Headaches with pulsation: symptoms and causes

Everyone has experienced headaches (cephalalgia). The cause of the occurrence can be absolutely anything: from serious disturbances in the functioning of the body to minor ones. But it is worth noting that painful pulsation in the head is a “bell” in order to go for a diagnosis.

This type of pain may indicate serious problems.

The main causes of cephalalgia

Acute pain in the head and throbbing prevents a person from living a normal life and doing business. If pain appears once, this does not necessarily indicate the presence of dysfunction in the body. In cases where a person experiences cephalalgia more and more often, and the pain lasts longer and longer, there really is a problem in the body. It needs to be eliminated, and only a specialist can handle it.

Doctors identify a number of main reasons that cause this symptom, namely:

• VSD (vegetative-vascular dystonia);
• atherosclerosis;
• sinusitis, sinusitis;
• migraine;
• eye diseases;
• hematomas;
• tumors;
• neuralgia;
• stress.

Vegetovascular dystonia

Pulsating pain is called background pain. It occurs due to a decrease in the tone of cerebral vessels, stagnation of blood, and spasms of the arteries. The difference between pain that appears due to VSD is that “jolts” do not depend on the person’s pulse.

Atherosclerosis

If a patient has problems with the vascular system, he begins to suffer from pulsation in the temporal and occipital areas of the head. But the zones can change, and the sensations can become oppressive over time.

Sinusitis, sinusitis

The reason lies in the cold you suffered, namely its complications. In order not to encounter cephalalgia, it is imperative to cure all viral and infectious diseases. The same applies to a runny nose.

Migraine

Migraine is manifested by a pulsation, which patients describe as if it were pounding right under the skin, and the pain is localized in one part of the head at the top.

Scientists have not yet proven the definitive causes of such pain, and the exact forms of manifestation of the disease have not yet been determined.

But still, there are several possible causes of migraine development, namely:

• food products (several types of cheeses and sausages);
• weather sensitivity;
• smells of ammonia, ammonia, perfume;
• serious physical activity;
• emotional outburst;
• uncomfortable body position for a long time.

A migraine can torment a person for more than one day. There are cases when the pain lasts 3 days. Most often, cephalalgia caused by this problem manifests itself in unbearably severe pain, and can go away after a few hours. Doctors note the fact that females suffer more from this.

At the end of a migraine attack, a person notes that he has severe weakness and a tendency to sleep.

Eye diseases

The following reasons that can provoke pulsation are eye diseases. A large number of people turn to specialists with complaints such as blurred vision, nausea, dizziness, photophobia, and acute pain radiating to the eye. A competent doctor will immediately determine that these are symptoms of angle-closure glaucoma - high intraocular pressure.

Cephalgia can develop due to tension in the optic nerve, which occurs due to incorrectly selected diopters of glasses or lenses. But in such cases, dizziness also appears.

Hematomas, tumors

Pulsating pain of a strong nature, which is clearly localized in one of the areas of the head, may indicate the presence of damage or a neoplasm. Also in this case, it is worth noting the presence of nausea and vomiting.

If such symptoms are noticed, you must quickly contact a specialist to diagnose a tumor or other problem and begin to treat it.

Stress

All overwork and emotional turmoil can result in severe headaches. Constant nervous tension and stress can create a “fellow traveler” for you for the whole day, namely cephalgia.

Neuralgia

Another common reason why such unpleasant sensations occur in the temple and head area. Dental problems, trigeminal neuralgia - all this provokes pain.

Other causes of cephalalgia

Osteochondrosis and a number of other problems associated with the cervical spine can provoke throbbing pain.

In winter, pulsation in the back of the head often occurs. This is explained by hypothermia and a sharp narrowing of blood vessels.

Lack of normal rest, disruption of sleep quality and routine can cause headaches.

Bad habits are also included in this list of “provocateurs”. They not only harm health, but can also cause discomfort to a person in the form of cephalgia. If a person often drank coffee and decided to abruptly stop, this can also provoke this problem, since the blood vessels are not able to return to normal so quickly.

Not everyone knows, but what we eat can also cause throbbing in our temples. These products include: chicken liver, cheeses, sausages, bacon, nuts, yogurt.

