What does a headache on top of the head mean

In rare cases, a head injury, stroke, or brain abscess can cause a condition known as intracranial hypertension, where pressure builds up around the brain. This can cause a throbbing headache, vision changes, nausea, and other symptoms.

Headache On Top Of Head: Symptoms, 7 Causes, & Treatment

If you’ve ever experienced pain in any part of your head, you know that it’s not much fun. A headache on top of the head can feel like throbbing pain or pressure in the crown.

The good news is that headaches on top of the head are rarely life-threatening, but they can still be disruptive and painful. Keep reading to learn more about these headaches and how you can keep them from happening.

Symptoms Of Headaches On Top Of The Head

While it’s often simple to tell if you’re experiencing a headache on top of the head, some of the related symptoms may surprise you, as they can reach into the neck and even affect your senses.

What are the symptoms of a headache on top of the head? The symptoms of a headache on top of the head include:

Patients generally won’t experience all of these symptoms, but each will experience pain at the top of the head.

They may also feel pain in other parts of the head simultaneously, like the side of the head or the back of the head. Some patients even experience ice pick headaches as well.

Common Causes Of Head Pain

There are several common causes of headaches, including headaches with pain at the top of the head. You may experience one or more of these causes. In some cases, it can be challenging to identify the exact root cause of a headache.

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The major causes of headaches at the top of the head are:

Sleep Deprivation

Losing sleep is a significant reason why people get headaches. In fact, one of the major symptoms of many sleep disorders is getting frequent headaches. Going to sleep or taking a nap can be an effective way to stop some headaches.

Teeth Grinding (Bruxism)

One major cause of headaches, particularly morning headaches, is grinding the teeth (also called bruxism). Many people with bruxism grind their teeth as they sleep, which affects the muscles, bones, and joints of the jaw and skull and leads to headaches in adults.

Overusing Pain Relievers

Overusing over-the-counter or prescription pain relievers can lead to a type of headache called a rebound headache or medication overuse headache. They usually happen when patients frequently use medication to treat their recurrent headaches over a long period.

Caffeine

Too much caffeine can also lead to rebound headaches, particularly if you’re used to drinking caffeine every day, or you’re trying to reduce how much caffeine you drink. Having too much or too little caffeine is a common culprit of headaches on top of the head.

Poor Posture

Believe it or not, your posture might be causing your headaches, especially if you sit in front of a computer all day. Holding your head too far forward puts stress on the muscles and bones at the top of your neck, which leads to headaches.

Head Injury

Head injuries can lead to intermittent or chronic headaches, regardless of how severe the head injury was. Some evidence even suggests that minor head injuries may be more likely to cause chronic daily headaches.

Blood Vessel Constriction

Constricting blood vessels in the head and brain can also cause pain at the top of your head. In some cases, these headaches are caused by reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS), a rare syndrome sometimes referred to as thunderclap headaches.

What causes your head to hurt at the top? Migraines, bruxism, head injuries, and certain medications all cause your head to hurt at the top.

6 Types Of Headache On Top Of The Head

There are several different types of headache that you can feel at the top of your head. Most of these headaches are not dangerous, simply painful. Some headaches, like tension, migraine, and cluster headaches, frequently happen because the patient has a headache disorder.

Here’s how to distinguish the type of headache you have.

Tension Headaches

Tension-type headaches are one of the most common types of headaches. They can happen for many reasons, including poor posture and spinal alignment, which can lead to muscle tension that travels up to the head.

Migraine Headaches

Migraines are severe headaches that feel like a throbbing pain on one side of the head (usually, but not always). They can happen with or without auras, visual or auditory disturbances that often precede migraine pain. Sufferers are often sensitive to light and loud sounds.

Cluster Headaches

Cluster headaches usually feel like severe pain behind the eye and often occur along with nasal congestion and watery eyes. They occur frequently over the course of a few weeks or months, then stop.

Sinus Headaches

Most sinus headaches feel painful in the nasal area, cheeks, jaws, and teeth. However, occasionally patients with a sinus headache also feel pain at the top of the head.

Hypertension Headaches

Hypertension headaches happen when high blood pressure makes the pressure in and around your brain rise, which causes pain. These headaches can be a symptom of life-threatening high blood pressure, so seek medical care immediately if you have hypertension and a bad headache.

Occipital Neuralgia

The occipital nerves are nerves that run up from the spinal cord toward the top of the head. Occasionally these nerves can become inflamed, a painful condition called occipital neuralgia. It’s often described as either a piercing or a throbbing pain.

