We have all had the opportunity to experience the discomfort caused by pains in the head several times over the course of our lives .
It is a common disorder, deaf or acute, also capable of limiting normal daily activities. However, unless they manifest themselves with very intense symptoms, the headache should not create particular alarmism.
The speech changes when the headache manifests itself with twinges in the head both on the right and left side , in fact this kind of episodes can instill a sense of anxiety, fear and anguish, for fear that it is a symptom of a cerebral aneurysm , therefore of an aneurysm or abrain tumor .
Obviously, it must be said that in most cases the pains in the head are nothing more than a symptom of little medical importance, generally resulting from muscle contractions, physical exertion and stress.
In many other cases, however, this symptom is accompanied by a headache, a migraine or a neck pain. The cerebral haemorrhages and therefore the aneurysms are an event that can be linked to the pangs in the head , but these are statistically much rarer phenomena than all the other causestriggering the disorder that we are going to deepen in the course of driving, and yet, it is an event that manifests itself with very acute symptoms, which, as we will see later, go far beyond simple attacks of acute and stinging pain in the head.
What are the most common symptoms and signs
The pain in the head can arise as sudden and throbbing, occur episodically or frequently. The pain can be localized to the temples , in the right or left area of ​​the skull, or involve the head as a whole, and still radiate to the neck, face or eyeball (especially in the area behind the eye), associated with lack of balance , feeling ofheavy head , continuous headache and blurred vision.
Furthermore, the pangs can be triggered as a result of physical exertion, a moment of overload of study or work, therefore in a period of high stress, or when you are in a lying position of rest.
At this point we just have to investigate the most common causes that involve the appearance of pains in the head, remembering right now that the only professional to whom to entrust one’s health is always the doctor.
What are the most common causes of headache
Migraine
It is the most common and widespread cause of acute pain in the head, so much so that it affects a percentage of 12-15% of the population, and is characterized by varied symptomatological pictures, in entity and intensity, which can occur mostly in the frontal region, at the temples, neck and face.
Migraine pain is described as throbbing, located on the right or left side of the head (alike), associated with nausea and possibly vomiting.
Very often the headache is accompanied by a state of tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulders, and tends to occur following intense physical activity. In addition to sporting activity, there are other causestriggering the disorder, such as:
- Genetic predispositions;
- Hormonal alterations: migraine is a typical symptom in women during the menstrual cycle, in the menopause or in the first weeks of pregnancy;
- Hunger and sugar deficiencies;
- Lack of sleep
- Stress;
- Particular food intake: such as tea, coffee, chocolate, alcohol, glutamate and dairy products.
More rarely, symptoms of hypersensitivity can also develop together with migraine, therefore photophobia (sensitivity to light stimuli), phonophobia (sensitivity to sound stimuli) and osmophobia (sensitivity to olfactory stimuli).
One of the phenomena that can affect subjects suffering from migraines is the migraine aura, in which visual disturbances occur such as narrowing of the visual field and the vision of flashes of light.
Tension headache
Characteristic of people subject to intense periods of stress and anxious people; in both cases they are individuals who adopt incorrect postures in which the muscles remain contracted for a long time due to emotional tension.
The pangs in the headthey can occur in a well-localized area of ​​the head or extend to the whole head, involving the temples, the frontal area or the nape of the neck. In the case of tension headache the symptoms most felt are: a strong stinging sensation in the head, feeling of dizziness, nausea, sweating, skin pallor and throbbing pain that increases in conjunction with or following a session of physical activity.
Inflammation of the trigeminal nerve A
pathology that mainly affects individuals over the age of 50 and results in very violent and painful manifestations.
The pain from inflammation of the trigeminal nerve is stinging, stabbing, and very intense, and manifests itself in short-lived bursts of pain. The pain always and only arises as unilateral (therefore in the right side or in the left side of the head), even if over time it can gradually involve both branches of the trigeminal nerve.
There are events triggering pain attacks such as vasoconstriction or vasodilation, chewing, exposure to heat or cold.
Cervical pain
In these cases, the pains in the head are the result of inflammatory, traumatic or degenerative disorders of the spine, at the level of the cervical vertebrae.
Often, however, the basis of neck pain pain is only a state of muscle tension in the prevertebral muscles, neck and nape, which remain contracted for a long time.
Cerebral aneurysm
In the case of an aneurysm, if this is in an intact state, usually no symptoms are felt so acute as to cause great concern, if not double vision, dilation of the pupil (mydriasis), loss of balance and difficulty in ‘ express themselves in the word.
The rupture of an aneurysm, on the other hand, constitutes a real medical emergency that deserves immediate recourse to 118 and manifests itself with acute symptoms such as very intense pain localized to the head and neck, rigidity of the neck and nape muscles, loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting and double vision.
When these symptoms occur, it is necessary to seek medical attention immediately, without wasting time waiting for the ailments to pass on their own or looking for remedies on the internet.
How the diagnosis is made
which are the elements that are evaluated
On which criteria the diagnosis is based
The pains in the head , as seen, can be a common symptom of many conditions, whether they are related to simple muscle contractions perpetrated in a period of high stress emotional or conditions of greater clinical importance.
Therefore, it is understood the need to submit the disorder to the evaluation of a neurological specialist, if the symptoms are frequent or in any case intense.
As seen previously, if instead the symptoms manifest themselves in a violent way, associated with rigidity of the neck and nape muscles, loss of consciousness or visual disturbances, it is necessary to go to an emergency room as soon as possible or contact 118 without hesitation.
The neurological visit generally develops in two moments, a first phase of information collection (anamnesis), and a visit phase. During the medical history, the doctor focuses on the symptoms perceived by the subject, on the modalities of onset of pain, on the type of pain, on its duration and intensity, on the localization of symptoms and on the symptoms associated with pangs in the head .
During the visit, the doctor will be able to evaluate different aspects, such as the state of muscle contraction at the level of the neck and nape, the functionality of the cranial nerves, areas of painful touch, sensitivity and reflexes.
On the basis of the data collected, the specialist doctor can indicate the need to carry out further investigations in order to confirm the diagnostic hypotheses formulated. The in-depth investigations may include a simple blood sample, through which it is possible to check for the presence of infections, autoimmune diseases or inflammation, or a lumbar puncture with CSF sampling, useful for verifying the presence of borne infections. of the nervous system.
Further in-depth investigations involve the use of instrumental diagnostic machinery that is very precise and sophisticated means (magnetic resonance imaging, CT scan, cerebral angiography ), which allow to view the brain structures and blood vessels, verifying the presence of alterations, injuries or tumors .
What are the most effective
therapies
The therapies depend on the type of cause at the origin of the pains in the head, generally they are mostly pharmacological in nature and involve the administration of anti-inflammatories and painkillers, thus focusing on counteracting the symptoms. These can be associated or alternated with muscle relaxation exercises (useful in tensive headaches), and rest periods for those suffering from a period of high stress.
In the event that at the base of the disorder there are pathologies of particular clinical importance, the therapies may also include surgical interventions or treatments aimed at the pathology.
Share on:
