Why do you feel dizzy at normal blood pressure?

There are about 200 known causes of headaches (cephalalgia). This may be an increase or decrease in blood pressure, pathology of cerebral vessels, diseases of the spine, brain vessels, brain tumors, intoxication. At the Yusupov Hospital, neurologists find out the cause of headaches using the latest diagnostic equipment from the world's leading manufacturers.

Headaches in the forehead can bother a patient with sinusitis or frontal sinusitis. In this case, treatment is carried out by otolaryngologists. If the cause of the headache is arterial hypertension, cardiologists provide antihypertensive therapy. In the presence of intoxication, infectious disease specialists treat patients with headaches. A multidisciplinary approach to the treatment of patients suffering from headaches can quickly improve the patient's condition.

Causes of headaches in women

When developing tactics for managing a patient with headache, neurologists at the Yusupov Hospital take into account its cause. Doctors relieve headaches with analgesics and at the same time treat the disease that caused this syndrome. Most often, headaches in women occur for the following reasons:

• Hormonal imbalances;
• Acute or chronic stress;
• Increase or decrease in blood pressure;
• Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system;
• Diabetes mellitus;
• Infectious diseases (meningitis, encephalitis, tuberculosis);
• Inflammation of the neck muscles:
• Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;
• Volumetric formations of the brain.

Methods for treating heaviness in the head

As already mentioned, heaviness in the head in itself is not a disease. This is only a symptom, and it is the root cause of this condition that needs to be treated.

Treatment of the underlying disease is specific, selected taking into account the individual characteristics of the patient’s body and entirely depends on the identified disorders.

However, symptomatic treatment of heaviness in the head and similar accompanying symptoms is also possible. Most often, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics, antispasmodics and other drugs are used in therapy to relieve discomfort. In some cases, they resort to blockades.

However, do not forget that long-term drug treatment is addictive, and the drugs lose their effectiveness over time. So this approach to treatment can be truly justified only in a situation where heaviness in the head is caused by serious organic lesions. In other cases, it is recommended to solve the problem, if possible, through safer therapeutic methods without the use of “chemistry”.

Thus, heaviness in the head can be easily eliminated with the help of self-massage of the biologically active zones of the back of the neck, the back of the head, the temporal region, and the crown. Impact on these areas not only relieves tension from the neck muscles, but also stimulates the flow of fresh blood, which helps improve well-being and restore performance.

In addition, you should pay attention to a number of treatment methods that have proven effective in improving blood flow in the cervical spine and normalizing blood supply to the brain. First of all, these include manual therapy and all kinds of physiotherapeutic procedures.

Physical therapy exercises can also give good results in the fight against heaviness in the head, drowsiness, fatigue and other associated symptoms. Physical activity helps saturate the blood and tissues with oxygen. In addition, regular performance of even simple exercises allows you to strengthen the muscle corset and, accordingly, reduce the load on the spinal column itself and protect it from the development of destructive processes.

Causes of headaches in men

Men are most often bothered by cluster pain. It is localized in the temple area and the eyeball. Pain of varying intensity in men occurs during a respiratory disease, an infectious lesion of the body, after an injury, or during the development of a brain tumor. Headaches localized in the back of the head occur with arterial hypertension, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. Often men experience severe headaches accompanied by nosebleeds. The reasons for the violation may be:

• Diseases of the circulatory system;
• Failure of endocrine organs;
• Cardiovascular diseases;
• Meningitis.
• Stroke;
• Tumors of the brain or nasal cavity;
• Hypertension;
• Overwork.

Expert opinion

Author:

Tatyana Aleksandrovna Kosova

Head of the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, neurologist, reflexologist

90% of the population has experienced headache symptoms at least once in their life. Such data is provided by the World Health Organization. In 20% of cases, the headache is permanent. The ratio in the morbidity structure among men and women is 1:3. Neurologists identify various causes of headaches. The most common etiological factors are migraine and tension headache. Migraine is diagnosed in 20–30% of cases, and tension headaches account for 50–70%.

A headache can be a symptom of a serious illness. Therefore, if a pathological sign appears frequently, as well as in the presence of other symptoms, you should consult a doctor. At the Yusupov Hospital, neurologists pay close attention to the treatment of various types of headaches. Diagnosis of possible causes is carried out using x-rays, MRI, CT, EEG, angiography and laboratory tests. If necessary, additional studies are prescribed. Individually selected therapy allows you to stop an acute attack and prevent the re-development of the pathological symptom. The drugs used are verified for quality and safety. Treatment regimens comply with international recommendations for headache therapy.

Headache

Encephalitis

Tick-borne encephalitis

Polio

Hypercholesterolemia

22914 31 July

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.
In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor. Headache - causes, what diseases it occurs with, diagnosis and treatment methods. The basis of headaches is irritation of pain receptors located in:

• dura mater and cerebral vessels;
• periosteum of the skull, vessels of the soft tissues of the head, muscles.

The brain tissue itself does not contain pain receptors.
Types of headaches (cephalgia)

Headaches are divided into primary and secondary. A headache is considered primary if it is the main manifestation of a brain disease, such as in migraines and tension headaches.

Secondary headache is a symptom of other disorders, for example, head trauma, chronic cerebral ischemia, viral diseases, diseases of the cervical spine, etc.

Let's look at the four most common types of headaches.
Possible causes
Tension headache

Tension headache is the most common form of primary headache. Psycho-emotional stress, depression, anxiety and various phobias, overstrain of the muscles of the shoulder girdle - these are the main causes of tension headaches. Migraine headache

Migraines occur in women about three times more often than in men, and about 60-70% of all migraine cases in women are so-called menstrual migraines. However, the causes and mechanism of development of migraine attacks are not completely clear. At any age, in both men and women, migraine attacks can be provoked by emotional and physical overload, eating disorders, drinking alcohol, changes in weather conditions, sharp noise, strong odors, etc. Headache with colds

Headaches from colds are caused by hyperthermia and the damaging effects of microorganism toxins on brain cells. Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia

The cause of this pain, which is the most common secondary headache in elderly patients, is cerebral vascular pathology, in which blood circulation is disrupted and blood supply to brain tissue deteriorates.

The result is progressive brain dysfunction.
What diseases cause
tension headaches?

Tension headaches are caused by irritation of structures in the central nervous system (CNS) called the nociceptive system. Myogenic, stress, and psychogenic headaches are tension headaches.

Most often, tension headaches occur at a young and working age.

