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Causes of pain in the crown of the head. Pain in the crown of the head Pain in the parietal part of the head on the left

Headache in the parietal part of the head, the causes of which will be discussed below, rarely occurs as a minor event.

It can be sudden, chronic, recurrent, but it always signals a malfunction in the body.

The type of pain requires a combination of drug therapy with non-drug treatment.


Causes of headaches in the parietal part of the head

The parietal lobe of the brain is abundantly supplied with blood and innervated. It is closely related to skeletal muscles, pain and sensory receptors.

The causes of pain can be of various origins and are accompanied by specific symptoms:

  1. Vascular dystonia caused by changes in blood pressure. Cephalgia increases gradually. Feels like a pressing hoop. It has a descending nature, covers the parietal, frontal, and occipital regions of the head. Often there is a flashing of black dots before the eyes, a feeling.
  2. The cranial cavity contains a viscous fluid - cerebrospinal fluid, which maintains optimal intracranial pressure. Its amount is small and stable, but if this balance is disturbed, intracranial hypertension develops. An increase in ICP is described as pressure in the blood pressure that increases with changes in position and physical activity. Cephalgia can be mild, but long-lasting and painful, accompanied by dizziness, blurred vision, and periodic nausea.
  3. Osteochondrosis of the upper cervical spine, spondylosis, intervertebral hernia are the most common causes of pain in the crown area. The sensations spread along the back of the neck, the back of the head, and are concentrated at the top of the head. The attacks are intense, pulsating, radiating to the lower jaw, neck, and shoulders. Caused by compression of the nerve roots and impaired blood flow.
  4. The consequences of a traumatic brain injury can take months to reverberate and develop into chronic cephalalgia. Exacerbation occurs after viral infections, emotional overload, and when playing sports. The pain is dull, aching, accompanied by attacks of nausea and vomiting, drowsiness, and pressure instability.
  5. Neoplasms of the parietal region, tumors and cysts, growing, compress the brain tissue. The nature of the pain is paroxysmal, from pressing to unbearable. Possible temporary impairment of vision, speech, fainting, signs of epilepsy. This pathology is a direct threat to human life and requires immediate diagnosis.
  6. Infectious and inflammatory diseases of the meninges are recognized by high fever, spastic state of the neck muscles, severe headache in the crown area. Secondary symptoms will be signs of general intoxication.
  7. Muscle tension in the back of the head and shoulder girdle is caused by prolonged exposure to a static position or occurs due to inflammation of the muscle itself - myositis. In the first case, headaches are aching in nature with a feeling of twisting, and the inability to relax the muscles. With myositis, acute local cephalgia occurs along the course of inflammation with limitation of movement.

Treatment of pain in the parietal part of the head

It is important to understand that self-administration of medications will help relieve symptoms, but will not eliminate the culprit of cephalalgia. They fight unpleasant sensations in the head by combining medications and non-drug therapy.

Depending on the reason, the following is prescribed:

  1. If blood pressure changes: antihypertensives or analeptics, moderate activity, adequate sleep, changes in diet.
  2. To combat increased ICP: nootropics, cerebral circulation correctors, diuretics, avoidance of bending work, overstrain of the optic nerve.
  3. In case of osteochondrosis, headaches are eliminated by manual therapy, massage, gymnastics, and taking antispasmodics and analgesics.
  4. Antibacterial and antiviral agents are prescribed to treat infections.
  5. If the top of your head aches due to muscle spasms: antispasmodics, sedatives, local analgesics, acupressure, walks in the fresh air.
  6. Neoplasms require specific treatment, often surgery.

It is important to remember that the parietal region does not hurt without a serious reason. The earlier the diagnosis is made, the more timely and effective the treatment will be.

Which doctor should I contact?

Often, after physical exertion or mental stress, people feel worse. The nature of the pain can be varied. Compressive, pressing, throbbing pain in one side of the head is possible.

Pain during exercise is often functional in nature. They can occur for many reasons:

  • Changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure;
  • Stressful state during physical activity;
  • Heat and stuffiness in the room;
  • Dehydration is often the cause of headaches;
  • Eat a large meal before training;
  • Overweight people often suffer from hypoxia during exercise.

The likelihood of illness is higher in people with specialties: programmer, accountant, driver, who spend many hours at the computer or constantly strain the muscles of the eyes and neck.

Persistent cephalgia, which occurs regularly, requires mandatory consultation with a doctor in order to exclude serious pathology and prescribe the correct treatment in a timely manner.

The initial appointment should be made by a therapist. He will conduct a general examination, measure blood pressure, write directions for tests and refer you to specialists.

If you have unpleasant sensations in the head and neck area, it is good to have a home blood pressure monitor, with which you can track pressure surges in different life situations. A rise in blood pressure after physical activity can often be the cause of pain.

The doctor gives a referral to an otolaryngologist to rule out chronic otitis media, sinusitis or inflammation of the maxillary sinuses (sinusitis).

The doctor can give a referral to an ophthalmologist to identify changes in the fundus and possible vision defects.

Most of the causes of discomfort in the head are associated with neurological symptoms, so diseases accompanied by head pain syndrome are treated by a neurologist.

What tests are usually prescribed?

At an appointment with a neurologist, a physical examination of the patient is performed: basic neurological reflexes are checked and the neck muscles are examined.

The doctor writes out a referral for tests: general blood test, biochemical blood test, blood sugar test.

A general blood test with an increase in ESR or an increased content of leukocytes indicates inflammation in the body.

Blood biochemistry may indicate a deficiency of one of the vital elements, which leads to discomfort in the head area.

Low blood glucose levels are often accompanied by cephalgia, dizziness and weakness.

The doctor may write a referral for additional tests:

  1. The gas composition of arterial blood can reveal cerebral hypoxia.
  2. A blood test for hormones determines various abnormalities in the functioning of the hypothalamus.

A neurologist can give a referral to one or more diagnostic methods:

  1. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - excludes the presence of various neoplasms (tumors and cysts), aneurysms. The photographs clearly show post-traumatic defects, neurodegenerative abnormalities, and changes in blood vessels affected by atherosclerosis.
  2. Computed tomography (CT) is the most informative method for studying the brain. It gives a clear idea of ​​pathological changes in the skull and brain, pathology of bone tissue, blood vessels and brain structures. Provides information about the consequences of traumatic brain injuries. The disadvantage of this method is the significant radiation dose during the study.
  3. Electroencephalography gives an idea of ​​the presence of pathological changes in blood vessels and cerebral circulation disorders.
  4. Doppler ultrasound (ultrasound of the vessels of the head and neck) - shows the presence of atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries; narrowing and tortuosity of the arteries, leading to brain hypoxia; peripheral vascular resistance.
  5. Rheoencephalography (REG) - gives an idea of ​​the tone and blood flow of blood vessels. Using REG, the following are diagnosed: hypertension, atherosclerosis, vegetative-vascular dystonia.
  6. MRI of the cervical spine - the presence of cervical osteochondrosis can cause pain in the head and neck, which intensifies when turning the head.
  7. Rheovasography of cerebral vessels (RVG) - shows the quality of blood flow through the great vessels, evaluates collateral circulation.
  8. Radiography will be less known. In the image you can only see the bone structures of the skull, soft tissues are not visible.

