strange head sensations
There are a number of conditions which can cause a sensation of tightness, weight, or pressure in the head. These strange head sensations can range in intensity from being mild to severe.
Most of the conditions that result in strange head sensations aren’t cause for alarm. Common cause include tension headaches, conditions that can affect the sinuses, and ear infections. Abnormal or severe head pressure leading to some strange head sensations sometimes can be a sign of a serious medical condition, like a brain tumour or an aneurysm but, these problems are very rare.
Do you feel strange head sensations all over your head?
Are these strange head sensations restricted to the forehead, temples, or a single side?
To know about causes and everything related to strange head sensations keep reading all is discussed below.
Location of strange head sensations?
- If in entire head it's probably due to a concussion or head injury.
- tension headache affects top of head
- Sinus headache affects front of head and forehead
- tension headache one side
- ear condition can lead to a headache on same side or both
- dental problem can lead to a headache on same side or both
- migraine affects back of head or neck
What are the causes of strange head sensations?
Strange head sensations has many potential causes among the causes common ones are tension headaches and sinus headaches.
Tension headache
Sensation or pain from a tension headaches is generally mild to moderate in severity. Some people explain it as an elastic band squeezing their head which is a weird feeling . Its also known as tense type headaches. But alas their causes aren’t well-understood yet.
Causes of tension headaches are following:
- Stress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Poor posture
Sinus headaches and other sinus related conditions
Its feels like a constant pressure behind the forehead, cheekbones, nose, jaw, or ears, one might experience other symptoms too like stuffy nose. The sinuses in human body are a series of connected cavities behind the forehead, eyes, cheeks, and nose and when the sinuses become inflamed, they tend to produce excess mucus, which can eventually lead to head pressure and sensation called sinus headache.Causes of sinus headache are as following:
- Allergies
- Colds and flu
- Sinus infections
Ear conditions
It mostly feels like a very dull but at the same time constant pressure in the temples, ears, jaw, or side of the head giving weird head sensations. Ear conditions can sometimes affect one or other times both sides of the head. Ear infections and earwax blockages are very common ear conditions that can cause headache with ear pain. Causes of ear conditions are as following:
- Ear barotrauma
- Ear infections
- Earwax blockage
- Labyrinthitis
- Ruptured eardrum
- Outer ear infection
Migraines
Migraine feels like a pain and is usually described as pulsing or throbbing. It mostly occurs on one side of the head, and it can be so severe that it’s disabling. Migraines are more often accompanied by additional symptoms, like nausea and vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraines are a very common type of headache and in today’s world it’s not rare thing. They first tend to appear in adolescence or early adulthood, and tend to reoccur later in life . Migraines often include some warning signs and progress through distinct stages to reach a certain level Causes of migraine are as follows : the causes of migraines aren’t well-understood yet, although some genetic and other environmental factors appear to be involved.
Psychological and Psychosomatic headache
There is a common predisposition to anxiety disorders, depression, and migraines that may exist. To mention chronic daily headaches are very common in people who suffer with anxiety disorders. There have been few studies which have suggested that migraine headaches can precede onset of mental disorders. Mental disorders like major depression, general anxiety disorder , bipolar disorder, panic attacks, panic disorder, substance abuse disorders, agoraphobia, and simple phobia all these coexist with strange headaches. There are studies which have proven that the occurrences over a lifetime of depression, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorder are significantly very higher in migraine sufferers than in the normal population, as are the chances of epilepsy and stroke.
Other headaches
Feeling of Pressure, pulsing, or throbbing all over or in a specific area of the head can lead to some type of headache , there are few headaches which are accompanied by eye pain. It’s a well known fact that most people experience a headache at some point in their lives. There are different types of headaches, including cluster and rebound headaches. Headaches are caused by man factors in general it can’t be generalised. Some have a medical condition, while other have another condition.