In cases of tension headaches, a person experiences bilateral, usually not strong, pressing and squeezing, monotonous and dull headaches. Attacks of such pain are accompanied by fatigue, nervousness, impaired appetite and sleep, and decreased performance. The duration of the attack is from 30 minutes to several days.

Migraine headache

Indicates only one disease - migraine, since attacks of such cephalgia have a peculiar character. Migraine pain is paroxysmal, throbbing, of moderate or severe intensity. It covers half of the head.

The pain may intensify with physical activity, tilting the head, and is often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

Bright light, sharp sound, strong smell increase the pain. A migraine attack may be preceded by an aura, a collection of visual, auditory, olfactory or other neurological symptoms that lasts up to one hour.

Headache due to colds

Occurs in most acute and chronic diseases of the upper and lower respiratory tract caused by bacteria or viruses. In some cases, the intensity of such cephalgia correlates with the severity of fever, severity of cough, sore throat and other symptoms. The pain most often spreads throughout the head. Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia

The concept of chronic cerebral ischemia includes: discirculatory or vascular encephalopathy (slowly progressive cerebrovascular accident), cerebrovascular insufficiency (pathology of cerebral vessels), vascular dementia (a disorder that causes organic damage to the brain). In the clinical picture of chronic cerebral ischemia, dizziness, decreased cognitive function, emotional lability (unstable mood), motor-coordination disorders, and perception disorders (tinnitus, “floaters” before the eyes) become indispensable companions of headaches. Headaches are usually not severe, spread over the entire head, and last for a long time. Diagnostics and examinations

Tension headache and migraine headache, headache with colds

The diagnosis is made by a neurologist based on anamnesis and assessment of the patient’s complaints. Headache in chronic cerebral ischemia

Radiation examination is key for chronic cerebral ischemia (ultrasound Dopplerography of cerebral vessels)

Kinds

Neurologists distinguish the following types of headaches:

• Migraine – caused by a disruption of the vascular system;
• Tension headache - mainly occurs due to excessive tension in the neck, eye muscles, as well as the muscles of the shoulder girdle and scalp aponeurosis, as well as due to chronic stress, depression;
• Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania, cluster headache - can be primary or secondary.
• Headache not associated with damage to brain structures;
• Ambus headache that occurs when taking medications uncontrolled.

There are also headaches after traumatic brain injury, with diseases of the vascular system, and those that occur with intracranial disorders of extravascular origin.
Tensor headaches often occur in women after stress or nervous shock. It goes away in the presence of positive emotions, after drinking soothing herbal teas.

Neurologists do not recommend taking headache pills on your own. Each drug is designed to relieve a specific type of pain and has a number of contraindications. The doctor takes all this into account when prescribing a medicine to a patient.

Make an appointment

Types and causes of occurrence

There are 4 main types of pressing headaches:

• Liquorodynamic (character - bursting, often presses on the eyes).
• Cephalgia of muscle tension (with compression of the muscles of the cervical region).
• Vascular (pulsating pain due to increased pressure in the blood vessels of the head).
• Neuralgic (the nature of cephalgia (headache) is piercing, acute).

The reasons that provoke an attack include:

• ischemic disorders (insufficient blood flow to the brain due to vasospasm);
• hypoxia (lack of oxygen);
• irritation of nerve endings;
• general tension in the neck and head muscles;
• traumatic brain injuries and neck injuries;
• diseases of the spine;
• infections (viral and bacterial);
• acute or chronic inflammation in the paranasal sinuses;
• cardiovascular pathologies (including hypertension);
• poisoning (including intoxication with ethanol and its decomposition products).

Please note: Women are more likely to suffer from pressing headaches.

Predisposing factors are:

• poor nutrition;
• weather sensitivity;
• hormonal imbalance;

• stress and its consequences (anxiety and depression);
• physical fatigue;
• sleep disorders;
• fasting (for example, against the background of a restrictive diet);
• change of climatic zones;
• taking certain pharmacological agents (tranquilizers, analgesics, drugs with caffeine, etc.).

Migraine

Migraine is the most common type of headache.
It most often occurs in women from the onset of puberty (from 11-13 years) to 35 years. Migraine can be simple or with an aura. It can occur in the temple, crown, back of the head, and forehead. The cause of the disease is a hereditary disorder of vasomotor regulation of arteries located outside and inside the cranium. With migraines, headaches occur in the form of attacks. They bother you at varying frequencies - from once a week to once a year. The attack lasts from several hours to 3 days. Usually the pain is throbbing and covers half of the head. It often occurs after physical activity, stress, lack of sleep or too much sleep, or eating certain foods. A migraine attack is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, intolerance to bright light, noise, and strong odors. Sometimes the headache is very severe and lasts for several days - this condition is called status migraine. According to statistics, migraine occurs in 2% of people.

Neurologists believe that a migraine attack develops under the influence of the following provoking factors:

• Chronic stress;
• Overwork;
• Intense mental work;
• Hormonal disorders.

Often the cause of migraine is a family history.

29.07.2019

“Hoop” of tension, or Why does your head hurt?

It is believed that a headache can have a thousand causes and, of course, a doctor must differentiate it. If you experience regular, severe attacks, you should definitely contact a specialist to make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

We talked about why headaches occur, in which cases you can just lie down or take a pill, and when this is a reason to worry and see a doctor - we talked about this with the head of the neurological department of the Regional Vascular Center of the First City Hospital, Maria Kolygina.

Migraine loves the dark

– Maria Rufinovna, what are the most common causes of headaches?

– One of the most common is the so-called tension headache. We all live in stressful times, we take on streams of negative information, and constantly solve some problems. And if there are many problems, tension from the cerebral cortex is transferred to the muscles of the body, which experience chronic spasm. As a result, the body does not relax at all. This is when a tension headache occurs.

Patients describe their sensations something like this: their head is heavy, as if they are wearing a hoop or helmet, their neck muscles ache. Some complain of pain in the eyes, especially when moving the eyeballs, and blurred vision.

Of course, this condition is treatable. But the main thing here is to learn to relax. When a person comes home tired from work and experiences tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle, he needs to take a contrast shower, massage his shoulders, lie down... The best prevention of tension headaches is regular adequate physical activity - the gym, swimming, Nordic walking, just walking in the fresh air . Everyone chooses for themselves what they like to do.