There is no need to panic when scheduling such a serious examination. The doctor excludes rare severe pathologies and looks for the causes of the pain process.

Based on the studies, if no serious organic lesions are found, the cause of the disease is usually diagnosed. It develops as a result of: vascular spasms, cerebral hypoxia, hypertonicity of cerebral vessels, hormonal imbalances, vegetative-vascular dystonia or osteochondrosis, provoked by physical or psycho-emotional stress.

Safe medications and pills

When planning a visit to the doctor, the patient should be prepared to answer questions about how often pain occurs and what its intensity is. This will help the doctor develop the correct treatment tactics.

Groups of drugs effective for episodic attacks of pain

Medicines to treat this pathology are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). They have an analgesic effect, relieve inflammation, and eliminate swelling.

Often prescribed:

  • Ibuprofen-400 mg per day;
  • Ketoprofen-100 mg/s;
  • Naproxen-500 mg/s;
  • Meloxicam-7.5-15 mg/s;
  • Celecoxib-200 mg/s.

Most NSAIDs have a negative side effect: with long-term use, they negatively affect the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, including the development of drug-induced gastritis.

Medicines Meloxicam and Celecoxib are new generation drugs that do not have a negative effect on the gastrointestinal tract. The disadvantages of using these drugs include the relatively high price.

Analgesics are often used at home to relieve an attack. They do not treat the disease, but only relieve pain. Drugs in this group are suitable for stopping episodic attacks, but their systematic use leads to the occurrence of abuse syndrome.

During an attack of pain, you can take Paracetamol-100 mg, Citramon, Analgin-500 mg or Mig 200-400 mg.

If the examination revealed the appearance of cephalgia after exercise as a result of increased blood pressure, the doctor will prescribe medications prescribed at an early stage of the development of hypertension. These include: vasodilators, ACE inhibitors, diuretics, calcium channel blockers.

Self-prescribing antihypertensive drugs is unacceptable. Self-medication leads to serious consequences.

For muscle tension, drugs from the group of muscle relaxants are used as part of complex treatment. They relax the spasmodic muscles of the head and neck, relieving pain of a spastic nature, and help restore blood flow.

Often prescribed:

  • Mydocalm-150-450 mg per day;
  • Sirdalud (Tizanidine) - 4 mg/s;
  • Baclofen-15 mg/s.

Nootropic drugs are often prescribed as part of complex treatment: Phenibut, Nootropil, Glycine. Nootropics have an activating effect on brain function and increase its resistance to damaging factors. The drugs improve cerebral circulation and eliminate the consequences of traumatic brain injuries.

Sedatives in combination with basic drugs lead to muscle relaxation and decreased vascular tone. Taking tranquilizers helps relieve pain, but this type of medication quickly causes drug dependence with withdrawal syndrome.

Sedatives that are not addictive: Afobazol, Atarax; alcohol tinctures of valerian, motherwort, Maryina root.

For severe attacks, a combination of drugs is used: Sirdalud 2 mg + Aspirin 500 mg or Analgin 250 mg + sedative.

The use of vitamin B complexes has proven itself. Vitamins B1, B6, B12 have a beneficial effect on the central nervous system and restore the structure of nerve tissue. Vitamin complexes are often prescribed: Neuromultivit, Milgamma, Neurovitan.

If attacks of pain recur more than 10 times a month, a course of treatment with Ibuprofen at a dose of 400 mg per day for 2-3 weeks and treatment with muscle relaxants is prescribed for 2-4 weeks.

There is no single scheme for pain relief. Depending on the cause, each patient needs an individual selection of drugs.

Treatment of chronic disease

Sometimes cephalalgia becomes chronic. The pain occurs every day, continuously, with varying degrees of intensity.

Amitriptyline 10-100 mg/s is most often prescribed, the dose is increased gradually. The drug relieves pain well, but has many negative side effects and is addictive.

As an alternative, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are prescribed: Fluoxetine, Paroxetine, Sertraline. The course of treatment is at least 2 months. These drugs have less toxicity.

In addition to prescribing drug therapy, the doctor will recommend massage, a course of physiotherapy or acupuncture.

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Frequent headaches can be a sign of a variety of diseases.

Such a symptom cannot be ignored.

The reason for urgently contacting a specialist is a condition in which a person has pain in the top of the head for no reason.

In this case, pain in the back of the head can manifest itself not only in the form of an attack.

They can also be aching in nature.

Causes

The main causes of pain in the crown area are the following:

  1. Hypertension. It can provoke severe pain when blood pressure rises.
  2. Long-term stress that depletes the body and nervous system as a whole. In this condition, a sick person may experience prolonged dull pain.
  3. The top of the head often hurts, the causes of which can be very different, due to diseases of the spine, namely, damage to the cervical spine. Unpleasant sensations will occur when pressing on the center of the crown or when turning the head.
  4. Developing osteophytes in older people, as well as in those who lead an unhealthy lifestyle.
  5. Neuralgia. It leads to nerve damage and is accompanied by very severe piercing pain. If treatment is not carried out, the person’s condition will only worsen.
  6. Migraine. This is a common cause of chronic pain that can radiate to the frontal region, eyes, and neck.

What is the most common cause of pain? If a person has a headache that does not go away for a long time, then the causes of this condition are most often associated with the following diseases and conditions:

  1. Vascular pathologies. This may be caused by vegetative-vascular dystonia or hypotension. In this condition, vascular spasm provokes severe attacks.
  2. Head injuries. This can happen with a blunt impact, a fall, or a car accident. This is a very dangerous condition, as it can cause epilepsy, hemorrhage, visual impairment, etc.
  3. Developmental oncological pathologies. In such a condition, in addition to the main symptom, a person will also experience other pathological signs such as nausea, weakness, and high fever.

Factors that may trigger

A variety of factors can influence the development of cephalgia. Most often, this condition is promoted by stress and nervous tension, when a person is very worried for a long time.

The occurrence of cephalgia is also affected by the use of alcohol and drugs, physical overexertion, and sleep disturbances. With an unhealthy diet (consumption of sweets, smoked foods, carbonated drinks), the likelihood of chronic cephalgia increases significantly.

Headache in the crown area: common symptoms and methods for diagnosing the disease

Cephalgia is often accompanied by a variety of unpleasant sensations. In most cases, a person can stop an attack of pain at home with the help of an analgesic, but sometimes the patient requires immediate medical attention. You need to call specialists when you have a headache in the crown area and the person suffers from severe dizziness, rapid loss of vision, and impaired balance.

Also dangerous signs are memory impairment, severe emotional stress, surges in blood pressure, dry mouth and fever. It is important to remember that parietal pain that does not go away after taking analgesics or cephalalgia that develops after an injury should not be ignored.