Treatment

Conservative therapy

The completeness and effectiveness of treatment for head tremor depends on eliminating the cause, but since the etiology of many diseases remains incompletely understood, the main directions of therapy remain symptomatic and pathogenetic. The situation is complicated by the fact that head tremors, unlike those localized in the hands, are less amenable to pharmacotherapy. The main groups of medications include:

• Beta blockers.
  Non-selective β-blockers (propranolol, nadolol, sotalol) have shown their effectiveness in essential and other types of tremor, which is due to the inhibition of sympathetic influences. Targeted drugs (atenolol, metoprolol) can also be used.
• Anticonvulsants.
  A negative or insufficient response to β-blockers requires the use of anticonvulsants. Primidone, gabapentin, and topiramate have the ability to suppress the generation of tremor. Temporary improvement can be observed under the influence of clonazepam, alprazolam.
• Antiparkinsonian.
  Treatment of parkinsonian head tremor is usually carried out with levodopa, which, if ineffective, is treated with dopamine receptor agonists (pramipexole) or amantadine. Static tremors respond better to such therapy than action tremors.

Before actively treating head tremor, pay attention to the exclusion of stimulants from the diet (coffee, strong tea), and the abolition of certain medications. In addition to pharmacotherapy, botulinum therapy is considered an important area. Most often, injections are performed to treat dystonic head tremor. Physical methods include kinesiotherapy, wearing cervical collars, exercise therapy and massage.

Cephalgia in children

Pulsating discomfort in a child that is not accompanied by fever, cough and runny nose should alert parents. In such cases, it is important to consult a doctor. Such manifestations may indicate problems with the child’s health.

The phenomenon can be triggered by:

• disease of the vascular system;
• neuralgia;
• migraine;
• injury;
• emotional condition;
• poor nutrition;
• the presence of provoking external factors.

Cephalgia and pregnancy

Most often, girls in this position suffer from migraines, and the illness appears from physical activity, food, lack of sleep, stress, and fatigue. There are also other reasons that cause throbbing pain in women in the position:

• VSD;
• blood pressure problems;
• problems with blood supply;
• voltage;
• disorders in the brain;
• sinus inflammation;
• glaucoma.

For pregnant women suffering from cephalalgia, there are recommendations to combat discomfort, namely:

• do a light massage;
• restful sleep;
• take a contrast shower.

Regarding pain relief with medications, in this case it is important to consult a specialist, since not all painkillers are approved for pregnant women.

Preventing throbbing pain in the head

To prevent throbbing pain, it is recommended:

• stop smoking;
• normalize body weight;
• monitor blood pressure;
• Visit the dentist regularly and monitor your oral hygiene and dental health;
• normalize sleep and rest patterns;
• do not abuse alcoholic beverages;
• stop drinking energy drinks and constantly taking caffeine tablets;
• Do not abuse headache medications to prevent the development of abusive headaches.

Patients may also be prescribed mild sedatives, multivitamins, magnesium supplements, massage courses, and swimming and physical therapy classes are recommended.

Elderly age

The older a person is, the more often he suffers from throbbing pain in the head, and most often this is associated with pressure and changes in the cervical spine. But there are also a number of reasons that pose a danger to older people, and these include:

• presence of a tumor in the brain;
• presence of hematomas in the brain;
• trigeminal neuralgia;
• temporal arteritis;
• intoxication;
• presence of infectious diseases;
• stroke.

Pain in the head can also be a consequence of menopause in women, weather sensitivity, which occurs in any gender, and depression.

Causes of pain by nature and location

You can determine the cause of throbbing pain in the head by analyzing the place where the patient feels it. Sensations can move around the skull, but most often they appear in a specific part.

Pain in the back of the head

Pain in this part of the skull is characteristic of high blood pressure. It also manifests itself as a pressing character, becoming more pronounced if you turn and tilt your head. It is worth noting that such a sensation in the back of the head can warn of the development of a stroke.

But there are also such provoking factors that cause pain in the back of the head as diseases of the cervical spine, namely:

• scoliosis;
• osteochondrosis.

The pain disappears when the cause is eliminated, and with it the patient feels a relieved state in the shoulders and neck, cramps disappear, and sleep improves.

Pain on the left

Characteristic of migraine. Associated symptoms:

• visual impairment;
• disturbance of consciousness;
• dizziness;
• nausea;
• photophobia;
• loss of orientation.

Pain on the right

Pulsation of a jerking nature indicates trigeminal neuralgia. The pain affects the area of ​​the eye, forehead, temple and jaw. In cases where the pain persists, you need to consult a doctor.

Discomfort in the temporal region

A number of diseases can manifest themselves in this way, for example:

• trigeminal neuralgia;
• migraine;
• increased blood pressure;
• intoxication;
• VSD.

