Headaches Back Of Head
For many people the back of the head is a common place to get headaches, but there isn’t just one cause associated with pain in this location. Like all headaches, the reasons and causes for any one individual to get a headache is usually lifestyle or environment related. While there are many causes for headaches in the back of the head one of the main types is called a tension headache. This kind of headache constitutes 90% of non illness-related headaches. It is characterized by a dull or throbbing pain or tightness that can cover all areas of the head, not just the back. As its name suggests, a tension headache is brought on by stress, tiredness, bad lifestyle habits and overexertion.
Some simple resolutions if you have a back of the head headache could be to do some stretching exercises as tension headaches are often relieved by physical exertion. Something as simple as a walk in the park, a short run or swim or a change in lifestyle such as eating more healthily or cutting down on your workload will probably clear these up quickly.
It may be, though, that you do not have a tension style headache as it is also possible to get migraines or sometimes cluster headaches in the back of the head. Try to analyze what kind of pain it is as migraines are often associated with sharp pain and will be accompanied by bouts of nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and/or numbness, either in localized areas or down one side of the body in addition to distortions of vision such as light sensitivity or flashes.
One other option is what is called a “referred pain headache” or occasionally and occipital headache. These headaches are actually caused by pain in the neck or back which are then transferred through the nerves and referred to the head. The causes of this kind of headache are usually the same as muscle or body related injuries, bad posture, frequent inaction of the body, strains and pulls and trapped nerves and are almost always associated with simultaneous pain in the related region. Changing things like posture and time spent at computers will help solve this.
All kinds of headache are treatable with the appropriate medication. Tension and referred pain headaches often respond well to over the counter drugs such as aspirin, paracetamol or ibuprofen, while migraine headaches also have many medications. These medications for migraines are often much stronger, however, and while they may relieve the pain they often come with other side-effects and therefore it is necessary to get these on prescription through your physician.
Occasionally a back of the head headache may be caused by some more serious ailments such as brain tumors or meningitis. These are much more rare and are usually associated with severe or chronic pain, blackouts, distortions in vision or speech and dizziness or disorientation. If you experience these symptoms more than once it is strongly recommended you consult a doctor for a check up.