Diagnostics

If a child or adult experiences a similar condition for a long time, it is recommended to consult a therapist. After an examination and history taking, the specialist may prescribe a number of tests, including CT scanning, blood pressure measurements, blood and urine tests. Also, if necessary, the patient may be recommended to visit other specialists (oncologist, neurologist, traumatologist, ophthalmologist). If the headache is severe in the crown area, a person may need to be seen by a vascular surgeon and undergo an MRI of the brain.

Headache on top of the skull: treatment methods, features of drug therapy and folk remedies

In some cases, cephalalgia develops suddenly in the form of an attack. In such a state, the main thing is not to panic. It is best for a person to lie down on the bed and try to restore his breathing.

It is important to close your eyes and relax to relieve emotional stress. Next, you need to measure blood pressure and temperature to get an overall clinical picture.

If the headache on top of the skull is very severe, you can take an analgesic. The well-known No-shpa is suitable for this. After this, you need to control your condition. If the pain does not go away after an hour, you should call a doctor.

Treatment

Therapy in this condition largely depends on the root cause of the disease, symptoms and neglect of the condition. The doctor must also take into account the person’s age and the presence of chronic diseases. Thus, for pain in the back of the head caused by hypotension, Citramon or Askofen should be prescribed.

For hypertension, Captopril or Pharmalipid are used. If cluster pain occurs, the drug Sedalgin helps well. If the headache is on top of the skull due to migraine, then the patient should take vitamins and minerals. Attacks of pain can be relieved with Nurofen and Ibuprofen. If this symptom is caused by nervousness, the person should take antidepressants. Physiotherapy, relaxation therapy, and massage can be used as auxiliary therapy.

ethnoscience

Folk remedies will help relieve vascular spasm, saturate the body with vitamins, normalize the functioning of the central nervous system and relieve pain.

To do this, it is best to use the following recipes:

  1. Pour 2 tablespoons of St. John's wort into 200 ml of boiling water. Leave for an hour, then strain and drink a third of a glass before meals. The drink will help quickly relieve a pain attack in a person.
  2. Take 2 tablespoons of chamomile and pour 300 ml of boiling water over it. Infuse and drink 100 ml daily. The course of treatment is 2 weeks.
  3. Take lilac, cornflower and thyme in equal quantities. Pour boiling water over a spoonful of the mixture and leave. Drink half a glass three times a day.
  4. If the pain is caused by inflammation, inhalation with eucalyptus and lavender oils helps.
  5. Rub mint and wormwood oil into the temples and crown area. This massage will help you relax and relieve nervous tension that causes pain.

Before treating symptoms with folk remedies, you should definitely consult a doctor. Practicing therapy without the supervision of a specialist can be dangerous.


Headaches can bother not only adults, but also children. Changed environmental conditions, the quality of nutrition, and the inability to properly organize your day lead to the fact that the body begins to work in increased mode. Internal organs begin to function incorrectly. Often, specialists receive complaints that headaches can bother not only adults, but also children. Changed environmental conditions, the quality of nutrition, and the inability to properly organize your day lead to the fact that the body begins to work in increased mode. Internal organs begin to function incorrectly. Often specialists receive complaints that the top of the head hurts. It is important to understand the causes in time in order to eliminate unpleasant symptoms and prevent complications.

Factors that provoke discomfort and unpleasant sensations in the parietal region.

  1. Poor nutrition.
  2. Bad habits.
  3. Stress, overwork, fatigue.
  4. Sedentary lifestyle.
  5. Change of climatic conditions.
  6. Lack of oxygen in the room.

The crown may hurt due to other diseases.

  1. Excessive tension in the muscles of the neck and back of the head. There is a feeling of squeezing, squeezing.
  2. Neuroses and stress lead to a feeling of squeezing and tightening of the scalp. A person may experience dizziness and numbness in the limbs.
  3. Increase or decrease in blood pressure. Nerve cells begin to be compressed by the walls of blood vessels, and a spasm develops. In this case, not only pain appears in the crown area, but also the quality of hearing decreases.
  4. Increased intracranial pressure.
  5. Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels.
  6. Vegetative-vascular dystonia. Additional symptoms include: unstable blood pressure, the appearance of a feeling of heat, goosebumps.
  7. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. There is a feeling of numbness on the top and back of the head.
  8. Spinal pathology (scoliosis, arthrosis).
  9. Sudden onset pain in the crown area may be due to recent brain injury. The eyes turn red, sensitivity to light and sounds increases, dizziness, nausea and vomiting occur.
  10. Infectious or colds: otitis media, sinusitis.
  11. Endocrine diseases can cause discomfort in the crown area. Women have diseases of the reproductive organs.

Not only the head can hurt, but also the skin on it. Unpleasant sensations arise only when touching the top of the head. The reason lies in an allergic reaction to various shampoos, conditioners and other cosmetics. The cause may be psoriasis, a fungal skin disease, or simply a tight hairstyle.

Reasons for the localization of pain in a separate part of the crown

Sometimes the discomfort stops only in the back of the head. The back of the head can hurt due to increased pressure, stress, or due to being in an uncomfortable position for a long time.

Often the patient may feel that the head hurts on only one side. There may be several reasons why unilateral pain appears on the right or left side of the crown.


  1. Migraine. Sudden throbbing pain begins from the temples, gradually moving to the forehead, crown and back of the head. The pain radiates to the eyes, there is a fear of light, dizziness, intolerance to sharp sounds and smells.
  2. Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. At the same time, you feel dizzy and have tinnitus. The pain presses on various areas of the head, and a tingling sensation may appear in the skin.
  3. Tumor formations. Morning headaches, which are accompanied by dizziness, nausea and vomiting, should alert a person. Over time, unpleasant symptoms only intensify, the patient loses weight, vision and hearing deteriorate.
  4. Cluster pain. It occurs in a certain area of ​​the head, sometimes intensifies, sometimes decreases. Redness of the eyes is observed, dizziness, nausea and vomiting may develop. Sensitivity to light and sound increases.

You should pay more attention to your health when the right hemisphere hurts. This is a sign of a serious illness.

Self-administration of medications to relieve spasms and pain can worsen the situation. The attacks become more frequent and intense.

Danger signs

You should visit a doctor immediately if, along with pain in the crown, other warning symptoms appear:

  • weakening or loss of memory;
  • absent-mindedness and decreased concentration of attention are observed;
  • increased pain while taking painkillers;
  • loss of consciousness;
  • violation of orientation in space;
  • decreased visual acuity, feeling of pressure on the eyes;
  • frequent attacks of nausea and vomiting appeared;
  • there is an increase in body temperature;
  • the patient feels dryness in the oral cavity.

If the pain is severe, does not go away for a long time, and at least one of these signs appears, you should call an ambulance. It is necessary to start treatment urgently.


To answer the question: “Why did the headache occur?”, you will need to consult a therapist, neurologist, cardiologist, or ophthalmologist.

The examination includes:

  • blood and urine tests (will help rule out various infections);
  • tracking blood pressure throughout the day;
  • ECG (assesses the state of the heart);
  • X-ray of the cervical spine;
  • MRI, which will help determine the condition of the brain;
  • MRA (magnetic resonance angiography). During this procedure, the condition of the blood vessels is assessed.