Treating A Headache On Top Of The Head

If you suffer from headaches at the top of your head, you don’t have to live with that pain. There are highly effective treatment options to help treat headache pain when it happens and to help stop headaches from developing in the first place.

Conventional Treatment

Conventional treatments for headaches on top of the head include over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen. It’s also popular to try non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen, muscle relaxants, and triptans (Imitrex, Zomig, Relpax, and other similar drugs).

These drugs can be effective, but they also have many side effects, and some can even interact with other common medications like certain classes of antidepressants.

Other traditional treatments can include massage, a warm shower, and changing your posture.

Chiropractic Treatment

There’s a natural option for treating these headaches that doesn’t involve taking a bunch of drugs: chiropractic care.

Many headaches, including headaches on top of the head, are caused by poor posture and neck position, and chiropractic care helps bring your spine into alignment.

Problems with the cervical spine, located in your neck, are the root cause of many headaches.

The upper cervical spine — the top two vertebrae — along with the occipital bone, the bone at the base of the skull, is strongly linked to head pain.

Chiropractic adjustments are one of the best ways to treat headaches, particularly headaches that keep recurring. They have almost no side effects (aside from feeling great after your adjustment), and you don’t have to worry about any drug interactions, either.

Chiropractic neck adjustments are highly effective at treating headaches. They bring your upper cervical spine into alignment, which keeps your neck and head bones, nerves, and muscles in the correct position, eliminating a major cause of headaches.

Trigger Elimination

Some headaches are caused by specific triggers, like hormones, foods, or alcohol. Headache triggers are unique to each person, so it may take a little trial and error to find yours.

The best ways to eliminate the most common headache triggers are:

What does a headache on top of the head mean?

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There are many reasons why a headache can occur in the top part of the head. Tension, migraine, and occipital neuralgia are some of the possible causes. In some cases, a person may need medical attention.

In some cases, a person may need to consult a doctor about a headache, especially if it is severe, persistent, or occurs with other symptoms.

Here, learn about some causes of headaches that can affect the top of the head, why they happen, and when to seek medical help.

Tension-type headaches are some of the most common headaches. Experts sometimes call them muscle contraction tension headaches. While muscular tension may play a role, it is not clear exactly why they happen. Other possible causes include vitamin deficiencies and genetic factors. One study has suggested that at least 78% of people experience a tension-type headache at some time.

In a tension-type headache, the pain feels as if it is squeezing or adding weight to an area, such as the top of the head. People will also feel pain in their neck or shoulders in some cases.

People often describe the pain from tension headaches as dull and say it does not throb or pulsate. Tension headaches are usually uncomfortable but not severe. They can last from 30 minutes to a week, but the average duration is 4–6 hours.

Headache is one of the symptoms of migraine. Migraine headaches affect up to 12% of the population, including 17% of females and 6% of males. They are less common than tension headaches but can be more severe.

The pain may feel as if it radiates from the top of the head, along one side, or down the back of the neck. It can be severe and throbbing and occur along with other symptoms, including nausea and extreme sensitivity to light or sound.

Genetic factors appear to play a role, but many people with the condition find that specific triggers can cause migraine headaches. These include stress, weather changes, sleep problems, and hormonal changes.

There are different types of chronic, or persistent, headache. They include tension-type headaches and migraine headaches.

A doctor will diagnose a chronic tension-type headache if a person has a tension-type headache on at least 15 days a month for 3 months or longer. Chronic migraine headaches also occur on at least 15 days a month for 3 months or longer, and the person will have migraine symptoms on at least 8 days a month.

The symptoms will depend on the type of headache, but some can cause pain near the top of the head. Lifestyle factors, such as stress and lack of sleep, can influence chronic tension headaches.

As the name suggests, cluster headaches occur in groups. They appear suddenly on one side of the head, often behind the eye, and they cause severe pain as well as nasal congestion or a runny nose, and a watery eye. They are rare, affecting around 1 in 1,000 people.

Cluster headaches may involve changes in the trigeminal nerve, the hypothalamus, and blood vessel dilation. However, experts do not know exactly why they happen. They can occur in response to triggers such as watching television, drinking alcohol, hot weather, and stress.

Cluster headaches tend to occur in groups. An attack can last from several weeks to a few months, but may then stop for several years. During an attack, they can occur from every second day up to eight times a day. A person may find it hard to get rest or relief during this time.

