Odd Headaches

by Anonymous

Hello,

I am trying to figure out what kind of headache I keep on having so that I can treat it accordingly. Everyone I have talked to doesn't know what I'm talking about, maybe you do. It can happen for 3 seconds up to an hour. It starts on the right side of my head (it feels like the back/right side of my brain), it doesn't go with my heart beat though, it's sporadic. It happens out of nowhere.

It doesn't happen because of light or sound but it can occur when I smell something really strong (usually chemicals ie. perfume). It is painful but I don't think it's bad enough to go see a doctor about it or anything though. There is nothing I can do to make it stop I've tried everything including sleep. It feels like a pinched nerve that's in my brain.

Please help me!

Answer:

Hi,
It is a little difficult to say without more information. You do not give your age or whether you are male or female, nor what treatments tried or studies ordered.

Based on your information it could be a form of ice pick headache but there could also be a component of tension type headache that may be due to spasms in the neck.

If you are under the age of 20, migraine in teens can be shorter in duration than adults..sometimes a few minutes to less than 2 hours. With adults they are 4-72 hours and sometimes longer.

Either way, you need to be examined by your physician and ask about tests and possible treatments.

Good luck,
Mary Kay Betz MS RPA-C