Treatment of the disease

If there is pain in the crown area, you can try to get rid of it yourself. To do this, you need to take a horizontal position, exclude bright lights and sharp sounds. Be sure to ventilate the room. Give a massage that will help relieve tension and improve vascular conductivity.

The doctor may prescribe medication, but only after the cause of the pain has been determined.

  1. Blood pressure stabilizing drugs.
  2. For severe migraines, a vitamin-mineral complex is prescribed.
  3. For cluster pain, antispasmodics are prescribed.
  4. For severe paroxysmal pain, painkillers are prescribed and bed rest is recommended.
  5. Neuroses are treated with antidepressants, and massage may be prescribed. Outdoor walks are recommended. A course of psychotherapy may be required.

As an additional therapy, acupressure is prescribed, which is performed only by a specialist. A regular spinal massage will help relieve an attack and can be done independently. Relaxation therapy and aromatherapy are effective.


You should take the drug with caution and carefully read the instructions. Many of them cause various side effects.

Preventive actions

It is difficult to completely get rid of headaches, especially if they are pathological. You can reduce the number of attacks if you follow a number of simple rules.

  1. Active lifestyle.
  2. Alternation of rest and work.
  3. Proper nutrition including a large number of fruits and vegetables, reducing fatty, spicy foods. Avoid fast food products. Vitamin B12 can prevent headaches. It is found in foods such as broccoli, nuts, and eggs.
  4. Healthy, long sleep of at least 7 hours a day.
  5. Avoiding conflict and stressful situations.
  6. Getting rid of bad habits. Alcoholic drinks cause increased blood pressure.
  7. You cannot sit in one position for a long time, especially when your shoulders are raised and your chin is down. The vessels of the neck are compressed.

Regular preventive examinations of the spine and brain will help prevent unpleasant symptoms associated with headaches.

A headache knocks a person out of his usual life. Sometimes simple, uncomplicated measures help get rid of it and prevent its reoccurrence.

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4 reasons why the crown (crown) of the head hurts

Pain in the area of ​​the crown of the head is quite rare, so when it occurs, people often do not understand why it starts and how it should be treated. Meanwhile, these painful sensations can last quite a long time and be very unpleasant. As a result, a person susceptible to such an illness finds himself knocked out of the usual rut of life for some time.

Causes

One of the reasons why the top of the head may hurt is the sedentary lifestyle that modern people lead. Chronic overstrain of the muscles of the neck and back of the head leads to pain that spreads from the back of the head to the crown, then moves to the forehead. They can be described as pressing, squeezing, and practically non-pulsating. It is worth noting that this situation can arise not only among working people, but also among schoolchildren due to a large amount of time spent in lessons, and among pensioners, for example, due to watching TV.

Another cause of pain in the crown area is the vertebral discs squeezing the arteries and nerves leading to the head. It is accompanied by numbness, sagging neck and the appearance of a double chin.


With neuroses, panic attacks and hysteria, in half of the cases pain is observed in the crown of the head, along with which sensations of squeezing and tightening of the skin appear. The psychological nature can be determined by periodic declines and intensifications of pain, clearly coinciding with periods of emotional arousal (there is a pattern #8212; the more fears, phobias, and anxiety develop, the more the crown of the head begins to hurt). This disease can also manifest itself during prolonged, “chronic” stress, when the body is already working to the limit.

A headache in the crown area can also result from a traumatic brain injury. As a rule, we can talk about such a reason if the painful sensations do not go away within two months, memory and attention disorders, general weakness and deterioration in performance are observed. The pain itself often occurs some time after suffering a TBI; its nature, as a rule, is not pulsating. Very rarely, these types of pain can appear due to congenital pathologies of the brain structure.

Diagnosis and treatment

If this type of pain occurs, you should contact a neurologist, a surgeon (if you suspect problems with the spine) and a traumatologist (if you suspect a traumatic brain injury). You may also need to consult a psychologist or psychotherapist. If the cause turns out to be a nerve disorder, then drugs such as Glycine, Valerian and Motherwort will help you, and the last two drugs are recommended to be taken only at night, because in addition to a positive calming effect, they also have a negative inhibitory effect. The effect of them is mild and may not occur immediately, so you need to drink the entire course, observing the dosage.

If the pain is caused by muscle strain, then you need to get rid of it. This will help you:

  1. Planning the working day (every hour you need to allocate 5-15 minute breaks for rest)
  2. Therapeutic exercises performed every morning
  3. Sleep on an orthopedic pillow or on a hard bed (only after consulting a doctor).

If the cause of pain is stress, then it is advisable to protect your life from nervous overstrain or learn to deal with them with the help of yoga, fitness, art therapy, and outdoor recreation on weekends. On the recommendation of a doctor, you can do self-massage (it also helps with other causes of pain in the crown area). In a state of meditation, you can concentrate on the crown of your head, where, according to Hindu traditions, the upper “chakra” is located. You just need to do this carefully, because it is not uncommon for people who are carried away by mysticism to develop neuroses from the fear of “damage”, “evil eye”, etc.

If the pain is caused by a traumatic brain injury, the patient needs rest to restore damaged brain functionality. Typically, a person should be hospitalized for a period of two weeks to a month.

Negative factors leading to pain in the crown area

There are several factors that significantly increase the risk of pain in the crown area:

  • Alcoholism
  • Smoking
  • Binge eating
  • High blood pressure
  • Obesity
  • Atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels
  • Improper daily routine and sedentary lifestyle

As you can see, many of them are bad habits, and absolutely anyone can get rid of most of the items on the list.

By eliminating risk factors, learning to deal with stress and relieve muscle tension, you can significantly protect yourself from the occurrence of conditions when the top of your head begins to hurt. If, nevertheless, it takes you by surprise, then do not delay and contact a specialist, and then your head will delight you with health for many years.

Why does headache occur at the top of the head?

Symptoms - danger signals

Among the variety of symptoms, it is necessary to highlight the more significant ones, the appearance of which requires immediate contact with a general practitioner, followed by an examination by a neurologist, ophthalmologist, endocrinologist, vascular surgeon, psychiatrist, etc. So, urgent medical attention is required if the headache is combined:

  • with nausea and vomiting, has a sudden onset;
  • with the appearance of seizures;
  • with visual impairment, hearing impairment or the appearance of hallucinations, the pain syndrome usually increases over time;
  • with post-traumatic cephalgia, especially after head and neck trauma;
  • with a change in the nature of the pain syndrome when the neck, eyes, ears, and nasal cavity are affected;
  • with loss of consciousness or visual disturbances;
  • with increased blood pressure;
  • with any infectious process or isolated rise in body temperature;
  • with a change in the nature and intensity of the pain syndrome familiar to a person;
  • with increased pain while taking medications.

Diagnostics

The following additional examination methods are usually used to make a diagnosis and exclude complications:

  • electroencephalography (EEG) to detect episodes of abnormal impulses and diagnose epilepsy;
  • angiography of cerebral vessels;
  • extra- and intracranial Dopplerography of blood vessels;
  • spinal tap;
  • neuroimaging methods.