Another common type of harmless headache is venous. It is a consequence of the congenital structural features of the veins of the head. In a person, the outflow of blood through the saphenous veins is impaired, resulting in stagnation, especially at night. He wakes up with a headache, a pasty face, and puffiness under the eyes. To bring yourself back to normal, you need to drink coffee or freshly brewed tea, walk for at least half an hour and take a contrast shower. To treat such pain, there are special drugs that tone the veins of the brain and alleviate the condition. Well, prevention again is physical activity.

These two types of headaches are harmless and easy to treat on your own.

– Where does migraine come from?

– It is associated with the release of vasoactive substances into the blood, which first causes a sharp spasm of the artery, and then its relaxation, the vascular tone of the artery is disturbed - a migraine attack occurs.

Such attacks are characterized by severe headaches, often one-sided. To make it easier to move, the person asks to turn off the lights and close the windows with curtains. It is easier for him to be in the dark and in silence. Because any sound or bright light is an irritant that provokes a new attack of headache. It is believed that migraines affect women more often, this is due to hormonal levels.

There are two types of migraine: with and without aura. An aura is a change in state that occurs before a painful attack. Someone’s field of vision “loses” (the so-called visual aura); someone begins to feel “goosebumps” on the body, numbness of the lips, tongue. These sensations pass quickly, literally in five to ten minutes, and then a severe headache develops. A migraine attack is often triggered by certain foods, for example, blue cheese, red wine, chocolate, and smoked meats.

There are special medications to relieve migraines, and patients use them successfully. If a migraine attack lasts for a day or more, it is better to call an ambulance.

Stroke doesn't hurt

– What headaches are considered the most dangerous?

– Pain associated with some kind of catastrophe in the brain, in particular, with hemorrhage. This can happen with a congenital aneurysm of the cerebral vessels, the existence of which a person sometimes does not even know. He lives a normal life, is active, moves a lot, but one day this aneurysm bursts, and a severe headache develops with photophobia, nausea, vomiting, and even loss of consciousness is possible. Here you need to immediately call an ambulance.

Sometimes a headache can be one of the symptoms of a brain tumor; these suspicions can be confirmed or refuted using magnetic resonance imaging.

Headache with meningitis is dangerous. This is an inflammatory disease of the membranes of the brain, most often it is associated with infectious factors - previous acute respiratory viral infections, ear diseases, sinusitis and others. The patient, in addition to headache, photophobia, nausea and vomiting, experiences an increase in temperature. The diagnosis of meningitis is confirmed only by puncture; it is not visible on either CT or MRI. The same symptoms occur with tick-borne encephalitis after a tick bite. If this happens, the tick must be saved and submitted for examination, and the person must go to an infectious diseases hospital.

– When is a headache a prerequisite for a stroke?

– There is no direct connection here. Moreover, one of the main dangers of a stroke is that it doesn’t hurt. For example, when a person develops a myocardial infarction, blood circulation in the heart muscle is disrupted and severe chest pain occurs. And in most cases, people get scared and immediately call an ambulance, they are taken to cardiology.

In case of a stroke, an arm or leg may fail, speech may be impaired, and the field of vision may “fall out.” And it happens that a person remains at home for several more days, waiting for the illness to go away on its own. In fact, this is a manifestation of a terrible disease.

Therefore, I would like to once again remind you of the symptoms of a stroke: speech impairment, facial distortion, weakness in an arm or leg, impaired gait and coordination of movement.

Now there are modern methods of treating stroke, and the sooner a person arrives at the hospital, the greater the chance of using them. In particular, introduce a special drug into the blood - a thrombolytic, which quickly dissolves blood clots in the vessels, but it can only be used for the first four hours after the onset of the disease. If everything is done on time, the stroke clinic goes away right before our eyes. But even if some symptoms remain, it is much easier to rehabilitate such a patient.

– What leads to stroke, what are the risk factors?

– All risk factors for stroke are divided into two large groups. These are unmodified, that is, those that a person cannot influence - age, gender, race, heredity. And modified ones, which we can and should influence. First of all, arterial hypertension. If a patient is diagnosed with hypertension, he must take high blood pressure pills for life - every day, regularly. This is the only way to keep blood pressure at a normal level, not higher than 140/90.

Unfortunately, there are cases when a person takes medications for a month or two - the condition improves, and he cancels them himself. Three days later - hypertensive crisis and stroke. During withdrawal symptoms, blood pressure usually rises even higher than it was before treatment.

Risk factors include high cholesterol. Depending on its level and the condition of the blood vessels, either special drugs are prescribed - statins, or you can limit yourself to following the so-called Mediterranean diet. Its rules are simple: do not eat pork or lamb, but only lean white meat - rabbit, chicken, turkey. Replace fried foods with baked or boiled ones. Actively include fish in your diet: salmon, herring, mackerel, horse mackerel, and cod are considered the healthiest. And of course, more vegetables, fruits, leafy greens, and our northern berries. Physical activity prevents the development of atherosclerosis. A person should walk five to six kilometers a day.

– What risk are people with low blood pressure exposed to?

– It is less dangerous in terms of the development of strokes, but these people are prone to fainting, especially in stuffy rooms and transport. They are encouraged to actively engage in physical activity and spend more time outdoors. And be sure to have a hearty breakfast in the morning, drink freshly brewed tea or coffee to normalize vascular tone.

Think about your lifestyle

– Maria Rufinovna, stroke is considered an age-related disease. Why does it happen to young people?

– In general, a stroke is the result of those diseases that a person has accumulated during his life: atherosclerosis, hypertension, heart disease. In our department, 75–78 percent of patients with strokes are over 60 years of age. But strokes occur at an earlier age: 20–40 years. It cannot be said that stroke is getting younger; the numbers are stable from year to year.

Most often, a stroke in young people is a disorder in the blood coagulation system, caused by genetic disorders. If a person’s closest relatives suffered from a stroke or heart attack early enough, at the age of 45–55, then already at thirty he needs to think about his lifestyle (quit smoking, alcohol abuse), control blood pressure, donate blood for sugar and cholesterol, and do an ultrasound examination neck vessels and MRI of the brain.

– How much does your well-being depend on your daily routine?

– Everything depends on the daily routine, not only health, but also performance, physical and mental activity. Our physiology is designed so that the process of falling asleep occurs from 22 to 23 hours. During this period, human biorhythms work towards falling asleep. If you sit in front of the TV or at the computer until twelve, until one in the morning, it will be difficult to “switch off.” Ultimately, the person will fall asleep, but the sleep will be superficial, and in the morning he will get up broken. The ideal option for health is to fall asleep before 11 pm and get up between six and seven in the morning. The female body requires one to two hours more sleep than the male body. Then the body rests and truly recovers, which means the person will be healthier. The daily routine includes not only adequate sleep, but also proper distribution of workloads, balanced nutrition and physical activity.

