Headaches centered in the forehead are among the most common, and their meaning depends largely on the sensation and the context.
Tension headaches, the most frequent type of headache, often feel like a dull, tight band stretching across the forehead. They are typically caused by stress, poor posture, eye strain, or even dehydration. Drinking enough water is key to preventing headaches. These headaches can be mild to moderate and are more annoying than debilitating.
Sinus headaches can also strike in the forehead area, especially if the frontal sinuses (located above the eyebrows) are inflamed due to a sinus infection or seasonal allergies. These headaches are often accompanied by nasal congestion, facial pressure, and a sensation of fullness, especially when bending forward.
Side of the Head: The Migraine Zone
If your headache is concentrated on one side of the head — either the left or right — it could signal a migraine. Migraines are more than just pain; they often come with nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and sometimes visual disturbances known as aura.
The pain tends to be throbbing or pulsating and can last anywhere from a few hours to several days. While the exact cause of migraines isn’t fully understood, they’re often triggered by hormonal changes, certain foods, lack of sleep, or stress. Consuming alcohol to the point of a long lasting hangover can also cause headache. Hangover prevention is important to consider the night before.
Another possibility for side-specific headaches is a cluster headache, which is rare but extremely painful. Cluster headaches strike one side of the head, usually around or behind the eye, and can occur in bouts lasting weeks or months before disappearing. Cluster headaches are often accompanied by eye watering, nasal congestion, and a sense of restlessness during the attacks.
Back of the Head and Neck: Tension or Occipital Neuralgia
Pain that starts at the base of the skull and radiates upward is often associated with tension headaches, especially when caused by poor posture (think slouching at your desk) or neck strain. These headaches can feel like a tight band wrapping around your head from the back to the front.
Another possibility is occipital neuralgia, a condition that occurs when the occipital nerves (running from the top of the spinal cord into the scalp) become irritated or inflamed. This type of headache causes sharp, shooting pain in the back of the head, sometimes radiating to the sides or behind the eyes. Occipital neuralgia can be triggered by neck tension, injury, or even conditions like arthritis.
Top of the Head: A Less Common Spot
Headaches located at the crown of the head (the very top) are less common but can still occur, often linked to tension headaches. These may happen if the scalp muscles are tight, or if posture problems strain the muscles connecting the neck and scalp.
In rarer cases, headaches at the top of the head could relate to cervicogenic headaches, which originate from problems in the neck, such as a herniated disc or arthritis. The pain is referred upward, meaning the source is in the neck but the sensation is felt at the top of the head.
Around or Behind the Eyes: Sinus or Cluster Headache
Headaches centered behind or around the eyes often point to sinus infections or cluster headaches. Sinus headaches, caused by inflamed sinuses, can create pressure and pain around the eyes, often accompanied by facial tenderness, congestion, and a sense of fullness.
Cluster headaches, on the other hand, are far more intense. These cause severe, piercing pain on one side, centered around one eye. They are often linked to autonomic symptoms, like tearing, redness, and a drooping eyelid on the affected side. These headaches tend to come in "clusters," with frequent attacks over days or weeks, often at the same time each day.
When to See a Doctor
Headache location can provide important clues, but context is key. If your headaches are sudden and severe, worsen over time, come with neurological symptoms like weakness or vision changes, or disrupt your daily life, you should see your doctor.. Sometimes, headache location can hint at more serious issues like high blood pressure, meningitis, or even a brain tumor, though these are much less common than primary headache disorders.
Sources:
- National Headache Foundation. (2023). Types of Headaches. Retrieved from https://headaches.org
- American Migraine Foundation. (2022). Migraine Types and Symptoms. Retrieved from https://americanmigrainefoundation.org
- Mayo Clinic. (2023). Tension Headache. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org
- https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3690498/
