Pressure in right side of head

Brain and nerves
1

Hello everyone, my names Andrew. For about 7 days now I've had a strange pressure type felling in the right side of my head. It seemed to begin behind my eye, but then seemed to settle in the right temple for a few days. But for the last couple of days it's been in the back right side of my head. I wouldn't call it a pain, but pressure. I feel like that's an important distinction? I've tried to take pain killers but they don't seem to help. My doctors office can't see me for another week so I'm left to fend for myself until my appointment. If I'm completely honest I'm deathly afraid that I have a brain tumor. And I'm in a weird way happy to wait to go to the doctors office. I've only last week turned 26 and up til now everything in my life was going well for a change. It would destroy me if the worst should happen. I've had someone say that it could be a migraine, I've had another say it could be a head cold and catarrh. Ive been told it might be a nerve thing. Another person suggested I could simply need glasses. But I always worry about the worst outcome I can't help it, I'm a worrier. A few times I've felt a sort of tingly feeling radiate into the right side of my face, I'm not sure if that's important? My speech hasn't been slurred, nor have I lost any coordination. I haven't had any seizures either or the typical things you think of with a brain tumour, just the head ache. It doesn't seem to get better or worse no matter what I've tried. My vision is also ok I think. If anything Ive sometines got some floaters but that's nothing new for me. I need people to tell me that I'm overreacting and need to stop worrying, but if anyone can offer me some advice that would be great. Maybe if anyone has been in my position before and can give me some insight.

Thanks, Andrew

2

Hi Andrew, your suffering from classic health anxiety and thinking you have a brain tumour is very common but your physical symptoms are caused by anxiety and can be explained.

You are experiencing pressure in parts of your head and some tingling sensations, what is happening is that the small blood vessels in your scalp are contracting to allow as much blood as is needed to be diverted to the main muscles for the fight or flight response, don't worry your scalp and head will continue to receive the supply it needs to function. 

Its the contractions of the blood vessels that produce the pressure and tingling sensations as part of the anxiety response. Your focused on it and thinking tumour keeps the anxiety cycle going but you've not got a tumour just anxiety.

I hope this puts things into perspective for you and that you can put it to one side now.

Neil 

3

Hi Neil, thanks for the reply I didn't expect to get one so quickly. Admittedly I have a history of health anxiety. I went through a pretty bad phase of being a real hypochondriac when I was about 8/9 which lasted until I mellowed out a bit in high school. So yeh I do need to try to work on not working myself up about things like this... I'm still gonna go to my doctors appointment next week though but in the mean time I'll try to keep in mind what you have said.

Thanks so much

Andrew

4

OK so a bit of an update.

My doctor's surgery called me yesterday and said that an opening had come up and they could see me, so I jumped on it. I had an appointment at 4:40pm I got to the surgery at 4:30pm but because of how overworked the surgery is I only actually got seen to at about 5:10pm. 

Anyway I was really nervous, like real real nervous. My feet were drumming uncontrollably and my hands were restless. I eventually got in to see the dr. She was a pleasant woman who listened to me. I said that I had a pressure in my head for almost a week and that it had settled towards the back of my head and that I was really nervous. I think that part went without saying though because of how I was acting.

So the doctor seemed to think that it was a migraine without aura. I was not aware that migraines could manifest like that and for so long. I have had migraines before in the past but they've been flashes across my eyes and a sharp intense pain in my head for a couple hours. If ever that's happened I would just take a pain killer and go lie down for a little bit and i would be better.

But anyway I was sent away with some pills called Sumatriptan. The doc said that i would be able to tell if it was doing anything after one tablet and that I would be able to take a second two hours after that if I felt I needed it. I also got given some Diazepam so I would calm down, but I was only given 2 days worth? Which I believe isn't going to be enough for me.

The doc got it out of me that I was afraid that I have a brain tumor because I am. I'm legit terrified of that possibility. But she asked me questions like, have i been throwing up in the morning? Have i been falling down randomly? Have i had vision problems? I said no to all of those so doc was like, So yeh there are no red flag symptoms so you're good its a migraine.