The last type of diagnosis is performed using radiation. Depending on the need apply

  1. Computed tomography (CT).
  2. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  3. Positron emission tomography, which allows us to judge the metabolism of cells in various parts of the brain during pain.
  4. SPECT is a tomographic image of the distribution of radionuclides.

Differential diagnosis of different types of headaches (Table 2)

Parietal headaches

Headaches, discomfort, and a feeling of fullness in the crown area are familiar to many people. If such symptoms are temporary, isolated and disappear without treatment, then there is no particular reason to worry. But what to do if a headache in the crown is constantly present and not only subsides, but also progresses? The most appropriate solution is to go to the clinic and undergo a detailed diagnostic examination. To prescribe adequate therapy, it is necessary to find out the primary causes of headaches.

Features of symptoms

People who complain of pain in the parietal region describe the nature of their sensations differently. The pain can be squeezing and bursting, sometimes stabbing and throbbing, it can subside and worsen within a few days.

days. Often this pain radiates to the optic nerve, causing vision problems.

Associated signs of parietal headache may include:

  • Intolerance to bright light;
  • Increased pain with loud sounds and noise;
  • Dizziness and feeling of motion sickness;
  • The occurrence or intensification of symptoms during PMS and during menstruation itself in women.

The average age of patients with signs of pain in the parietal region is 30-40 years. Often the pain radiates to the back of the head, neck and back.

Causes

The most common primary cause of discomfort in the crown of the head is increased intracranial pressure. It, in turn, can be a manifestation of hypertension, atherosclerosis, and vegetative-vascular dystonia.

Other possible causes of the pathology:

  • Stress caused by excessive workload;
  • Lack of adequate sleep;
  • Errors in nutrition - irregular food intake, lack of nutrients and vitamins, abuse of caffeine and other stimulants;
  • Alcohol abuse;
  • Taking hormonal medications;
  • Physical inactivity (lack of physical activity);
  • Muscle spasms in the neck and face;
  • Head injuries, bruises, falls;
  • Radicular syndrome – constant compression of the spinal nerve due to osteochondrosis or spinal hernia;
  • Infectious diseases;
  • Cysts, brain tumors;
  • Hydrocephalus (excess of cerebrospinal fluid in the membranes of the brain);
  • Ischemic disease.

Pain in the parietal and occipital region can be concomitant symptoms of sinusitis, tonsillitis (tonsillitis), and other chronic and acute inflammatory diseases. Fighting a headache in the crown area without eliminating the root cause of the condition is impractical and useless.

Diagnostic methods

A full examination in a clinic will help diagnose the disease that caused parietal headaches. There are a number of laboratory and instrumental techniques that can be prescribed by a therapist to establish a diagnosis.

  • General clinical blood test;
  • Angiography (examination of blood vessels with the introduction of a contrast agent);
  • Echocardiography (to study the condition of the heart);
  • Blood pressure monitoring;
  • CT and MRI.

For chronic headaches, it is imperative that patients be examined by an ophthalmologist in order to prevent possible transformations in the fundus in advance. Consultations with an otolaryngologist, dentist, endocrinologist and other specialists are also not excluded.

Therapy

If headaches are caused by stressful conditions or non-compliance with sleep and rest, lifestyle correction is prescribed as treatment. Doctors advise patients to take a few days of rest, reduce stress, and spend more time in the fresh air. The ideal solution would be to visit a sanatorium-resort medical institution.

Useful information: Types of headaches in the forehead in adults and children

In other cases, longer complex therapy is required. Analgesics, sedatives, antidepressants, receptor blockers, antispasmodics that relax smooth muscles may be prescribed. However, medications cannot always help.

For example, for radicular syndrome caused by osteochondrosis, long-term treatment is used in the form of:

  • Physiotherapy;
  • Physical therapy;
  • Reflexology (acupuncture);
  • Acupressure.

Herbal infusions and decoctions of oregano, chamomile, mint, lemon balm and other plants help relieve headaches in the parietal and occipital region. Special ointments with a cooling and analgesic effect are also used, which should be rubbed into the temples.

Prevention measures

The main preventive measures for headaches of any localization are a healthy lifestyle, proper rest, and a balanced diet. For people who work in an office and spend most of the day at the computer, doctors recommend doing a short warm-up every 45-60 minutes. You definitely need to walk, stretch your neck, and do a few simple exercises that will prevent congestion in the blood vessels and muscle tissue.

Doctors advise taking medications only in extreme cases, since medications can be addictive and almost always have side effects. Tablets are prescribed when all other treatment methods have already been tried.

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A headache can be caused by serious problems in the body, and therefore it is simply necessary to know the cause of its occurrence.
Pain in the crown of the head is a reason to urgently consult a doctor to identify the causes.

Why does pain appear in the crown?

The headache is felt as a feeling of pressure at the top of the head, spreading from above (from the crown to the forehead) and creating the so-called “helmet sensation”. Such pain is often accompanied by tinnitus, as well as pulsation in the temples.

The appearance of such headache symptoms can occur for five main reasons:

  • tension and muscle fatigue;
  • stress;
  • cluster pain;
  • traumatic brain injury;
  • migraine.

Let's consider why such phenomena occur, why the top of the head hurts, and who is more susceptible to their occurrence.

Tension and muscle fatigue

Staying in an insufficiently comfortable position for a long time can cause pain in the crown area.

This is typical, for example, for people who spend a long time in front of a monitor or machine in one position, or for summer residents working in an uncomfortable and unnatural position.

The parietal part of the head may begin to ache due to tension in the muscles, due to an incorrect lifestyle (insufficient sleep or poor diet), increased physical or mental overload.

Often headaches in the upper region of the crown occur in women (“I’m tired, my head hurts again”) - these are not ordinary excuses, but a consequence of a monotonous and sedentary lifestyle and overexertion.

Stress

Negative emotions cause the muscle fibers of the head to become very tense, and a person experiences constant pain in the crown, radiating to the shoulders and cervical region. This pain is considered quite moderate and stable, it does not change under the influence of stress, but sometimes it can be very acute and become unbearable, stabbing.

If the parietal part of the head hurts, and the pain is accompanied by slight dizziness, a feeling of motion sickness, numbness in the limbs, the cause may be the occurrence of neuroses or psycho-emotional disorders.

Such painful sensations are often observed in people who have been in a stressful situation for a long time or are experiencing psycho-emotional stress.

The brain is simply trying to “signal” to a person that it is working at its limit.

According to statistics, more than 50% of patients with nervous disorders have a headache on the top of their head.

Cluster pain

Pain of this nature occurs in a separate part of the brain and can last from three minutes to two hours. They most often occur in middle-aged men and in women during menopause (or during PMS).

Attacks of pain may be accompanied by the following symptoms:

  • swelling of the eyelids and redness of the eyes;
  • increased sensitivity to noise (light);
  • attacks of nausea and vomiting due to dizziness;
  • increased pain during physical activity.

With cluster pain, symptoms can change from time to time, sometimes the sensations worsen or, on the contrary, become less pronounced.

Migraine

These are the most common pains in the crown area, which are considered the scourge of our time and overtake people of both sexes and different ages.