A person’s health largely depends on their emotional mood - communication with pleasant people, favorite hobbies, caring for pets, everyone finds their own...

Natalia SENCHUKOVA

Source: city newspaper “Arkhangelsk - City of Military Glory”

https://xn--80aec1d.xn--p1ai/archives/20189

Tension headache

This type of headache occurs as a result of prolonged tension in the muscles of the head and neck.
Tension headaches can be chronic and bother you constantly, only sometimes stopping for 2-3 days. There are no other violations. There is no nausea or vomiting, bright lights and loud noise do not cause suffering. Almost all sick people lead a normal life and have normal performance. Tension headaches often affect people with increased anxiety and a tendency to become depressed. Pain often occurs against the background of severe stress. There is a feeling of pressure on the top of the head or compression of the entire head. Many people suffering from this disorder take a lot of painkillers on a regular basis. Over time, this “treatment” can itself lead to headaches. Tension headaches are treated with antidepressants - only a doctor can prescribe them. Head massage and acupuncture help improve the condition.

Treatment

For a pressing headache, treatment primarily involves eliminating the provoking factors. It is important to give up bad habits, take walks in the fresh air more often and not neglect dosed physical activity (morning exercises, fitness, yoga, etc.). It is recommended to master the technique of self-massage to relieve muscle tension and improve blood flow to the head.

It is necessary to observe a sleep and rest schedule; To fully restore the nervous system after daytime stress, you need to sleep at least 7-8 hours.

It is advisable to periodically measure blood pressure; If your blood pressure increases frequently, you should consult a doctor.

The living room or work space should be ventilated more often.

Decoctions of medicinal plants - mint, valerian, sage, primrose and meadowsweet - will help cope with an attack.

Your doctor may prescribe the following medications for the symptomatic treatment of a pressing headache:

• Aspirin;
• Paracetamol;
• Spazmolgon;
• Nimesil;
• Ketoprofen.

You should not overuse analgesics, since frequent use of medications over time can provoke the development of “rebound” headaches.

The text was checked by expert doctors: Head of the socio-psychological service of the Alkoklinik MC, psychologist Yu.P. Baranova, L.A. Serova, a psychiatrist-narcologist.

CAN'T FIND THE ANSWER?

Consult a specialist

Or call: +7 (495) 798-30-80

Call! We work around the clock!

In the eye and forehead area

Headaches in the forehead area are caused by various factors.
Cluster or beam pain occurs in the eye area. She may return after a while. Sometimes attacks continue for several hours. A headache that radiates to the eyeball can be a sign of migraine, eye diseases, brain tumors, and neurological diseases of the brain. It often occurs after severe or prolonged stress. The cause of the headache may be inflammation of the maxillary or frontal sinuses. It often radiates into the eyeballs. Sinus headache disappears after the underlying disease is cured. Pain in the forehead is a common symptom of meningitis, malaria, typhoid, and pneumonia.

In the occipital region of the head

In the back of the head, cephalgia occurs when blood pressure increases, the cause of which is osteochondrosis, spondylosis, spondylolisthesis, anomalies in the development of blood vessels in the head or neck.
Severe pain in the back of the head occurs after nervous strain, as a result of spasm of the neck muscles, arteries of the head and neck, and disruption of the outflow of venous blood from the head. It worries patients suffering from occipital neuralgia, vertebrobasilar insufficiency, spinal diseases, and migraines. A sharp headache in the back of the head often occurs with the development of a hypertensive crisis. Sharp, bursting, pulsating headaches in the back of the head are accompanied by pallor of the patient’s face, generalized hyperhidrosis, dry mouth, heart pain and tachycardia.

Chronic arterial hypertension with a slight increase in blood pressure is also characterized by the development of pain mainly in the occipital part of the head. The headache bothers the patient immediately after waking up, intensifies with physical activity, and is often accompanied by swelling of the lower eyelids. Pain is caused by a violation of the outflow of venous blood from the vessels of the head.

Combined with nausea

Severe headache and nausea are signs of migraine, meningitis, and hypertensive crisis.
Often the cause of these symptoms is sinusitis, sinusitis, or intoxication of the body. Nausea, headache, and dizziness are also symptoms of traumatic brain injury and infectious diseases. Patients complain of headache, nausea, weakness at the initial stage of influenza and acute respiratory infection. In this case, the body temperature rises to high numbers. The development of a migraine can be signaled by ripples in the eyes, nausea and headache. With a migraine, the patient's appetite disappears, an aversion to strong odors appears, nausea, irritability, photophobia, and numbness in certain parts of the body occur.

Headache and dizziness also occur when wearing incorrectly selected glasses or lenses or disruption of the vascular system. Headaches and spots in the eyes appear due to fatigue and nervous exhaustion, during weather changes, after stress. These symptoms occur in people who have suffered a traumatic brain injury, spinal injury or disease.

Headache and flashing spots before the eyes appear during a hypertensive crisis. Its variety - hyperkinetic crisis - begins abruptly with headache, nausea, flickering of spots before the eyes and vomiting. The patient feels hot. His sweating and heart rate increase. Trembling is felt throughout the whole body. High blood pressure can cause hypertensive encephalopathy. It manifests itself with the following symptoms:

• Very severe headache;
• Dizziness;
• Nausea;
• Vomiting;
• The flickering of flies in the eyes.

The patient may lose consciousness and die if medical care is not provided in a timely manner.
Headaches that occur in the morning after sleep can be a manifestation of a brain tumor, abusive cephalalgia, tension pain, or migraine. Overuse headache occurs with long-term use of analgesics. It gets worse in the morning. The intensity of the pain constantly changes throughout the day. Overuse headaches are aggravated by stress, mental tension, excessive physical activity, and also by stopping a drug that relieves pain. Abuse cephalgia becomes permanent if the patient suffers from depressive syndrome, is often irritated, and is very tired. Due to constant headaches, a person’s concentration and performance decrease. He sleeps poorly and constantly feels tired.

Causes of headaches in the temples and dizziness

Such symptoms can be present both in healthy people and as a consequence of the development of various diseases. In the first case, pressing sensations in the temples and dizziness may be a consequence of the influence of external factors:

• alcohol intoxication;
• overfatigue, especially during high physical or mental stress in combination with disturbances in sleep and rest patterns;
• unbalanced nutrition and fasting;
• regular stress and nervous exhaustion;
• climate and time zone changes.

