Head 'which area' do you feel pain in? Suspected conditions based on pain location

Headaches are a common symptom experienced by more than 70% of the population at least once a year. Therefore, people tend to dismiss headaches as nothing serious, but sometimes they can be a sign of a serious condition. The diseases that cause headaches are very diverse, but it is helpful to know that the areas or patterns of headache can vary slightly depending on the condition.

▷Whole head → Brain hemorrhage and brain tumor = When headache appears across the entire head, brain hemorrhage or brain tumor should be suspected. These conditions cause the brain, which is enclosed within the skull, to swell, increasing intracranial pressure and simultaneously compressing the cranial nerves. Elevated intracranial pressure can cause symptoms like nausea and vomiting, similar to motion sickness, and can also press on the optic nerve, leading to decreased vision, so immediate emergency treatment is necessary. There is also a tendency for headaches to worsen upon waking in the morning or during early dawn. This is because increased intracranial pressure can impair breathing during sleep.

Forehead → Tension headaches and sinusitis = When experiencing forehead pain, tension headaches or sinusitis (sinus infection) can be suspected. Tension headaches are caused by muscle stiffness pressing on nerves. The pain is mainly felt around the forehead, jaw joint area, and the back of the ears and neck, with tenderness (pressure pain) that worsens when pressed. The pain lasts from as short as 10 minutes to over an hour or two. Repeated episodes can lead to a decrease in the secretion of neurotransmitters that inhibit pain in the brain, worsening into chronic tension headaches (more than 15 times a month). Massaging the tense muscles with hands can help reduce the pain, and symptoms may improve with rest alone. Inflammation of the sinus cavities, the hollow spaces within the facial bones around the nose, can also cause forehead pain because the sinuses extend into the forehead area. If forehead pain worsens when bending the head or sitting for a long time, sinusitis should be suspected. Sinusitis is treated with antibiotics to reduce inflammation and nasal irrigation using saline solution.

▷Temples →​ Migraine·Temporal Arteritis = If headache occurs on the temple side, migraine can be suspected. Migraine is characterized by pulsating pain caused by blood vessel dilation (pain felt in sync with the heartbeat), mainly triggered in the temples where blood vessels are densely distributed. The cause of migraine is an overly sensitive cranial blood vessel nerves, and when nerves are sensitive, even slight dilation of blood vessels can cause pain. Migraine usually lasts more than 4 hours. Symptoms worsen when exposed to bright light or loud sounds, and nausea and vomiting may accompany. Resting in a quiet and dark place is good for symptom relief. In older adults, temple pain may be due to temporal arteritis, as the temporal artery passes near the temples. Inflammation causes swelling, and a lump may protrude from the temple, causing tenderness when pressed. If left untreated, it can compress the optic nerve and lead to vision loss, requiring medication treatment such as steroids.

▷Back of the head → Tension headaches and occipital neuralgia = There are many muscles in the back of the head, which can cause tension headaches. However, if a tingling, electric-like pain occurs in the back of the head, occipital neuralgia should be suspected. Occipital neuralgia is a condition where inflammation occurs in the occipital nerve located at the center of the back of the head. It can usually be cured within 1 to 2 weeks with medications used for neuropathic pain.

<Source: Health Chosun>