Migraine makes itself felt by the occurrence of aching or spasmodic pain. Moreover, the upper part of the head hurts, and the period of pain can last from several hours to several months.

Migraine is manifested by the following ailments:

  • sharp pains of a piercing and pulsating nature;
  • intense pain on top of the head, intensifying after sleep (or eating);
  • painful sensations that intensify in the morning after sleep - due to pressure changes and sudden activity;
  • pain when walking or physical activity;
  • nausea and vomiting.

The causes of migraine pain are degenerative disorders of the nervous system, intense release (or, conversely, cessation of entry) of certain substances into the blood.

The occurrence of migraines can be influenced by excessive consumption of alcohol or food, heavy smoking, stressful situations or excessive exercise.

Traumatic brain injuries

Feelings of a headache in the crown area can cause post-traumatic conditions that occur after suffering a traumatic brain injury.

Such pain can be both acute and quite chronic (that is, pain can appear within 8 weeks after the onset of injury). These painful sensations are physiologically determined and often accompany concussions.

You should consult a doctor immediately if, in addition to severe pain in the crown area, the following symptoms appear:

  • visual impairment;
  • deterioration in general health;
  • memory disorder;
  • the intensity of painful sensations increases;
  • vomiting, dry mouth or high fever appears.

Taken together, these signs may indicate serious illness.

Specific and other reasons

Painful sensations in the crown area can be caused by additional factors that are not of a permanent nature, but act as external stimuli:

  • excessive drinking and smoking;
  • poor lifestyle and nutrition;
  • hypertension and hypotension;
  • development of atherosclerosis in the vessels of the brain;
  • osteochondrosis of the cervical spine (“radicular syndrome”).

Pain on top of the head can also be triggered by external factors: prolonged exposure to the scorching sun (or, on the contrary, in the cold), staying in an excessively noisy or stuffy room, sudden changes in weather conditions, etc.

The use of some drugs can also provoke pain in the crown, so you should especially carefully read the annotations for a particular drug.

The development of pain in the crown area can occur against the background of other diseases: meningitis, colds and viral infections, diseases of the ENT organs.

How to get rid of pain in the top of the head

Independent measures

If pain in the crown area is infrequent, episodic, you can get rid of it yourself:

  1. take a comfortable position (it is better to lie down on a flat surface);
  2. eliminate external irritants (loud light, sound), ventilate the room or go out into fresh air;
  3. perform a gentle neck massage (while breathing evenly and deeply).
  4. take painkillers.

Prevention

If your head often hurts from above, you should properly organize proper rest and your working time: carry out periodic warm-ups and small exercises, ensure regular sleep and proper nutrition, take more frequent walks on fresh rest and lead a healthy lifestyle.

When to see a doctor

If the measures taken do not have the desired effect, and the crown of the head, on the contrary, begins to hurt more severely and intensely, the pain is accompanied by unpleasant symptoms (nausea, vomiting, weakness, etc.), you should immediately consult a doctor for a correct diagnosis, as well as a prescription. course of treatment.

Appropriate treatment will be prescribed by a doctor depending on the causes of pain:

  • for low blood pressure, medications containing caffeine (citramon, askofen) are used; walks in the fresh air are recommended;
  • for high blood pressure, diuretics, farmadipine and captopril are used;
  • for migraines, a course of vitamin-mineral complex, sedalgin, metamizole, etc. is prescribed;
  • for cluster pain, bed rest is prescribed, cafergot and lidocaine drops are used;
  • for colds and infectious diseases - anti-cold medications (Teraflu, Fervex, ibuprofen, etc.) are used to relieve pain;
  • for stress, complex drug and psychiatric treatment is used.

Only a doctor can prescribe treatment and prescribe such drugs if you have a headache from above - you should not self-medicate under any circumstances.

Usually, if pain occurs in the vertex of the head, they consult a neurologist.

But, if the top of your head hurts, and the causes of pain are associated with pre- or post-stroke conditions, hormonal changes, injuries or stress, you should consult with several specialists at once: a cardiologist, surgeon, gynecologist, immunologist, respectively.

1 What is most often associated with pain?

Headaches from above cause a feeling of tightness. Along with them, sometimes there may be a feeling of pulsation in the temporal region and severe tinnitus. The causes of the pain that many people experience in the crown of the head are very different.

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The first factor is severe overstrain of muscle tissue, fatigue. Being in an uncomfortable position for a long time causes a person to experience pain in the parietal region. This applies to people who are seated every day of the workday, or who stand behind equipment for the entire work shift, or who grow crops and perform weeding and other activities in a position that strains muscle tissue.

Pain in the parietal region, which often occurs in women, may not only be due to abnormal muscle tone. Severe physical fatigue, high mental stress, poor lifestyle, poor nutrition, and insufficient sleep may contribute to their appearance.

Every person should try to remain calm in all situations. A disturbed psycho-emotional state, a constant state of stress, and depression cause people to experience pain in the crown of such strength that the unpleasant sensations radiate to the neck and shoulders. Due to frequent experiences, the muscle tissue of the head contracts, which makes moderate headaches systematic.

Reducing the load does not make it less severe, and sometimes the pain reaches its peak and becomes unbearable. Headache, accompanied by mild nausea, dizziness, numbness of the arms and legs, is most often a consequence of neurosis or other disorders in the functioning of the nervous system. It is typical for subjects who for a long time cannot get rid of psycho-emotional overstrain. Medical research shows that more than half of patients with disorders of the nervous system experience pain in the crown area.

Migraine is a very common cause of pain in the parietal region. It affects both males and females at any age. A migraine signals its appearance by painful sensations of an aching, spasmodic nature in the area of ​​the crown. Lasts for two hours or several months.

Symptoms characteristic of migraine:

  • sharp pain, accompanied by pulsation;
  • severe pain on top of the head, which becomes even more intense after eating or waking up from sleep;
  • severe headache during active activities, pressure changes;
  • the upper part of the head hurts when doing physical exercises, while walking;
  • triggering of the gag reflex;
  • nausea.

The main factors causing migraine are: disturbances in the functioning of the nervous system (processes of its degeneration occur) and disruptions in the functioning of the circulatory system. Migraines are also associated with drinking alcoholic beverages in unlimited quantities, smoking, stress, and excessive exercise.

2 Additional reasons

A very serious reason for pain in the parietal part of the head is traumatic brain injury. This occurs when the patient is in a post-traumatic state. Headache can be acute or chronic. The fact that it is chronic is indicated by its appearance within two months after the injury. And the headache is due to the fact that the person has suffered a concussion. You should seek help from an experienced specialist immediately. The consequences of an injury can be especially complex if, in addition to these pain sensations, there are the following manifestations:

  • sudden deterioration of vision;
  • weakness, general health unsatisfactory;
  • memory problems;
  • painful sensations from above intensify;
  • presence of a gag reflex;
  • increased body temperature;
  • dryness of the oral mucosa.

Cluster pain covers a separate area of ​​the head due to the fact that it affects the brain locally and lasts from several minutes to several hours. Cluster pain in any area most often makes itself felt in males in middle age. In women they occur during PMS or menopause.