In such cases, there is usually no direct danger to human health, and to eliminate discomfort it is enough to eliminate the causative factor, i.e., reconsider your diet, schedule and working conditions, etc.

It is not uncommon to feel dizzy and have pain in the temples when staying in a stuffy room for a long time. These symptoms disappear after exposure to fresh air.

But also discomfort and pain in the temples with dizziness of varying intensity may indicate the development of pathological changes in the body, which, if left untreated, will progress and provoke a deterioration in the general condition and aggravation of symptoms. There are practically no pain receptors in the bone structures of the skull and brain tissue, and therefore they simply cannot hurt. The main sources of discomfort are blood vessels, meninges and cranial nerves. Therefore, if you regularly feel pressure in your temples and feel dizzy, you should find time and consult a doctor, because this may indicate:

• arterial hypertension;
• migraine;
• traumatic brain injury (TBI), including previously received;
• vertebrobasilar insufficiency.

Sometimes a feeling of pressure and bloating in the temples appears after eating foods containing sodium nitrite. These are usually a variety of sausages or Chinese dishes. For such cases, they even selected the appropriate terms: “sausage” headache and Chinese restaurant headache. They are a consequence of the body’s increased reaction to sodium nitrate, which leads to changes in the tone of blood vessels and, accordingly, fluctuations in blood pressure.

Arterial hypertension

High blood pressure is one of the most common causes of headaches in the temples and attacks of dizziness. This is often combined with pain in the back of the head, nausea, vomiting, deterioration in coordination of movements, redness of the face, as well as visual disturbances in the form of flickering spots before the eyes, etc.

The disease develops against the background of weakness of blood vessels, a decrease in the strength and elasticity of their walls, narrowing of the lumen as a result of the development of atherosclerosis, the development of kidney diseases, including pyelonephritis, glomerulonephritis, polycystic disease, etc. An increase in blood pressure can be established at home using mechanical, semi-automatic or automatic tonometer.

Normal blood pressure values ​​are considered: systolic (upper) 110–130 mm Hg. Art. and diastolic (lower) 70-80 mm Hg. Art. High blood pressure is indicated by readings of more than 130/80, and arterial hypertension by more than 140/90.

Factors that provoke an increase in blood pressure are stressful situations, excessive tension and heavy physical activity. Often, in people suffering from arterial hypertension, attacks are caused by changes in weather conditions.

Arterial hypertension, even moderate, cannot be ignored. A periodic increase in blood pressure, especially to high values, should be contacted by a cardiologist, since in such cases the risk of stroke increases sharply. Weakened blood vessel walls may not withstand high blood pressure and rupture, which can lead to bleeding in the brain, i.e. hemorrhagic stroke.

Migraine

Migraine is a very common problem today. It is characterized by pain not only in the temples, but also in the area of ​​the eye, forehead, or covering one half of the head completely. In this case, migraine is always paroxysmal in nature and most often one-sided, although with each attack the side of the pain localization can change, as well as cover both halves of the head at the same time.

The hallmark of a migraine is a throbbing, bursting pain, the intensity of which often increases gradually over several hours. It can occur at any time of the day, although more often the attack begins in the morning. This may be accompanied by:

• dizziness;
• visual disturbances;
• increased photosensitivity;
• nausea and vomiting.

With migraines, increased pain is provoked by any body movements, but especially by the head and climbing stairs. Many patients with this diagnosis complain of deterioration in health when hearing loud noises, so during an attack, most of them try to stay alone in bed in a quiet, darkened room.

In some patients, an attack is preceded by an aura, that is, certain, strictly individual precursors appear. Some patients notice that they feel dizzy a few hours before the headache occurs, others talk about loss of visual fields, others pay attention to speech impairments or a combination of similar symptoms.

A migraine attack can be triggered by various external and internal factors, in particular:

• changes in weather conditions;
• diet disorders and alcohol consumption;
• stressful situation;
• lack of sleep;
• taking certain medications, etc.

In this case, attacks can last for several hours or several days. This, combined with a high intensity of pain and the inability to perform one’s household and professional duties, significantly reduces a person’s quality of life. Therefore, if symptoms characteristic of migraines appear, it is worth contacting a neurologist and accurately describing how the attack begins, assessing the severity of pressure in the temples, the characteristics and nature of dizziness (are the surrounding objects spinning or is there a sensation of one’s own body rotating in space, is there an unsteadiness in gait or faintness). condition, etc.).

TBI

You may feel dizzy and have pain in your temples even after receiving a traumatic brain injury, and these symptoms can occur even some time after the action of the traumatic factor. Moreover, they can even be called typical for the recovery period.

TBI most often results from hitting the head on a hard surface. This is not always accompanied by a fracture of the skull bones, although it does not exclude it. In the acute period, i.e. immediately after injury, confusion, drowsiness, headache, vomiting, and nausea may be observed. In such cases, it is necessary to immediately go to an emergency department equipped with an MRI scanner, since severe impacts to the head can provoke the formation of intracranial hematomas, rupture of blood vessels and other serious complications that can be fatal. Subsequently, all patients will need to follow bed rest and other doctor’s recommendations.

Vertebro-basilar insufficiency

Vertebro-basilar insufficiency is a condition in which a disruption of the blood supply to the brain occurs due to a decrease in the lumen, compression of the arteries supplying it: 2 vertebral and/or basilar. A decrease in the volume of blood supplied to brain cells leads to their oxygen starvation. But it is the brain that is the most sensitive organ to hypoxia, and its long-term preservation can have extremely undesirable and dangerous consequences.

Impaired blood supply to the brain provokes a deterioration in its functioning, which is accompanied by:

• headache, often in the temple area;
• dizziness;
• general weakness and decreased performance;
• nausea;
• hearing loss and tinnitus;
• visual impairment, including the flickering of spots before the eyes.

Patients often notice a deterioration in cognitive abilities: concentration, memory.

Vertebro-basilar insufficiency is not a separate disease, but becomes a consequence of the development of pathologies of the blood vessels or the cervical spine. It is often provoked by atherosclerosis, if plaques form in the walls of the blood vessels of the vertebrobasilar region, as well as inflammatory processes in them.

