Back headache leftBack headache right | Back headaches

Back headache leftBack headache right

Unilateral occipital pain can give an indication of the localization of the cause.A special division between right and left is not possible because the anatomical structures are symmetrical. In the case of unilateral occipital pain, it is first necessary to find out what causes the pain. Different types of headache often occur unilaterally and must therefore be excluded diagnostically.

These include migraine headache, cluster headache and tension headache. Even simple muscular tension can, albeit untypically, be unilateral and caused by poor posture. Left- or right-sided occipital headache thus suggests a local cause that does not affect the entire head (as is the case with meningitis, for example). A mass of space can trigger the pain. This can be caused, for example, by a cerebral haemorrhage or a brain tumor, although the latter is much less common.

Back headaches with nausea

As already mentioned, accidental injuries are often the cause of back headaches. In the event of a fall, the affected person often lands on the ground with the back of his head. Although the brain is well protected in the skull bone and the nerve fluid, it is affected by a hard impact.

This can lead to a concussion, a slight craniocerebral trauma. The patient is usually dazed and the functions of the brain can be restricted in various ways. Although the acute symptoms disappear after a short time, dizziness and nausea can occur as a result.

The body reacts to the slight injury to the brain. If headaches and nausea occur simultaneously after a head injury, medical observation is necessary. This is often regulated by a short stay in hospital, during which the neurological functions are regularly checked.

The purpose of this is to check whether an increased intracranial pressure is developing. If the fall has not only caused a concussion, but also a more severe craniocerebral trauma, an increase in intracranial pressure can occur due to bleeding, water retention (edema) or entrapment (e.g. in the case of a skull fracture). Classic symptoms of this increase in pressure are nausea and vomiting. If the pressure rises too high, the brain may become trapped in existing anatomical structures, which is life-threatening.