Headache after localization

Headaches are most often felt in the forehead area. The pain can occur on one side or both sides. Migraine patients typically also experience their headache in the forehead area.

The headache is usually unilateral, pulsating and severe. Many migraine patients also suffer from nausea (possibly with vomiting), photophobia and a kind of flickering before the eyes. This phenomenon is also called aura and heralds the coming migraine headache in many patients.

Headaches in the area of the forehead, however, do not always have to indicate a migraine. If the headache extends from the forehead to the temples, the origin may be in the temporomandibular joint. Unconscious, stress-related teeth grinding causes the temporomandibular joint and the chewing muscles to be over-stimulated and damaged.

Relaxation techniques and the wearing of a grinding splint can help. Typical tension headaches can also manifest themselves in the forehead area. The pain is then often bilateral, permanent and pulling.

Stress, too little sleep and general inner tension are the reasons for these headaches. Problems with the eyes also often lead to headaches in the forehead area. If a person suffers from a visual defect that is not corrected by glasses or contact lenses, the eyes have to exert themselves constantly to correct the blurred image on the retina.

In the long run this overloads the eyes and the vision of the affected person becomes increasingly blurred. The brain no longer receives clear visual information. Headaches can be the result.

In case of frequent headaches, an ophthalmological examination should be considered.In addition, the frontal sinuses – air-filled cavities in the bone – run in the forehead area. Infections of the respiratory tract can spread into the sinuses and frontal sinuses and cause an inflammatory reaction there. This is often very painful and the affected patients feel a feeling of pressure in the forehead area, which increases especially when the head is tilted down, for example when tying shoes.

Excessive alcohol consumption the day before is also a possible cause of headaches in the forehead area. This phenomenon is colloquially known as a “hangover” and usually improves on its own in the course of the following day. Of course, the pain can also begin in the event of a direct trauma, such as a blow or fall on the head.

If the patient is severely injured or temporarily unconscious, a hospital should always be visited afterwards to clarify serious injuries (cerebral hemorrhages, skull fractures). Less frequent causes of pain in the forehead area are malignant diseases or nerve damage. Occipital pain can have various causes.

Very often they are caused by tension in the muscles in the neck-shoulder region (see: tense neck). The neck muscles pull from the lower part of the back of the head towards the shoulders, so that tension can lead to a cramping of this whole area. Neck tensions are encouraged by poor posture, which nowadays often results from predominantly sedentary activities at the workplace and a general lack of movement.

If the head is held in one position for many hours a day, for example when working at the computer for long hours, this can cause neck tension and pain in the back of the head. Another cause of pain in the back of the head is teeth grinding (bruxism), which many people perform in their sleep without realizing it. It also causes neck and back of the head pain and morning pain in the chewing muscles.

Several nerves run through the neck area, which can be irritated for various reasons, for example, by tension, inflammation, wear and tear or infection. Irritation of the nerves causes stabbing, seizure-like pain that can radiate from the neck into other areas of the head. This clinical picture is also known as occipital neuralgia.

More serious causes of pain in the back of the head are circulatory disorders of the brain, for example in the course of a stroke. The pain is often severe and occurs very suddenly. This is often accompanied by nausea, vomiting and neck stiffness – if there is bleeding in the area between the meninges (subarachnoid bleeding).

Last but not least, permanent pain in the back of the head can be caused by a malignant disease, for example a brain tumor or metastases from another tumor that has appeared in the body. If the pain is long-lasting and/or severe and does not show any tendency to improve, a doctor should be consulted to clarify the serious causes of the pain. Symptoms In this type of pain, both halves of the head are affected.

The pain moves from the back of the head towards the forehead. Mostly it is described as oppressive. Patients often have the feeling that their skull is in a vice.

It is not uncommon for a permanent (chronic) course to occur. It occurs in all age groups and is often accompanied by dizziness in the head and vomiting. Headaches with nausea are also common.

Women are typically more frequently affected than men. The chances of complete recovery and freedom from pain are generally poor with pure drug therapy. With regular exercise, e.g. endurance sports, quite good and long pain-free episodes can be achieved.

Therapy A good relationship between doctor and patient must be in the foreground. Special attention must be paid to addressing the patient’s fears regarding a serious, life-threatening disease. Tension headaches are very distressing, but not life-threatening.

Medication-based therapy with a (tricyclic) antidepressant (e.g. amitryptilin, dononurine, imipramine) is started when there are more than 9 painful days per month. Painkillers should always be used sparingly and not more than e.g. 500mg of aspirin per day should be taken. It has also been shown that progressive muscle relaxation can be very helpful.Supplementing 10 behavioral recommendations of the German migraine – league are specified here. More about headaches with our partner