Pain in the upper part of the head is sometimes associated with vascular diseases. It is caused by: vegetative-vascular dystonia, hypertension or physical inactivity. Due to decreased or increased tone of their walls, blood vessels are unable to function normally and provide the required level of blood pressure. In this case, nerve cells can be compressed, after which vascular tension is formed. In order for the pain in the crown to disappear, it is necessary to normalize blood pressure, include only healthy foods in your daily diet, and follow a diet.

An important factor causing pain in the head, which becomes especially acute when pressed, is pathology of the cervical spine of various kinds. Pathological disorders include: disorders in the cervical vertebrae, osteochondrosis, pinched nerve fibers and blood vessels, cervical migraine.

It happens that pain in the crown is associated with the skin, that is, with its defects. Then the person experiences pain on the outside when touching the hair and skin. Factors causing violations are:

  • allergic reaction to hair care products;
  • improperly done hairstyle, long, heavy and thick hair;
  • diseases of the scalp caused by various types of fungi;
  • spasm of blood vessels that are close to the hair follicles;
  • psoriasis.

Why does the part of my head hurt at the top, what else could it be connected with? Other reasons include:

  • development of a cold or infectious disease;
  • sudden change in weather conditions;
  • insufficient amount of oxygen in the air masses of the room;
  • sunstroke;
  • hypothermia;
  • eating unhealthy foods;
  • uncomfortable pillow for sleeping;
  • being in a noisy place for a long time.

3 Prevention and therapy

To ensure that pain attacks do not occur in any area of ​​the head or that the likelihood of their occurrence is minimal, a number of preventive measures must be taken.

Try not to sit too long in front of the computer monitor and TV. The brain is under great stress, especially if a person is passionate about computer games, which provoke pain in the top of the head quite quickly. You need to limit not only yourself, but also children, in whom the parietal part of the head can hurt as often as in adults.

Eat more fresh vegetables, fruits, fish. For example, chocolate, cocoa, and nuts have a negative effect on blood vessels, which causes pain in the crown area. When playing sports, however, physical activity should be moderate so as not to harm your own health.

Adequate sleep every day should be at least 7-8 hours. This amount of time will be enough for a person to fully restore the strength spent throughout the day and gain energy. Moreover, to avoid headaches, sleep must be sound. When you go to bed, you should not think about any problems.

In the area of ​​the crown, pain will be felt much less frequently if a person avoids conflicts, does not provoke them and does not react to provocations from others. Such actions will protect the body from many diseases of the nervous system. Give up any bad habits. Regular visits to medical institutions for a full examination and identification of any abnormalities in the cardiovascular system and spine in the early stages of disease development.

4 Urgent package of measures

If a person has a headache infrequently, sporadically, then you can eliminate the symptom on your own. Actions when a headache attacks should be as follows:

  • take a horizontal position;
  • take deep, even breaths;
  • open the window to fill the room with fresh air;
  • make sure that the light does not put pressure on the eyes, there is no noise;
  • measure blood pressure using a tonometer; if something is pressing on your head, then the reason may be abnormal pressure;
  • perform a light cervical massage;
  • take a pain reliever.

When the headache does not go away, but only gets worse, you need to see a doctor for an examination and an accurate diagnosis. The treatment course prescribed by the doctor will depend on the reasons for the pain in the upper part of the head.

Deviations from the norm in blood pressure are eliminated with various medications. If the pressure is reduced, then medications with caffeine and citramone are prescribed. For high blood pressure - captopril, farmadipine and other drugs.

Migraine treatment is carried out comprehensively. The patient is prescribed various vitamins and medications, for example, Sedalgin. Cluster pain in any area is eliminated with the help of a drug called cafergot; drops can also be prescribed. Bed rest is required.

Psycho-emotional disorders that cause the patient to have a headache are eliminated through complex medicinal effects on the body and psychiatric treatment. For treatment to be effective, you need to contact a neurologist. In some cases, he prescribes examination by other specialists, for example, a cardiologist. It is not recommended to use any medications on your own.

5 Traditional medicine

When you have a moderate headache, medications based on medicinal plants can help combat the pain. A migraine attack will be relieved by a tincture of aloe and chicory. An aloe leaf, cut into pieces, is infused in chicory juice (150 ml) for two hours.

A cinnamon-based drink is effective: 0.5 tsp. cinnamon should be poured with a glass of boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes, then add 0.5 tsp to the mixture. Sahara. Drink several sips throughout the day.

To relieve painful attacks, you need to apply compresses. Options that give positive results:

  1. Mash a fresh leaf of white cabbage, apply it to your forehead, and hold for 15 minutes.
  2. Cut raw potatoes into circles, wrap in gauze folded in 2 layers and place on your forehead (10 minutes).
  3. Wet a towel or napkin in cold water and apply to your temples and forehead for 3-5 minutes.

Relaxation is quite effective in the fight against illness that arises from overexertion. It is good for the patient to lie down in silence, completely relax, sleep, or take a walk. The body itself will tell you what exactly needs to be done. Therapy with music will also have a beneficial effect on the patient. Regardless of taste preferences, a classic composition is needed for medicinal purposes. It will calm your nerves and relieve fatigue.

Not all reasons that provoke a feeling of pain at the top of the head depend on the person himself. However, the frequency and likelihood of the disease will decrease significantly if you eliminate bad habits or unhealthy sleep. More attention should be paid to health so that life can be long and enjoyed.

Headache - not only a painful phenomenon, but also a signal from the body that something wrong is happening to it.

It can have a number of causes, and to determine the specific one, you need to understand the nature of the sensations and additional symptoms.

In this article, you will learn about why your head hurts on the top of your head and what measures you can take to alleviate the condition.

Pain in the head area is scientifically called cephalalgia and is considered one of the most common pain syndromes in modern society (every second adult suffers from it). If you have a headache from above, you should not ignore the unpleasant symptoms and simply take painkillers - the causes of this condition can lead to serious disorders in the body, and sometimes to death.

Ask your question to a neurologist for free

Irina Martynova. Graduated from Voronezh State Medical University named after. N.N. Burdenko. Clinical resident and neurologist of the BUZ VO \"Moscow Polyclinic\".

The nature of pain during cephalgia can be different (pressing, stabbing, etc.), and unpleasant sensations can occur at different times and with different frequency.

  1. Acute cephalgia - occurs suddenly at any time of the day and is episodic in nature. Occurs during stress, inflammatory and infectious diseases, head injuries, cluster pain or more dangerous conditions - stroke, ruptured aneurysm.
  2. Chronic pain is characterized by regular attacks that can occur up to several times a day, even after taking painkillers. It usually occurs in the presence of pathologies of the cervical spine (), constant stress and lack of sleep, and brain tumors.
  3. Periodic cephalgia occurs no more than once every few weeks, and is usually easily relieved with medications. A similar condition can be observed with neuralgia, migraine, menopause, vegetative-vascular dystonia, blood pressure disorders (hypertension, hypotension), etc.
  4. Recurrent pain syndrome is called if it occurs at least three times over the course of 3 months. It is typical for cluster pain, VSD, hypertension, brain tumors, etc. Unpleasant sensations can become recurrent in other diseases, especially if the patient has not received the necessary treatment.