No less often, cerebrovascular accidents and associated headaches and dizziness are caused by pathologies of the cervical spine. These include osteochondrosis, spondylosis, protrusions and herniated intervertebral discs. Their development is based on degenerative-dystrophic changes in the intervertebral discs, as a result of which they become deformed. This is initially accompanied by a crunch in the neck when moving and aching pain as a result of exacerbation of inflammation. Gradually, pathological changes progress, disc tissues lose elasticity, which creates the preconditions for the formation of protrusions, and then intervertebral hernias. In parallel with this, changes can occur in the vertebral bodies themselves with the formation of osteochondral growths on their surface - osteophytes.

The convergence of the vertebrae against the background of osteochondrosis, protrusions, which are protrusions and hernias, as well as osteophytes can mechanically compress and irritate the walls of the vertebral arteries. This leads to a decrease in their lumen and the development of vertebrobasilar insufficiency with pain in the temples and dizziness.

Temporal headache

Severe headaches in the temples bother patients with otitis media and migraines.
It occurs when intracranial and blood pressure increases. One of the causes of pain in the temple area is inflammation or injury to the temporomandibular joint. In this case, pain occurs in the temple area and radiates to the ear and eye. Sometimes painful sensations occur in the shoulder, neck, and shoulder blade. If the temporomandibular joint is not positioned correctly, muscle spasm develops, which causes increased headaches. After treatment of the underlying disease, the pain goes away. One of the causes of headaches in the temple area is arteritis. This is a disease in which the inflammatory process affects the vessels of the head and temporal region. Due to autoimmune inflammation of the walls of arteries and large vessels in the temporal region, immune complexes are deposited on their walls, which are produced in response to infection. The immune system perceives these cells as foreign. The walls of the blood vessels thicken and blood clots form on them. This pathology is manifested by severe headache in the temple area, general weakness, and impaired visual function. As the disease progresses, arterial damage leads to organ failure.

A common cause of pain in the temple, in the eye area and severe pressing pain in the skull is stress. With deterioration of memory, hearing, vision and constant throbbing severe pain in the temple area, a neurologist may suspect the development of a brain tumor.

Sharp pain in the temple area is a common symptom of a stroke. It is accompanied by numbness on one side of the face, body, and loss of speech. Hemorrhagic stroke can occur due to a rupture of a cerebral artery aneurysm. Acute vascular accident develops as a result of stress. Its harbinger can be a severe headache.

Pain at the base of the skull

Rheumatism

Arthritis

32179 11 February

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section cannot be used for self-diagnosis and self-treatment.
In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, diagnostic tests should be prescribed only by the attending physician. To make a diagnosis and properly prescribe treatment, you should contact your doctor. Pain at the base of the skull: causes of occurrence, what diseases it occurs with, diagnosis and treatment methods.

Definition

Pain at the base of the skull (vertebrogenic cervicocranialgia) is a pain syndrome localized in the cervico-occipital region, which can spread to the frontotemporal region and the eye area on the homolateral side. It has been proven that the source of pain can be the structures of the upper cervical spine. Typically, this is the level of the C1, C2 and C3 vertebrae, which includes joints, discs, ligaments and muscles. The lower cervical vertebrae, as a rule, play an indirect role in the formation of clinical symptoms of pain.

Pathological diseases of the cervical spine, which are accompanied by intense or aching pain, experts call “painful neck” syndrome.

The International Headache Society, 3rd revision (ICHD-3) recommended considering cervicogenic headache as secondary, arising due to changes in the cervical spine, including bone structures, intervertebral discs, and soft tissue structures, the pathology of which is often accompanied by pain in the cervical spine. neck. 70% of patients with pain in the cervical spine simultaneously experience headache, but only in 18% of cases is it considered a consequence of neck pain.

In the genesis of headaches in childhood and adolescence, functional disorders in the spinal motion segments of the cervical spine, in particular disorders in the structures of its upper cervical spine, play a significant role.

Types of pain at the base of the skull

Cervicogenic pain is indicated by differential features such as unilateral headache extending from the back of the head to the front, and evidence of involvement of the cervical spine. An attack of pain can be triggered by applying pressure to trigger points in the neck/occipital area or holding the neck in an awkward position. It is important that in some cases such pain has migraine-like features - a number of patients experience photo- and phonophobia, lacrimation, nausea, vomiting, which can sometimes be regarded as a manifestation of migraine.

Pain at the base of the skull is characterized by limited range of motion in the cervical spine, soreness of the neck muscles, changes in muscle tone, or a reaction to passive or active stretching. Usually the pain is combined with a functional block at the upper cervical level.

Injuries to the upper cervical spine due to tumors, fractures, infections, and rheumatoid arthritis can cause headaches that present clinically in the same way as cervicocranialgia. However, a feature of cervicogenic headache is that it is provoked by movements in the cervical spine, and after performing certain warm-up movements in the neck it can stop. Most often, such complaints are not associated with serious pathology, and the patient makes a full recovery.

Possible causes of pain at the base of the skull

Pain at the base of the skull is based on functional and organic changes in various anatomical structures of the cervical spine: joints, ligaments, fascia, muscles, nerves. The leading role is given to degenerative-dystrophic changes in the spine. However, there are only isolated indications of the role of functional disorders.

One of the main causes of neck pain is staying in a fixed position for a long time. Other causes of the disease include:

• osteochondrosis, spondyloarthrosis, spondylosis, uncovertebral arthrosis and other changes in the spine;
• neck injuries, injuries;
• sprains;
• intervertebral disc herniation;
• spondyloarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis.

A common cause of cervicogenic pain is inferior oblique muscle syndrome.
A spasmed muscle can compress the neurovascular bundle passing under it (segment of the vertebral artery with the periarterial sympathetic plexus, occipital nerves) - for this condition, the development of paresthesia in the scalp is typical, and sometimes there is pain when combing the hair. It has been observed that stimulation of the cervical structures causes pain, and anesthesia reduces it. Lately, doctors are increasingly talking about “text neck” syndrome, which develops in people who spend a lot of time reading texts from electronic devices (gadgets).

The head of an adult weighs about 5 kg - this is the weight the neck experiences in its normal position. When reading from gadget screens, the head is usually tilted: when tilted just 15°, the load on the spine increases to 12 kg, and when tilted 60° – up to 27 kg. As a result, posture changes, the intervertebral discs of the cervical spine suffer, muscles spasm, and pain occurs at the base of the skull.

The main manifestations of pain at the base of the skull include:

• frequent contraction of the neck muscles, convulsions;
• painful sensations when turning the head;
• noise in the head, sleep disturbance;
• pain in the cervical spine, radiating to the head;
• dizziness;
• constant tension in the neck and back of the head.

