What type of headache hurts at temples

Previously, most preventive migraine medications were initially developed to treat other diseases, such as seizures, depression, or hypertension. Many preventive migraine medications were initially developed to treat other diseases, such as seizures, depression, or hypertension.

Antidepressants are typically used to treat people with depression, although they may reduce migraine frequency by regulating chemical levels in the brain. Examples of alternative therapy include acupuncture, acupressure, and yoga. Another common alternative treatment is herbal therapy, as some herbs are believed to relieve headache pain. Always discuss alternative therapies with your doctor before proceeding.

Tension-type headaches occur randomly and are often the result of temporary stress, anxiety, fatigue, or anger. The headache begins in your forehead, temples, or the back of your head and neck. Treatment for tension-type headache may include over-the-counter or prescription medications, as well as self-help techniques such as relaxation training and biofeedback. Cluster headache gets its name because the attacks come in groups. The pain arrives with little, if any, warning and is usually on one side of the head.

A tearing or bloodshot eye and a runny nose on the side of the headache may also accompany the pain. Cluster headache, believed to be caused by chemical reactions in the brain, has been described as the most severe and intense of any headache type. Treatment for cluster headache includes prescription medication and oxygen. When a sinus becomes inflamed, usually as the result of an allergic reaction, a tumor, or an infection, the inflammation will cause a localized pain.

If your headache is truly caused by a sinus blockage, such as an infection, you will probably have a fever. An x-ray will confirm a sinus blockage. Doctors treat rebound headache by tapering the medication that is being overused, sometimes by gradually substituting a different type of treatment or medication.

Stopping may be a challenge, but regularly overusing a medication increases the potential for serious side effects. Consult a physician if you regularly use headache medications more than two days per week or more than the label advises. Biofeedback helps you refine and perfect your relaxation exercises by learning to control the physical responses that are related to stress. Chewing may cause aching in the jaw muscles. Doctors don't know what triggers the problem, but it involves a misguided immune response in which antibodies attack the blood vessel walls.

The resulting swelling can progressively narrow the affected vessels, reducing blood flow. In severe cases, arteries become totally blocked. If this happens in the artery supplying the retina, it threatens the vision in that eye.

If an artery that serves the brain is impaired, a stroke could result. However, when caught and treated early, temporal arteritis responds well to medication. A doctor who suspects temporal arteritis will check your blood's so-called sedimentation rate. This simple blood test determines the rate at which your red blood cells settle to the bottom of a test tube. A rate that's higher than normal suggests there's inflammation in your body.

The only sure way to diagnose the condition, however, is to remove part of the blood vessel and examine it under a microscope for changes in the artery wall.

Confirming temporal arteritis with a biopsy is crucial because the condition requires long-term treatment with drugs called steroids, which reduce inflammation. Your doctor will want to be sure the diagnosis is correct before prescribing steroids for an extended period. Your doctor may even begin steroid therapy as a precautionary measure before taking the blood vessel biopsy. If your doctor does prescribe a steroid, such as prednisone, you will probably need to take it until all symptoms have disappeared and the results of further laboratory tests are normal.

This usually takes at least a month. The dosage is then gradually decreased. Some physicians believe continuing low-dose steroids for a year or two may prevent recurrences.

Temporal arteritis isn't the only condition that can cause constant headaches. The pain of migraine headaches begins and sometimes remains on one side of the head, with pain stretching from the front to the back of the head.

Auras affect one-third of people with migraine. Headache : A migraine headache causes pain that gets worse with movement. A person may also have nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to sound, smells, light, or a combination. Postdrome : The final stage of a migraine episode can involve tiredness, trouble concentrating, weakness, and dizziness. A doctor will ask for detailed descriptions of the intensity and frequency of migraine headaches and the extent to which symptoms interfere with everyday life.

Keeping a record of symptoms and any medications can help the doctor recommend the best course of treatment. When a person is experiencing a migraine episode, the following treatments can help:. Also, Botox injections can help relieve migraines. A healthcare professional can inject Botox around the head, neck, and shoulders to block muscle contraction.

A cervicogenic headache can result from a disorder of the cervical spine, injuries to the neck, or arthritis of the upper spine. Symptoms of a cervicogenic headache can include:. Treatment for cervicogenic headaches involves:. Giant cell arteritis GCA causes inflammation of blood vessels. This results in pain that is intense, burning, and pulsating.

The pain tends to occur in the temples, though it can extend throughout the head. Common symptoms include:. Rarely, GCA can also cause blurring, double vision , or loss of vision if it affects the blood supply of the eyes. To prevent this, it is important to obtain a swift diagnosis and immediate treatment. The doctor will do a blood test and a biopsy to confirm a diagnosis. The person will then begin treatment immediately. A high dosage of steroids, such as prednisone, can help with GCA.

This treatment will continue for 1 month until symptoms go away. Then, the doctor will gradually lower the dosage. Overall, the treatment tends to last about 1 year to prevent recurrence.

Vitamin D and calcium supplements may help prevent bone loss. Tocilizumab is another treatment for GCA, and a healthcare provider administers this as a series of injections. A mild traumatic brain injury TBI is caused by an impact to the head. A person may feel this pain anywhere in the head, including the temples. If memory problems, dizziness, visual disturbances, or persistent headaches occur, the person may need to see a neurologist.

A cerebral aneurysm is a weak, bulging area in the wall of an artery in the brain. If it bursts, this causes a sudden, excruciating headache. An aneurysm can develop in any artery in the brain.