Frontal region

Pain in the frontal part of the head is accompanied by convulsions, disturbances of consciousness and blurred vision. They may indicate increased intracranial pressure.

Also, pain in the forehead can be caused by sinusitis, respiratory infections and eye diseases. It may also be the result of the development of a malignant brain tumor.

Discomfort when moving your head

If unpleasant pulsating sensations in the head become more pronounced while moving the head, this may indicate diseases such as:

• neuritis;
• osteochondrosis;
• inflammation of the sinuses.

Symptoms typical for such cases are:

• nausea;
• prostration;
• dizziness;
• fever;
• partial paralysis

Patients with such complaints are promptly sent for hospitalization and treatment.

Pain and nausea

The cause of such changes in the body may be food poisoning. Throbbing in the head and nausea indicate changes in the brain or nervous disorders. The attack can also be triggered by head injuries.

Pulsation in the head without accompanying pain

The most common cause of such changes is disruption of the central nervous system or cardiovascular system.

Diagnostics

Identifying head tremor is not difficult, since the symptom is clearly visible during a routine examination. A much more difficult task facing the doctor is determining the cause of the trembling. Taking into account the etiological heterogeneity of the pathological condition, a neurologist has a number of additional methods in his arsenal that provide significant assistance in the diagnostic process:

• Laboratory.
  In a biochemical blood test, the area of ​​interest includes kidney and liver tests, and acute phase indicators. Diagnosis of Wilson-Konovalov disease involves determining plasma concentrations of copper and ceruloplasmin, AVED syndrome - tocopherol; in multiple sclerosis, immunoglobulins in the cerebrospinal fluid are examined.
• Neuroimaging.
  Accurate verification of structural changes in the brain is the prerogative of MRI of the brain. The technique allows us to identify pathological foci (demyelination, neurodegeneration, atrophy), establish their localization and prevalence. PET-CT can be used to determine the functional activity of cerebral structures.
• Neurophysiological.
  EMG allows you to record a tremorogram with further assessment of the amplitude-frequency characteristics of the tremor. To analyze the safety of pathways, the method of evoked potentials (somatosensory, auditory, visual) is used. Paroxysmal neuronal activity can be detected using EEG.

To determine the causes of hyperkinesis, molecular genetic methods are of particular importance. Suspicion of paraneoplastic syndrome requires an active search for a malignant process with ultrasound of the kidneys, liver and other organs. When a head shake is detected, differential diagnosis should be made between the most common dystonic, essential and parkinsonian tremor, not forgetting other conditions.

How to quickly relieve an attack of cephalalgia

In cases where a headache does not appear frequently or systematically, and a person definitely does not have diseases that can provoke it, then you can deal with the discomfort on your own. To do this, it is not necessary to use strong medications and call a doctor.

When you feel a severe headache, forget about bad habits, such as smoking and give up alcohol. You should also not apply ice or increase the dose of the analgesic yourself unless your doctor recommends it.

There are a number of actions that need to be taken so that a person with a headache begins to feel better, namely:

• Bring fresh air into the room.
• Free the patient from tight clothing and constricting jewelry, unbutton the shirt collar and raise his legs so that they are higher than head level.
• Reduce indoor lights and sounds to a minimum.
• Give water, it can also be a decoction of soothing and relaxing plants.
• Take a warm foot bath and apply a compress to your head.
• It is necessary to warm a person in cases where the pain intensifies and there is chills.
• Lightly massage the temple area, neck, head, while the person should lie down.

If the above methods do not help within 30 minutes, and only get worse, give the patient an analgesic. If this does not help, then call the ambulance doctors.

Primary headache. Major diseases.

The most common forms of primary headache are “tension pain” and migraine, more rarely – cluster headache and other forms.

Tension headache (TTH)

can occur in anyone. This is the most common form of headache and is often characterized as a “normal” or “regular” headache. Attacks can last from 30 minutes to several days. The frequency of attacks varies from person to person, and it can also vary from one person to another during different periods of his life. The pain is described as squeezing, squeezing the head like a hoop or tight hat, usually bilateral, and moderate. In some people it can become chronic (chronic pain is diagnosed if there are more days with a headache than without it). A person experiencing chronic headaches becomes irritable. Weakness, fatigue, decreased appetite, and sleep disturbances may occur. The cause of TTH is physical tension in the muscles and ligaments of the head and neck - the so-called “muscle stress”, which can be a consequence, for example, of working in an uncomfortable position. TTH often occurs in those who work at a computer or whose work involves the need to look at details (jewelers, watchmakers, assemblers of electronic equipment, masters of artistic embroidery, etc.). The emotional factor is also important: emotional tension caused by stress or a state of increased anxiety can also lead to pain.