The presence of three to four signs should make the patient think about seeking medical help.
Which doctors should you contact if you experience pain at the base of the skull?
To determine the cause of the headache, you should contact a general practitioner or. The doctor will prescribe the necessary examination, determine the cause of the disease and prescribe treatment.

Diagnosis and examinations for pain at the base of the skull

The following diagnostic criteria are used to make a diagnosis:

• The causal relationship of headache with pathology of the cervical region is based on at least one of the following signs:
• clinical signs confirm that the source of pain is located in the neck;
• pain stops after diagnostic blockade of neck structures or nerve formations (with an adequate comparative study with placebo).

Using clinical, laboratory and/or neuroimaging methods, signs of disorder or damage in the cervical spine or soft tissues of the neck that are a reliable or possible cause of headache are determined:

• X-ray of the cervical region in several projections;

Headache and tinnitus

Headache and tinnitus are signs of otitis media and sinusitis. In this case, patients' body temperature rises. The pain radiates to the eye, teeth, jaw. Headache in the crown area often occurs for the following reasons:

• After severe stress;
• During a migraine attack;
• As a result of overstrain of the neck muscles;
• After abusing alcoholic beverages and smoking;
• Due to traumatic brain injury.

Cervicogenic headache, the symptoms of which indicate problems with the spine, is a secondary phenomenon. Such pain appears with protrusion of the intervertebral discs and the development of spina bifida in the cervical spine, severe tension in the neck muscles, wear of the vertebrae, and compression of the nerve root. A tumor of the cervical spine also causes severe headaches and tinnitus.

Causes

A “heavy” head can be a manifestation of a wide variety of pathologies – both non-dangerous and life-threatening. However, the very discomfort in the head is always caused by insufficient oxygen supply to the brain or stagnation of venous blood in the head area.

Symptoms, including heaviness in the head, accompany:

Head and cervical spine injuries

A feeling of heaviness in the head can be the result of a variety of injuries to the head or cervical spine. Moreover, it could even be a slight bruise. But one of the most common causes of headaches, heaviness, and weakness is the so-called whiplash injury, which occurs in car accidents. A sudden jerk during sudden braking leads to injury to the soft tissues of the neck and can cause dislocations and subluxations of the vertebrae of the cervical spine, which often results in headaches and impaired cerebral circulation.

Degenerative-dystrophic diseases of the spine

Unpleasant sensations, constant heaviness in the head that blocks the ears, dizziness, lethargy are often the result of various problems in the cervical spine, in particular osteochondrosis and cervical spondylosis. Pathological changes in the vertebral structures in these diseases often lead to irritation and compression of not only the nerve roots, but also the vertebral arteries. Due to the latter, blood supply deteriorates, venous outflow becomes difficult and intracranial pressure increases.

With pathologies of the cervical spine, heaviness in the head can bother you throughout the day, intensifying with bending, sudden movements and turns of the neck.

In addition, accompanying pain in the affected part of the spine forces a person to limit the range of movement of the head. Hence - deterioration of blood flow, limited oxygen supply to the brain and constant tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulder girdle.

Increased intracranial pressure

Increased intracranial pressure is manifested by pressing, bursting pain and a feeling of heaviness in the head. In addition, the patient may also experience nausea and vomiting.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system

Symptoms of high blood pressure, which is common in many cardiovascular diseases, are often not felt. However, in some cases it can manifest as severe headache in the back of the head, a feeling of heaviness, dizziness, lethargy and rapid heart rate.

Cervical myositis

Pain that occurs when the neck muscles become inflamed due to injury, hypothermia, or under the influence of prolonged stay in an antiphysiological position, usually also spreads to the occipital region and causes a pressing sensation in the head.

Meniere's disease

Typical manifestations of Meniere's disease are tinnitus, heaviness in the head, dizziness, drowsiness, and fatigue.

Tumor processes

Heaviness in the head due to brain tumors is usually accompanied by intense headaches, often worsening with changes in body position, dizziness, nausea and vomiting, disturbances in the functioning of the sensory organs, speech and coordination.

Neurotic disorders and depression

Heaviness in the head in combination with increased irritability, tearfulness, anxiety, dizziness, sleep disturbances and autonomic disorders, pain in different parts of the body can be a manifestation of neurosis.

Malocclusion

Heaviness in the head along with pain in the back of the head and ears can be caused by an incorrect bite or problems with the temporomandibular joint, which lead to a shift in the center of gravity of the head and improper distribution of the load on the cervical spine. With these pathologies, symptoms usually persist for a long time, and intensify in the evening.

Infectious diseases of the ENT organs

In addition to heaviness and pain in the head, infections of the hearing and respiratory organs are always accompanied by other characteristic symptoms, for example, runny nose, cough, and fever.

If you have any questions, ask our specialist! Ask a Question

Cluster headache

Cluster headaches occur in attacks, in series (clusters).
Neurologists believe that cluster headaches are associated with a person’s “biological clock” - mechanisms that regulate the functioning of the endocrine glands, organs and blood vessels. Pain occurs when the lumen of the cerebral vessels expands. Cluster headaches can be so severe that some patients experience suicidal thoughts or actions during an attack. The duration of the attack varies from 15 minutes to several hours. The attacks are repeated several times during the day. This can last for several months, and then there is a “break” for six months.

The pain usually occurs on one side of the head, in the temple or orbit of the eyes. It is combined with the following characteristics:

• Redness of the eyes;
• Tearing;
• Nasal congestion;
• Swelling (edema) in the area of ​​the eyebrows and forehead.

Neurologists at the Yusupov Hospital use effective methods to treat cluster headaches and prevent further attacks.
Make an appointment

What is accompanied by

The feeling of “fog in the head” is accompanied by other asthenic phenomena, the most common of which are the following:

• Feeling of general fatigue and malaise.
• Poor attention, difficulty learning and mastering new material.
• Altered perception: derealization and depersonalization.
• Thoroughness, getting stuck on little things.
• Feeling of unclear thinking, stupefaction and “stupidity”.
• Slowing down the flow of thoughts.
• Uncertainty in movements.

In addition, “fog in the head” is often accompanied by so-called psychosomatic symptoms: waves of heat or cold throughout the body, numbness or discomfort in different parts of the body, palpitations and shortness of breath, trembling, weakness, etc.