There is a particular danger to life severe headache that is accompanied by loss or confusion, severe vomiting and other symptoms.

Neuralgia

Description
Neuralgia is a disorder of the peripheral nerves that can occur in any part of the body. If it affects the occipital, trigeminal or facial nerve, a person may have a headache on the right, left or in the vertex area.

When neuralgia occurs headache of a burning, piercing nature, aggravated by sudden movements. It is usually localized on one side, but it can also be affected on both sides.

In addition, a person develops photophobia and discomfort when touching the scalp.

Diagnosis and treatment
Diagnosis of occipital neuralgia is carried out after consultation with a neurologist using CT, MRI and radiography; treatment depends on the stage of the disease and the characteristics of the patient’s body - conservative (administration of painkillers and anticonvulsants, massage, physiotherapy) or surgical intervention.

Neuralgia is not an independent pathology, but a consequence of spinal diseases, so first of all the root cause of the problem should be eliminated.

Infectious and inflammatory processes

Description
Acute headaches in the vertex area can be caused by infections and diseases caused by them: flu, sore throat, meningitis, encephalitis.
Nature of pain
The nature of the pain depends on the degree of intoxication of the body and the nature of the disease - it can be moderate or very strong and increasing. Most often, with inflammatory and infectious diseases, pain in the vertex is accompanied by high fever, respiratory symptoms, and general weakness.
Diagnosis and treatment
Diagnostic measures include an external examination of the patient by a therapist, an infectious disease specialist and other doctors, urine and blood tests, and, if meningitis is suspected, a cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Therapy is prescribed depending on the complexity of the disease.

You can get rid of headaches due to flu or sore throat on your own, but if you have the slightest suspicion of meningitis or encephalitis, you should immediately consult a doctor.

Description
Blood pressure problems – one of the most common causes of headaches on the top of the head. The blood pressure may be elevated (hypertension) or (hypotension), but pain in the upper, right, or left can be felt in both cases.
Nature of pain
When blood pressure changes, a person usually experiences pain in the upper part of the head, the back of the head, or the frontal part. The pain is dull, aching or throbbing in nature and may flare up and subside from time to time. The following symptoms are associated with the pain syndrome:

  • dizziness;
  • nausea and vomiting;
  • intolerance to stuffiness and heat;
  • sweating;
  • general weakness;
  • bleeding from the nose (with increased pressure).

Diagnosis and treatment
If the top of your head hurts due to problems with blood pressure, it is necessary to determine the reason why it is increasing or decreasing. Depending on this, the patient needs to consult with a therapist, neurologist, cardiologist or endocrinologist, do an ECG, take blood and urine tests, make sure there are no tumors or compressed vessels and other pathologies.

Increases in blood pressure are symptomatic (taking sedatives, drugs that reduce or increase blood pressure), changes in lifestyle and nutrition, massage, but most importantly, eliminate the root cause of the disease.

Migraine

Description
Migraine is chronic neurological disease, the exact reasons for which have not yet been studied. Factors that provoke the development of the disease include deterioration of cerebral blood supply, central nervous system disorders, hormonal disorders, and mental stress.
Nature of pain
The main sign of migraine pain is that it is localized on the right or left, and the person has pain in the parietal part of the head, temple, and sometimes the orbit, jaw and neck. The unpleasant sensations are pulsating in nature and intensify when stimuli appear (bright light, strong odors, loud sounds). In addition, migraines are characterized by:

  • nausea and vomiting;
  • irritability, depression;
  • drowsiness or, conversely, excessive excitement.

With migraines, the headache in the area of ​​the temples and the crown of the head hurts no more than 2 times a week, so if attacks occur more often, the cause must be looked for elsewhere.

Diagnosis and treatment
In order for the patient to stop having headaches due to migraine attacks, he needs to consult with a therapist, neurologist and endocrinologist. There are no means to completely cure migraines, so therapy to relieve symptoms is selected individually: medications (Bellaspon, Anaprilin, Melipramine), massage, diet, physical therapy.

pain

Description
Cluster headache is a rare but very painful phenomenon, which occurs in approximately three people out of a thousand. Typically, attacks are typical for men aged 20-40 years, and their causes, as in the case of migraines, are not fully understood.
Nature of pain
Patients suffering from this syndrome have a headache from above, in the temple or in the temple, and the pain is burning and excruciating.

It builds up very quickly, reaching a peak within 5-10 minutes and can last from 15 minutes to 3 hours.

Diagnosis and treatment
There are no special measures that can accurately determine cluster pain, so the diagnosis is made after excluding other causes of pain in the upper part of the head. Treatment is symptomatic - taking painkillers, massage, inhaling oxygen.

Traumatic brain injuries


With traumatic brain injuries, pain may appear immediately or some time after the impact. If the crown of the head does not hurt too much, and there are no other symptoms, then we are most likely talking about a soft tissue bruise that does not require medical treatment. Otherwise (if there is excruciating pain in the crown of the head, bleeding, loss of consciousness, etc.), you should consult a doctor as soon as possible.

Stress and muscle strain

Pain in the upper part of the head occurs in people who regularly experience stressful situations or remain in an uncomfortable position for a long time. In such situations, you should not immediately resort to medication: you can take a walk in the fresh air, do a light neck massage, lie down in a relaxed position, or take a hot shower.

Natural sedatives (herbal decoctions of chamomile, valerian root, lemon balm, etc.), as well as psychotherapy, will help reduce your susceptibility to stress.

Pain in the crown of the head: when should you see a doctor immediately?

Cephalgia, which recurs periodically and worsens a person’s quality of life, in any case requires seeing a doctor, but there are cases when medical attention is required immediately. These include:

  • sharp unexpected pain at the top, which grows very quickly;
  • pain syndrome accompanied by confusion, fainting, speech impairment, unilateral paralysis of the limbs, muscle tension in the back of the head, high fever;
  • head injuries, which are accompanied by severe bleeding, nausea, vomiting, loss of consciousness;
  • intense or chronic cephalalgia in people over 50;
  • severe pain that does not subside after taking painkillers.

All of the above symptoms may indicate a stroke, ruptured aneurysm, cerebral edema or hemorrhage - each of these conditions poses a direct threat to human life.

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First aid

To get rid of a headache attack or reduce its intensity, you must take the following measures:

  • go to bed preferably in a quiet, darkened, well-ventilated room;
  • take a warm shower;
  • take a walk in the fresh air;
  • and scalp with light movements;
  • apply a towel soaked in cold water to the crown of the head;
  • – herbal infusions, fresh aloe or cabbage leaves applied to the head;
  • If there is heaviness in the stomach, do not eat or drink anything, so as not to provoke vomiting.

Prevention of cephalalgia is a healthy lifestyle, proper rest, quitting smoking and drinking alcohol, light physical activity and reducing stress.

To prevent serious pathologies and diseases (brain tumors, aneurysms, etc.), you should undergo a medical examination approximately every six months.