what does it mean when you get sharp pains on your head?
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Occipital neuralgia happens when there's pressure or irritation to your occipital nerves, maybe because of an injury, tight muscles that entrap the nerves, or inflammation. Many times, doctors can't find a cause for it. Some medical conditions are linked to it, including: Trauma to the back of the head.
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Occipital neuralgia can cause intense pain that feels like a sharp, jabbing, electric shock in the back of the head and neck. Other symptoms include: Aching, burning, and throbbing pain that typically starts at the base of the head and goes to the scalp. Pain on one or both sides of the head.
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Pinched nerves can happen when you keep your neck bent for a long time. It can also be due to arthritis in the neck and shoulders. Occipital neuralgia can cause pain and throbbing in your neck, in the back or on one side of your head, and behind the ear.
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Painful sores, blisters, or bumps that develop on the scalp may be caused by: Infection of the hair shafts (folliculitis) or the skin (such as impetigo). An allergic skin reaction (contact dermatitis). Viral infections, such as chickenpox and shingles.
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Unusual, persistent neck pain A vertebral artery tear may feel like something sharp is stuck in the base of your skull. If you experience such pain — especially if you also have stroke symptoms such as dizziness, double vision, jerky eye movements, unsteadiness while walking, or slurred speech — call 911 immediately.
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Every patient's pain experience is unique, but headaches associated with brain tumors tend to be constant and are worse at night or in the early morning. They are often described as dull, "pressure-type" headaches, though some patients also experience sharp or "stabbing" pain.
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An ache is usually not extremely strong, so you can try to ignore it. Pain is usually stronger, more sudden, and more difficult to ignore. You would feel pain when you cut yourself or hit your head on something.
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Noise. Extremely loud or prolonged sounds can trigger migraines and other headaches. Any loud noise — from a rock concert to a jackhammer — can set off head pain.
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The episodes of intense pain may only last for a few minutes or seconds, but tenderness around the nerves may persist afterward. Like migraines, the pain may happen more on one side of your head than the other.
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Headaches, a trapped nerve, and even common colds or sinus infections can cause you to have a pins-and-needles sensation on your head. Some more… A numbness or tingling in your chest can be the result of a number of health conditions, including angina, a panic attack, or paresthesia.
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Occipital neuralgia can cause pain and throbbing in your neck, in the back or on one side of your head, and behind the ear. Some people feel pain in the forehead or behind the eyes. It can even cause scalp sensitivity.
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Painful scalp itching, scaling, and burning could mean you have an infection or a chronic skin condition. Sometimes these symptoms can also be related to other disorders, such as hair loss disorders. Speak to your doctor if you're feeling pain on your scalp that isn't going away.
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Occipital neuralgia occurs when the occipital nerves, or the nerves that run from the top of the spinal cord up through the scalp, are injured or inflamed. People often mistake sharp pain behind the ear to be the result of a migraine or similar types of headaches, as symptoms can be similar.
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Headaches cause pain in the head, face, or upper neck, and can vary in frequency and intensity. A migraine is an extremely painful primary headache disorder. Migraines usually produce symptoms that are more intense and debilitating than headaches.
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In some cases, headaches can result from a blow to the head or, rarely, a sign of a more serious medical problem. Stress. Emotional stress and depression as well as alcohol use, skipping meals, changes in sleep patterns, and taking too much medication. Other causes include neck or back strain due to poor posture.
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A Bad Pillow or Mattress Sometimes, morning headaches are caused by strained neck muscles. If your pillow or mattress isn't supporting your neck in the right way, your unhealthy sleep posture can make your head throb.
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This is because stress often causes heightened tension on the muscles in the neck. This reduces the mobility of the vertebrae in the neck and upper back, irritating the nerves in the area. The nerve irritation stemming from the neck often contributes to tension headaches.