So i got home and immediately took a pill. It was 6:45pm at this point. I had my evening meal about 7:20pm. I ended up on the phone with my sister about all this and before I knew it it was 7:45pm. The pain in my head felt like it had lessened somewhat but not gone away. I meant to take another Sumatriptan at 8:45pm but i only managed to do so at 9:45pm. I then took a Diazepam at about 10:30.

I ended up in bed and here's what happened. My head actually got worse. After about half an hour of tossing in bed. My pressure had changed to full blown pain in my head and it was in the front, back and in my temples. I was so miserable. I couldn't tell if the pain got worse because I was lying down or not because it was all around my head.

I did eventually get to sleep. I have woken up this morning to find that the whole back of my head now feels a bit tender. I feel like the pressure that was firmly on the right side of my head has changed a bit. I haven't felt the pressure move from the back of my head much if at all the last few days, whereas when it started it seemed to be in my right temple and stretching to my eye and to the back of my head.

I'm worried. I'm so so worried. I have called up my doctor again and i have another appointment today at 3:20pm. After all the doctor i saw yesterday said that i would tell if the Sumatriptan does anything after one dose. And my head still feels wierd so i'm going back.

I know I shouldn't do this, but I've been doing some reading. I also have chronic Googleitis this is a fact. Apart from scaring the s**t out of myself by reading about brain tumors, the sensible side of me is hoping that I actually have a Tension Type Headache.

I have a past history of feeling depressed and I have been anxious since about oh i don't know 1999. And the pain is almost in the back of my neck as well as in my head, and I've read that Tension headaches feel like a tightening sensation, which i'd say is what I'm feeling in the back of my head. And also it can last for a while like this almost like a chronic thing.

So if i have a chronic tension headache, it says that I should be taking a form of antidepressant? Because it'll help relax all my muscles or something, it makes sense i guess. I'll be saying all this to the doctor later today. Hopefully I'll get some concrete answers and some relief.

So if anyone has any thoughts on this and can give me some advice? Maybe if they have had any tension type headaches like this before.

Thanks,

Andrew

5

Hi Andrew,

Did you get solution of your problem.?

I read your issue last week and waiting for further update on this.

I also facing same kind of pressure on right side of head from around two months....i showed to doctor last week and they gave me some seductive for mind relaxation and

vitamin B12 tablets... Though after a week i didn't find any improvement.

I will appreciate your response on this

Thanks and Regards

Avnish

6

Hi Andrew..I like yourself tend to google if ever I have any problems with my health..I try and be a google doctor and I came across your story. Did u ever get to the bottom of it??? I have similar pressure type feelings in one side of my head..I have convinced myself its a brain tumor.

Im going to book in at the doctors! Hope your well now!

Becky.

7

Hi everyone, does anybody know what was Andy's problem, because i have this from ladt 3 months now.

Thank you.

8

Headaches cause pain on the right side of your scalp, the base of your skull, and your neck, teeth, or eyes. This can be due to lack of sleep or caffeine withdrawal. Other common causes are stress, fatigue, muscle problem in the neck, skip the meal, side effect of any pain relief medication, infections or allergies. Your doctor can explain the neurological causes also. For quick relief take a warm shower, improve your posture, try to go in the relaxing environment, drink more water, take a quick nap, apply warm compress at the neck. 

9

Hi All,

I started having the same thing as Andrew which started as pressure in thr right eye then behind the eye then the whole right side. It started because i was having trouble sleeping the past few days and took Ativan and few puffs of weed as well. I'm also going through chemo for breast cancer, so the doctor suspect it's the steroid used in the chemo cocktail.

I had this pressure long before the breast cancer, which was from dried eye. Taking daily fish oil does help. Ive been out of fish oil for a few months, it's coming back. That couple with steroid causes more pressure in the head.

I'm also seeing my oncologist in an hour, let's see what he says. I also thought of brain tumor but hopefully not.

10

Hi Andrew

I feel pressure at right side of my head and feel like swelling at the same side.

Some days before I have gone through right micro varicocelectomy operation

And I feel like it is all because of spinal cord anesthesiology.

And I want to know from you why this is all happening ..it is just because of my operation or is there any other reason...