Migraine

characterized by severe and painful attacks of headache, which are often accompanied by nausea (and in some cases vomiting), as well as intolerance to light and sound. The perception of smells changes, thermal sensations are disrupted. Migraine attacks last from 4 hours to 3 days and can be repeated with a frequency of 1-2 times a year to several times a month. During an attack, so-called “precursors” may be observed - irritability, depression, fatigue, occurring several hours or even days before the onset of pain. In a third of cases, pain is preceded by phenomena called “auras”: 10-30 minutes before the attack there may be visual disturbances (blind spots, flashes, zigzag lines in front of the eyes), tingling and numbness starting from the fingertips and spreading up the body and etc.

Predisposition to migraine is congenital and is associated with disorders in the brain structures responsible for pain and other sensations. Every seventh adult suffers from migraines, with women three times more likely than men. In girls, migraines usually begin during puberty.

Factors that contribute to the development of migraine attacks: chronic fatigue, anxiety or stress, in women - menstruation, pregnancy and menopause.

But a predisposition to seizures does not mean that an attack will definitely happen. There are factors that act as a “trigger” for an attack. An attack can be triggered by: skipping meals, insufficient fluid intake, certain foods, sleep disturbances, physical activity, changes in weather, sudden changes in emotions.

Cluster (or beam) headache

characterized by one-sided sharp (“dagger” or “drilling”) pain. The intensity of the pain rapidly increases within 5-10 minutes, and the attack itself lasts from 15 minutes to 3 hours, during which the patient cannot find a place to rest. The pain is usually localized in the eye area, and the eye may become red and watery. Recurrent attacks form a cluster (that is, they follow each other), the duration of the cluster is from 6 to 12 weeks. This form of pain occurs five times more often in men than in women. However, those who smoke a lot or have smoked in the past are more susceptible to it.

When to contact a specialist

The appearance of a throbbing headache is already a “bell” that you need to see a doctor and get checked. And few people know that there are situations that oblige the patient to contact a specialist to alleviate the condition, and sometimes even save a life.

If you notice that:

• The pain lasts for more than one hour, and medications do not help.
• The pulsation becomes stronger, despite the fact that the patient does nothing.
• Pain in the occipital region appears immediately after a person wakes up or awakening occurs due to unbearable sensations that do not allow doing anything.
• A buzzing sensation is often felt in a certain area of ​​the head.
• The pain causes dizziness, nausea, vomiting, partial paralysis, clouding of consciousness, and inability to speak normally.
• Intense pulsating beats that do not stop for several days.
• Changes in blood pressure, which are accompanied by headaches.
• The nature of the throbbing pain constantly changes.

If you notice any of the above changes, you should immediately consult a doctor or an ambulance, as serious problems may be hidden behind this.

What to do when there is a knocking in the ear - how to treat it?

It is not possible to treat pounding in the ear separately, since it is not an independent disease, but only a clinical symptom. If you experience a knocking sound in your ear, you should seek medical help as soon as possible.

The first thing to do if there is a knock in the knot is to make an appointment with a vertebrologist. This doctor is well versed in pathologies of the spinal column. He will conduct an examination, make an accurate diagnosis, and give all the necessary recommendations for rehabilitation treatment.

At our chiropractic clinic, we treat musculoskeletal conditions, many of which can cause pounding in the ear. For example, to treat cervical osteochondrosis complicated by posterior vertebral artery syndrome, we use the following techniques:

• manual traction of the spinal column - allows you to increase the intervertebral spaces, which creates favorable conditions for the complete straightening of the discs and eliminating pressure on the surrounding soft tissues;
• osteopathy to restore microcirculation processes of blood and lymphatic fluid, which has a beneficial effect on the condition of all tissues;
• massage to relax overly tense muscles of the neck and collar area;
• kinesiotherapy and therapeutic exercises to restore normal muscle fiber tone and start the disrupted process of diffuse nutrition of cartilage discs;
• physiotherapy, laser, reflexology and much more.

You can right now make an initial free appointment with a vertebrologist or neurologist at our manual therapy clinic in Moscow. To do this, fill out the registration form located further on the page.