stenosis of the renal arteries and some other diseases.
- No less real threat to the human body can be various kinds of endocrine disorders. If a disease occurs, due to which the endocrine glands stop working properly, this can lead to the most serious consequences, including severe headaches in the back of the head.
- If there are diseases of the heart and blood vessels, then they can be given with severe pain in various parts of the body. This can also result in a headache.
Neck injury
In some cases, the pain may have a traumatic origin. The cause can be not only serious neck injuries, but also a simple bruise. The pain often does not occur immediately, but after a couple of weeks. It can be not only acute, but also chronic. This is due to the fact that a certain time is required for the course of pathological processes. Chronic pain in this case is of a protracted nature, they often last longer than two months. Such ailments have a number of their own characteristics.
- May cause dizziness and double vision.
- After a neck injury, both memory and hearing can suffer.
- Appetite declines.
- Sometimes there is increased noise and light sensitivity.
- May cause depression and increased anxiety.
- The degree of concentration of attention is significantly reduced.
Pulsating pain in the back of the head
One of the characteristics of the many types of headaches is that they can vary greatly. One of the most painful can be called throbbing. As a rule, throbbing pain in the back of the head is of vascular origin. It can cause great harm to human he alth. As a rule, the walls of he althy vessels sometimes expand and sometimes contract. This happens when the body needs it. In some cases (for example, in case of injury), the tone of the vessel walls can belowered and this usually leads to spasms. In this case, the vessel is compressed and limits the flow of blood to a particular part of the brain. As a result, the supply of oxygen is temporarily interrupted, which subsequently leads to severe throbbing headaches.
Frequent neck pain
If you have frequent pain in the back of the head, then the reasons may be as follows:
- There is high blood pressure.
- In the event that stress is a frequent occurrence in your life, then at first it leads to a strong increase in mental stress. And it, in turn, causes the regular onset of headaches in the back of the head. This effect occurs more often in those over thirty years of age. It is also known that women suffer from this ailment more often than men.
- However, not only increased nervous tension can be a risk factor. If you often and for a long time stay in an uncomfortable position, then this can also provoke regular occipital pain. Strong mental stress can also have these effects.
- Diseases that affect the cervical spine can lead to frequent and severe pain. One such example is osteochondrosis.
- As you know, vertebrae have processes. In some cases, their deformation and growth may occur. This disease is called cervical spondylosis. Some mistakenly believe that in this case we are talking about s alt deposits. In fact, such processes occur due to the degeneration of the tissues of such ligaments into bone tissue. Usually,this disease is more common in advanced years. However, for those who lead a sedentary lifestyle, this danger is relevant already from a young age. The characteristic signs of such a disease are pain not only in the back of the head, but also in the shoulder girdle.
- One of the sources of an occipital headache can be a strong compaction of muscle tissue. The reasons can be the most common: if the back is numb, stretched out by a draft, or with some violations of posture. With this variant of the disease, pain is accompanied by stiffness of movements in the shoulder girdle and slight dizziness.
Increased intracranial pressure
Such a disease usually occurs due to fairly serious reasons.
- This could be due to meningitis.
- A disease such as dropsy of the brain can also be the cause.
- If inflammation of the membranes of the brain or rupture of the vessel occurs, this can also lead to increased intracranial pressure.
- It can also happen due to disturbances in the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid, which sometimes leads to increased secretion.
- Taking some hormonal drugs.
In order to diagnose this violation, special methods are needed. This is usually done by inserting a hollow needle into the spinal canal. This can also be done by inserting a special sensor into the hole in the skull during trepanation.
Less reliable but easier way -use descriptions of relevant symptoms. So, if intracranial pressure is elevated, the symptoms are:
- High blood pressure.
- Severe and frequent headache. Its distinguishing feature is a gradual increase in the evening and at night.
- Severe bouts of nausea that are not accompanied by vomiting.
- Fatigue, feeling lethargic, intense irritability.
- Black dots (flies) in the eyes, lack of pupillary response to bright light.
- There may be immobility on one side of the human body. It is somewhat similar to paralysis, but not quite.
- Very heavy sweating.
- Formation of black spots or bags under the eyes.
Pathology of cerebral vessels
Generally speaking, in this case we are talking about violations in the normal functioning of the vessels of the brain. For example, here are two cases that are most common.
- What is an aneurysm? This is a spherical thickening in a blood vessel. With the movement of blood, such an area may not withstand pressure and rupture.
- Another disease that can be attributed to this type is a malformation. Here we are talking about a different phenomenon: the formation of an additional message between blood vessels, which should not be.
It is generally believed that the pathology of cerebral vessels is characteristic only for older people. However, on the veryactually it is not. It can occur at almost any age. This disease is usually treated with surgery.
Hit the back of the head. What are the consequences?
Unfortunately, such an injury is not something impossible. But this is far from a harmless situation. Of course, in some cases, if the impact is weak, you can not pay much attention to it. However, if the injury is severe enough, a concussion can occur. How to determine if it was? There are several important signs:
- If you lose consciousness for at least one moment after being hit, this is an alarming sign.
- For nausea and vomiting after an injury, one can definitely say that a visit to a doctor is necessary.
- A severe headache is common with a concussion.
If you have these three signs, you should definitely see a doctor.
What threatens such damage? If a person hits the back of the head, the consequences are as follows:
- First of all, it can lead to severe and prolonged headaches in the back of the head and throughout the head. Usually, this pain tends to get worse when bending over.
- Excessive sweating may occur in some cases.
- Sudden rushes of blood to the head are also possible, after which the person turns very pale.
- Sometimes there may be seizures that somewhat resemble epileptic seizures.
- Neuroses, depression or increased anxiety are quite likely conditions.
Massage of the back of the head
Massaging the back of the head is one of the ways that can help cure a headache completely or at least partially. It can be used in most of these cases. Here is one of the options.
- Close your hands into a fist and lightly tap the bases of your hands behind the back of your neck and back of your head.
- Place your palms on the back of your head. Bend your thumbs slightly and place them at the bottom of the skull, next to the ears. Grab the back of your head with your palm. It is necessary to slightly tilt the head back and periodically press the thumbs slightly inward and upward. Try to get a sense of fine tuning the sensitivity with this massage.
- Now place your palms horizontally and grasp the back of your head so that your fingers enter the depression between the skull and the top of the spine. Press periodically, directing the force in and out.
Aching pain in the back of the head
One of the reasons for this kind of pain can be muscle spasms. The reason can be both an uncomfortable posture for a long time, and significant nervous or mental stress. In this situation, head massage and a cold compress for the forehead help well. Of course, a little rest and recuperation will also be useful if you are worried about aching pain in the back of the head.
Conclusion
Now you know that if the back of the head hurts, it usually does not act as an independent disease, but can be caused by certain problems withhe alth. For a cure, it is important to accurately determine its causes. Correct and timely diagnosis is very important. Do not ignore unpleasant symptoms in your body and self-medicate. Take care of your he alth!