11

Hi Andrew

I feel pressure at right side of my head and feel like swelling at the same side.

Some days before I have gone through right micro varicocelectomy operation

And I feel like it is all because of spinal cord anesthesiology.

And I want to know from you why this is all happening ..it is just because of my operation or is there any other reason...

12

I have been suffering from the same since 4 years but pain was severe since last year, and doctor gave me B12,anti-depression and migraine tablet (seriously the worst thing of taking so many pills) and didn't improve my pain after taking for 3 months but I visited a good doctor and he gives me selenium 20 mg which has improved in three months and I felt relieved though after one year again pain is again started since I left the dose.

13

HI Andrew, I am having the same problem but I am feeling comfortable now. Can you check your bp?Actually, I am having a little high blood pressure(130 not much high) but it also affects my head having lots of pressure nearly like the pain but not an actual pain as u said.If you will find high bp then you may take homeopathy medicine "Rauvolfia serpentine Q",doesnot have side effect try it for a week, hope it will help.

14

Hey what’s up Andrew, I’m literally going through the EXACT same thing right now. Literally word for word. Doctor told me the same exact thing. I have no RED FLAG symptoms but I still feel the headaches along with neck tension and some pain behind my right eye. Don’t know if it’s my anxiety and constant thinking of brain tumors that makes me feel the aches more than I should but I’m TERRIFIED. Going to my primary today to see if he can do anything about it. Let me know how things went? It would be nice to know. You’re not alone man

15

Hi Andrew, If you dont mind can you give us an update about your condition?

I have a bit similar headache and it's been 2 months! My headache is on top of my head a bit to the right. It feels like a tiny pressure and sometimes feels like little burning, it never severe but I know it always occure at the same spot. I can feel it everyday and for me, getting some sleep can make it feel a bit better. I dont have any other symtomps, only this headache/pressure at the same spot everyday. I've been to doctor twice but the med didnt change anything. I also afraid getting an mri or ct scan bcs i'm afraid of brain tumor.

The thing that I do know is only having a balance meal, always get some minerals, and sleep for 7-8hr a day.

I hope it wasnt anything serious. And i'm planning to meet my doc again if I starting experience other symtomps.

As I mentioned above, 2 month has passed, and I only have this headache/pressure on that spot without any other symtomps.

And also my headache doesnt get worse in the morning. I tried to bend or cough many time and it didnt get worse either. The pressure is still the same.

16

Good day guys, it's the same for me as well except for the pain behind the eye but last week i had for a short period of time experienced a kind of partial blindness and what i could see was a kind of colored dazzling effect not unlike the xmas lights you hang up.That frightened me.

17

Hi Charless

I’m going through the exact same thing as you, I have constant 24/7 pressure top right side of head, I’ve had an ear problem for 2 months diagnosed with tmd. My symptoms of the head pressure is worrying me as it’s new, I’m finding it very hard to function hold conversations watch tv even sleep. I’ve just had an mri scan so awaiting the results, if this comes back clear then I have to put it down to tmd which I’m not happy about. Have you been sick at all? Dizziness? Because I have.

Thanks

Mark 

18

Hi, any update? Im actually experiencing right now the same thing as andrew explained above. I just had an appointment with my neuro and he did some physical tests to me and he said that everything seems to be fine. But i know there's really something wrong in my head. He gave me a medicine clonazepam but im not taking it. I tried to research about it and it can give a life threatening side effect. Next week is my follow up with my neuro for some diagnostic tests. Hopefully nothing is seriously wrong. Anyone here who got an answer about it? Im wondering what it really is. Im getting paranoid this past few days.

19

Im having the same symptoms, though on a scale of 1-10 it's barely a 1. I'd say it's affecting my vision as well but my vision was blurry before I felt this. Any updates on what your doctor said?

20

Im having the same symptoms, though on a scale of 1-10 it's barely a 1. I'd say it's affecting my vision as well but my vision was blurry before I felt this. I also have a case of Googleitis and found that it could be an aneurysm along the optic nerve, but you'd think I'd feel more symptoms than my right temple that's sore to the touch. Any updates on what your doctor said?