Sickness or infection can inflame the sinuses, resulting in pain in the sides and top of the head. The symptoms usually disappear when a person treats the underlying issue. A doctor may recommend medications to help with inflammation. People with long-term sinus problems may need surgery.

Sleep disruption can lead to headaches, but headaches can also worsen sleep problems. Tension-type headaches may occur when a lack of sleep causes the body to release less of a chemical known as orexin. Orexin plays a role in nervous system function, sleep, and arousal.

Hypnic headaches can cause a person to wake up from sleep, usually at the same time each night. They usually last at least 15 minutes and tend to affect people aged over 50 years. Doctors do not know why they happen, but there may be links with pain management, REM sleep, or melatonin production.

Occipital neuralgia involves irritation to the nerves leading from the spine to the top of the head. This can cause pain in the back or top of the head.

A person may feel as if they have a tight band on their head. They may also experience tingling or jolts of shocking pain. The scalp may feel tender and a person’s eyes can be sensitive to light.

trauma to the back of the head
pinching of the nerves due to tight neck muscles
nerve compression resulting from osteoarthritis
a tumor in the neck

A doctor will carry out tests to look for an underlying cause, although sometimes there is no clear cause.

Frequent use of over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription pain relief can result in overuse or rebound headaches. People with persistent migraine are especially prone to overuse headaches.

A doctor will consider the possibility of an overuse headache if the person has a diagnosis of a primary headache condition and experiences headaches on at least 15 days a month.

Exposure to cold temperatures may cause a cold-stimulus headache, or “brain freeze,” with pain at the front of the head toward the top. It can happen when eating a large bite of something frozen or consuming very cold drinks.

The scientific term for brain freeze is sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia, as it affects the sphenopalatine ganglion. This ganglion is linked to nerves in the sinuses.

When a person eats something cold, a sharp, severe pain hits the top of their head and lasts only a few seconds. It disappears once the cold temperature in the head has dissipated. However, experts have also linked the sphenopalatine ganglioneuralgia to other types of headaches, including cluster and migraine headaches.

Some people develop a throbbing headache when they do sudden, intense exercise, such as running sprints or having sex. Doctors call this a primary exercise or exertional headache. It may be due to a rise in blood pressure, according to the American Migraine Foundation.

However, there is also evidence that exercise can help reduce migraine headaches.

Eating some protein source, such as nuts, around 1.5 hours before exercising, staying hydrated, and warming up may all help reduce the risk.

Anyone who experiences a severe headache after exercising or has concerns about the impact of exercise on headaches should seek medical advice.

High blood pressure rarely causes a headache, but the American Heart Association notes that it may do so if blood pressure is 180/120 mm/Hg or above.

In rare cases, a head injury, stroke, or brain abscess can cause a condition known as intracranial hypertension, where pressure builds up around the brain. This can cause a throbbing headache, vision changes, nausea, and other symptoms.

A severe, sudden, “thunderclap” headache may be a sign of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) due to a life-threatening condition such as bleeding in the brain or a stroke. This type of headache needs immediate medical attention.

There are not many muscles on the top of the head, but they may play a role in some types of headaches. A tightening of the neck and head muscles may play a role in tension-type headaches. Around the head, excessive muscle contraction may reduce blood supply and lead to the release of substance P, which can worsen pain.

There are several ways of treating a headache in the top of the head, depending on the cause.

OTC pain relief, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
dietary measures, such as consuming more water and reducing alcohol intake
massage, including self-massaging the head and neck
relaxation techniques
reducing stress levels with breathing exercises or yoga
getting the right amount of sleep
seeing a physical or massage therapist
acupuncture
biofeedback
cool packs for the head

If a doctor identifies a specific reason for a headache, they may offer treatment to address the cause.

Shop here for a range of over-the-counter treatments for headache pain.

A person should seek medical help if they have:

a severe, sudden headache
persistent headaches that do not respond to home treatment
other symptoms, such as nausea and vision changes

A doctor may prescribe medications or carry out tests to see if there is an underlying cause that needs specific treatment.

There are many reasons why a headache may affect the top part of the head. Tension-type headaches are the most common cause and often respond to home treatment. However, a sudden, severe, or persistent headache may be due to an underlying cause that needs medical treatment.

Anyone experiencing troublesome or persistent symptoms should seek medical help. If a person has a sudden, severe, thunderclap headache, someone should call 911 or take the person to the nearest emergency room.

Last medically reviewed on June 16, 2021

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