Associated symptoms

The feeling of “fog in the head” may be accompanied by other complaints and symptoms, which you can read about by clicking on the appropriate links:

• confusion in thoughts
• lack of emotions and feelings
• heaviness throughout the body
• chronic fatigue
• emotional instability
• increased tearfulness
• lump in the throat
• breakdown
• poor concentration
• difficulty making decisions
• need to double check
• burning sensation in the head
• feeling of internal change.

Which specialist should I contact?

If you have complaints about “fog in the head,” you should consult a neurologist or psychiatrist. If they are absent, see a doctor of any specialty.

How to get rid

In order to get rid of such an unpleasant symptom, you need to find out the cause. To do this, we recommend that you consult a doctor. The doctor will determine what the triggering factor was and what mechanisms in the body’s functioning were disrupted. Usually, one consultation with an experienced doctor is enough to clarify the causes of such a disorder. But in some cases, examinations in the form of analyses, tests, and hardware studies may be required.

If it turns out that the cause is overwork, then proper rest and isolation from external stimuli for a short time will completely eliminate all complaints. In such cases, doctors make a conclusion: Asthenic (astheno-neurotic) syndrome.

If the feeling of “foggy head” is a consequence of any disease, then treatment will be required. In this case, a diagnosis of the underlying disease that caused this complaint will be made.

We conducted an analysis over 10 years (from 2010 to 2021) of patients who came to our clinic with complaints of “fog in the head.” In about a third of cases, the cause of this symptom was overwork, and in 60-70% diseases were identified that caused this unpleasant feeling and required treatment.

Pain with increased intracranial pressure

Intracranial pressure may increase for the following reasons:

• Traumatic brain injury;
• Space-occupying formation in the skull;
• Hydrocephalus – dropsy of the brain;
• Ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke;
• Meningitis, encephalitis.

When intracranial pressure increases, headache occurs in the morning after a person has been in a horizontal position for a long time. It goes away by mid-day. The intensity of the pain increases when the torso is tilted forward, during overexertion, or coughing. It is accompanied by nausea and vomiting, which does not bring relief.

Vascular headaches

Headache develops in patients suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system:

• Arterial hypertension;
• Atherosclerosis;
• Stroke;
• Cerebral atherosclerosis, thrombosis;
• Hemorrhage under the membranes of the brain;
• Vegetovascular dysfunction.

With a strong increase in blood pressure, pain nerve endings in the walls of blood vessels are excited: when the brain begins to receive less oxygen, it reacts with pain. Typically, vascular headaches occur in the temples. It is often combined with the following symptoms:

• Noise, feeling of congestion in the ears;
• Flashing “flies before the eyes”;
• Dizziness;
• Nausea, vomiting;
• Transient visual impairment.

Sometimes headache becomes the first symptom of vascular pathology.

Venous headaches

Headache bothers patients who have impaired outflow of venous blood from the cranial cavity. The following diseases lead to dysfunction of intracranial veins:

• Neoplasms;
• Hematomas;
• Previous stroke;
• Congenital defects in the development of venous vessels.

Venous pain is dull in nature. It occurs on both sides of the head, in the morning. The patient is bothered by a feeling of fullness, pressure, heaviness in the head. Then there is dizziness, buzzing, noise in the head. The earlobes, tip of the nose, and lips may become bluish. The pain intensifies during stress, weather changes, and after drinking alcohol. Due to stiffness throughout the body, it is difficult for a person to get out of bed in the morning. During the day he feels lethargic, as if he had not slept at all at night.

Headache with cervical osteochondrosis

With the development of cervical osteochondrosis, the nerve roots extending from the spinal cord are compressed.
Patients are bothered by neck pain that radiates to the head. The vertebral arteries run along the spine in the neck area. They carry oxygen through the blood to the brain. With cervical osteochondrosis, the blood flow in them is gradually disrupted. This occurs due to compression of the vessel by a displaced spinal disc, a strained muscle, or a bony growth on the vertebra. Without adequate therapy, disorders increase, and vertebral artery syndrome gradually develops. It is manifested by headaches, dizziness, frequent loss of consciousness (especially with sudden turns of the head), severe fatigue and decreased performance.

Diagnostic methods

At home, it is impossible to determine exactly why a headache occurs. This information is necessary to choose an effective treatment that will affect not only the symptoms, but also their cause. The doctor will prescribe a set of examinations, which may include:

• X-ray of the cervical spine is the easiest way to diagnose osteochondrosis and other neck diseases;
• Dopplerography - ultrasound of the vessels of the neck and head using a contrast agent;
• MRI, CT – examinations that will allow you to accurately visualize intervertebral protrusions and hernias, neoplasms and hematomas of the brain, the consequences of a stroke;
• Blood tests will show inflammatory processes and metabolic disorders.

The Clinical Brain Institute offers individual headache diagnostic programs. The main advantages of our center are precise modern equipment and comfortable conditions for a hospital stay during the period of examination and treatment. Learn more about our programs.

Diagnostics

Neurologists at the Yusupov Hospital conduct a comprehensive examination of patients. It allows you to determine the exact cause of the headache. Patients are prescribed the following studies:

• Computer and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain;
• Ultrasound Doppler examination of the vessels of the head and neck;
• Electroencephalography;
• Echoencephalography;
• REO-encephalography.

The doctor recommends that the patient keep a headache diary in which he needs to record the following information:

• When did the pain occur?
• What is its intensity;
• How long did the attack last?
• Has your blood pressure risen?

The patient brings the diary to an appointment with a neurologist. The doctor analyzes the information provided by the patient, the results of the studies performed and develops tactics for managing the patient.

How are the causes of heaviness in the head diagnosed?

As you can see, the number of diseases that can cause heaviness in the head and its accompanying manifestations is quite large and many of them are very serious. However, you should not give in to panic when the slightest discomfort appears in your head. It is much more advisable to consult a doctor who can competently assess all existing symptoms and prescribe the necessary diagnostic measures.

The examination should begin with a visit to a neurologist, but subsequently consultations with a cardiologist, ophthalmologist and otolaryngologist may also be necessary.

To determine the causes of heaviness in the head, dizziness, weakness and other similar symptoms, encephalography, magnetic resonance imaging, and computed tomography are prescribed. An electrocardiographic examination, Doppler ultrasound of the vessels of the head and neck, and an audiographic examination are often also required.

Timely diagnosis of complaints of unpleasant sensations in the head is of paramount importance. The correct approach to treatment and its success largely depend on its quality and usefulness.