Concussions and other head injuries
A sensation of mild pressure in your head or a headache is called an concussion. Some related symptoms include following confusion, nausea, and dizziness. However concussion is a mild head injury. It happens when the brain shakes, bounces, or twists inside the skull, that can. affect brain activity and damage brain cells at some level. Causes of concussions are : Concussions and other head injuries are typically caused by some sudden impact to the head. Falls, car accidents, and sports injuries are very common and cause concussion.
Brain tumor
Feeling pressure or heaviness in the head or neck can sometimes be a sign of brain tumor.Brain tumors can lead to severe headaches and are often accompanied by some other symptoms, like memory problems, vision problems, or difficulty walking and sometimes even giving strange sensations. A brain tumor happens when cells grow and multiply to form some abnormal mass in the brain which is very rare.
Causes if Brain tumour: Brain tumors can be of types either noncancerous that is benign or cancerous that is malignant. They can originate direct in the brain called primary tumors or indirectly grow from cancer cells that have travelled from elsewhere in the body called as secondary tumors.
Brain aneurysm
A brain aneurysm feels like a Severe head pain that comes on suddenly. People who had aneurysms before described it as in this way “the worst type of headache of their life.” A brain aneurysm is like a bulging or ballooning in the blood vessel then excess pressure can cause the bulge to rupture and bleed in the brain.
Causes of brain aneurysm are following: The causes of brain aneurysms aren’t definitive yet but there are some risk factors which include high blood pressure, smoking cigarettes, and age.
Other conditions
There are a number of other conditions that can cause head sensations . Some of these include following:
- Severe dehydration or hunger
- dental infections and other dental issues
- fatigue, and conditions which cause fatigue
- high blood pressure
- infections, like meningitis and encephalitis
- muscle strain in the head or neck area
- stroke and transient ischemic attack
When to see a doctor for strange head sensations?
- One should always see a doctor if consistently have to take pain medication for some strange head sensation more than two times per week.
- Make an appointment with the concerned doctor if head pressure is long term , severe, or is unusual .
- Head sensations that disrupt the day-to-day activities need medical treatment.
- Seeking medical treatment for an underlying condition, like sinusitis or an ear infection like otitis , can also help relieve head pressure in some cases . Depending on the medical condition, the doctor might refer a person to a specialist like a neurologist or an ear, nose, and throat specialist.
- If the source or we ca say cause of the strange head sensation isn’t clear or the symptoms suggest a more serious condition, the doctor might order a CT scan or an MRI scan. Both these diagnostic procedures are important as they produce a detailed image of the brain that the doctor will use to learn more about what is causing the head pressure and for giving treatment accordingly.
What is the treatment for strange head sensations?
The choice of treatment depends on the underlying cause of head sensations.
Tension headaches are typically treated with a combination of some OTC and prescription medications. Some medications can treat tension headache pain when it happens . These include OTC pain medications like aspirin or ibuprofen or naproxen, and combination drugs that combine two or more pain medications with either caffeine or a drug to help you relax and let pain go. But if tension headaches occur on a regular basis, the doctor might prescribe medication to help prevent them as well . These medications include following : antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and muscle relaxants.
Few lifestyle changes, home remedies, and some alternative therapies are also effective in treating tension headaches. Alternative therapies focus on relieving the stress and tension of a person. These include following:
- Acupuncture
- Massage
- Biofeedback
- Essential oils
Home remedies
- Some types of head sensations don’t require medical treatment so home remedies and lifestyle changes may help to improve the symptoms ,Like make time for some relaxing activities, like taking a hot bath, reading, or stretching.
- Improve the posture to avoid tensing back muscles.
- Get enough sleep always.
- For sore muscles treat with ice or heat
- Over-the-counter pain relievers, like aspirin, naproxen , and ibuprofen can also help in pain So, Shop for pain relievers
Summary
Mostly the common causes of pressure in the head are tension headaches and sinus headaches as mentioned earlier. And luckily both of these conditions respond well to treatments. In very few cases, pressure in the head is a sign of a more serious condition like tumour and aneurysm . If the issue persists for few days , one should definitely see a doctor