Why does my skull hurt

Learn more about how sleep deprivation affects your body. They will be severe, and typically only last a few seconds. Learn more about brain freezes. In some cases, chronic headaches can resemble tension headaches and cause pain near the top of the head. Like tension headaches, these may be provoked by stress.

They can also be caused by persistent loud noises, poor sleep, or other triggers. Learn more about chronic headaches. Occipital neuralgia occurs when the nerves that move from the spine to the scalp are damaged, irritated, or compressed. They can cause pain at the back of the head, or a tight, band-like feeling around the top of the head. Learn more about occipital neuralgia. This condition may cause strokes or bleeding in the brain, and other symptoms include severe weakness, seizures, and blurred vision.

Hypertension headaches occur when severe high blood pressure causes pressure to build in the cranium. Other symptoms may include confusion, shortness of breath, or blurred vision. Learn more about hypertension headaches. Headaches on the top of the head — especially tension headaches and migraines — are typically caused by just a few muscles. The first is a group of muscles called suboccipital muscles, which are responsible for movement between the first and second vertebrae in the neck and the skull.

These muscles can become tense due to factors like grinding your teeth , eye strain , or poor posture. This alone can trigger tension headaches and migraines. If these muscles become too tense, they can compress the occipital nerve, causing occipital neuralgia.

Bradley's Neurology in Clinical Practice. Hoffman J, May A. Diagnosis, pathophysiology, and management of cluster headache. Lancet Neurol. PMID: pubmed. Jensen RH. Tension-type headache - the normal and most prevalent headache. Rozental JM. Tension-type headache, chronic tension-type headache, and other chronic headache types. Essentials of Pain Medicine. Editorial team. A tension headache : May be related to stress, depression, anxiety, a head injury, or holding your head and neck in an abnormal position.

Tends to be on both sides of your head. It often starts at the back of the head and spreads forward. The pain may feel dull or squeezing, like a tight band or vice. Your shoulders, neck, or jaw may feel tight or sore.

With a migraine: The pain may be throbbing, pounding, or pulsating. It tends to begin on one side of your head. It may spread to both sides. The headache may be associated with an aura. This is a group of warning symptoms that start before your headache. The pain usually gets worse as you try to move around. Migraines may be triggered by foods, such as chocolate, certain cheeses, or monosodium glutamate MSG. Caffeine withdrawal, lack of sleep, and alcohol may also be triggers.

These muscles can come under tension for various reasons such as:. This pain is known to be described as a dull heaviness, which starts at the base of the head, and spreads round like a band across the eyes. It can also move through your neck, to the back of your shoulders, and to the fibres of your upper trapezius. As such, these muscles may be very tender to touch or stretch. There are two types of tension headaches; episodic and chronic.

Episodic headaches can last from 30 minutes, right up to a week. These are infrequent and will occur less than 15 days within a monthly period. On the other hand, a chronic tension headache can occur for more than 15 days in a month and last over 3 months. If the pattern of your headache changes, frequency increases to more than twice a week, or you are concerned that the headache has become chronic, then you should seek medical advice from your physiotherapist or GP.

Occipital Neuralgia is a specific type of pain which can occur in the base of your skull. This pain is easily confused with tension headaches. However, there are a few differences between the two. Occipital Neuralgia is characterised by piercing, throbbing or electric shock like pains in the upper neck, base of skull and back of the ears. What it feels like: Migraine pain is usually described as pulsing or throbbing. Migraines are often accompanied by additional symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting , and sensitivity to light and sound.

What it is: Migraines are a common type of headache. They first appear in adolescence or early adulthood, and tend to reoccur.

Migraines often include warning signs and progress through distinct stages. What they feel like: Pressure, pulsing, or throbbing all over or in a specific area of the head. Some headaches are accompanied by eye pain. What they are: Most people experience a headache at some point in their lives. There are hundreds of types of headaches, including cluster , caffeine , and rebound headaches. Causes: Headaches are caused by a wide range of factors.

Some are a medical condition, while others are a symptom of another condition. What it feels like: A sensation of mild pressure in your head or a headache. Related symptoms include confusion, nausea, and dizziness. What it is: A concussion is a mild head injury.

It occurs when the brain shakes, bounces, or twists inside the skull, which can affect brain activity and damage brain cells. Causes: Concussions and other head injuries are caused by sudden impact to the head or whiplash. Falls, car accidents, and sports injuries are common. What it feels like: Pressure or heaviness in the head or neck.

Brain tumors can cause severe headaches and are often accompanied by other symptoms, such as memory problems, vision problems, or difficulty walking. What it is: A brain tumor occurs when cells grow and multiply to form an abnormal mass in the brain. Brain tumors are rare. Causes: Brain tumors can be noncancerous benign or cancerous malignant.

They can originate in the brain primary tumors or grow from cancer cells that have travelled from elsewhere in the body secondary tumors. What it feels like: Severe head pain that comes on suddenly. What it is: A brain aneurysm is a bulging or ballooning blood vessel. Excess pressure can cause the bulge to rupture and bleed into the brain. Risk factors include high blood pressure , smoking cigarettes , and age.

Pressure in the head and ears might be a sign of an ear infection, earwax blockage, or dental infection.