Topical causes and ways of treating the occipital headache

3 Spinal Diseases

The nature, duration and intensity of the headache suggest a cause. What is the headache in the nape with diseases of the spine:

1. Cervical osteochondrosis. When osteochondrosis, the headache increases with a turn of the head, can be given to the ears, to the lower jaw. Often, the shoulders, the muscles of the neck, and the spine are sore at the same time as the head. With pressure on the individual vertebrae of the cervical region, the pain becomes stronger. Intervertebral discs consist of a fibrous ring and pulpous tissue. The fibrous ring is dense, resilient, it allows to keep the nucleus in a stable position. With the passage of age or as a result of metabolic disorders, the discs may lose their elasticity. When the amount of liquid is reduced, the disc can not effectively absorb the load. The spine ceases to be flexible, pains occur. If the fibrous ring is damaged, the contents of the nucleus bulge in one direction or another. This condition is called a hernia of the intervertebral disc. In order to compensate for degenerative changes in the disc, bone processes, osteophytes, form on the vertebrae. Osteochondrosis periodically exacerbates, and then the patient experiences malaise daily. During the remission, there is no pain, but physical activity, a long stay in an uncomfortable position or stress can cause a relapse.
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2. Neuralgia of the occipital nerve - this is a consequence of pinching the nerve roots in the cervical spine. With neuralgia the head periodically hurts, on character a pain pulsating, pressing. Painful sensations can be given to the temple, to the area behind the eyeballs. Attacks of pain last from 10 minutes to 1 hour, return regularly. The victims complain of pain, concentrated mainly in one part of the head, on the right or on the left. On the affected side, teargas of the eye increases, visual acuity may decrease. Pain is worse when coughing or sneezing. With these symptoms, you need to contact a neurologist.

Such diseases as cervical spondylosis and cervical osteochondrosis develop gradually. First, a person has a headache every six months, then more and more often. Refer to a doctor if the frequency of attacks reaches 1 time per month. In addition to headaches, diseases of the spine, the following symptoms are inherent:

• crunching in the neck while turning the head;
• reduced flexibility of the spine and smooth movements;
• limitation of mobility;
• periodic tension in the neck and shoulders;
• pain in the neck, in the back, in the shoulders.

The adverse effects of osteochondrosis is the compression of the nerve roots and large vessels that feed the brain. Oxygen starvation leads to the appearance of the victim:

• weakness;
• faintness, nausea;
• sensation of cold in the nape;
• dizziness;
• pre-fainting condition or fainting.

A person experiences difficulty concentrating, memory and cognitive abilities are reduced. A strong throbbing pain in the neck deprives the patient of the opportunity to perform professional duties. What will help ease your condition during an attack:

1. Neck warming, especially in the area of ​​the first cervical vertebrae at the base of the skull. Exercise should be done slowly and gently. Rotate your head along the largest radius, gently tilt back and bring your chin to your chest. To incline the head alternately to the right and left shoulder.
2. Neck massage. You can do it yourself or with an assistant. Mash the muscles of the neck, gently press the thumbs on the points at the base of the skull on both sides of the spine.

Pain in the nape of the neck caused by osteochondrosis, responds well to the use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs( Paracetamol, Ibuprofen) or non-narcotic analgesics( Ketanov, Nurofen, Aspirin).Use painkillers on an ongoing basis can not. The earlier a patient turns to an osteopath or a surgeon for osteochondrosis, the easier it will be to regain health.

1 Stress, overfatigue, lack of sleep

In a healthy person, a headache in the back of the head can occur on the ground of nervous overstrain. In stressful psychoemotional situations hormones adrenaline and noradrenaline are produced, which narrow the blood vessels and increase blood pressure. Spasm of the vessels causes a feeling of heaviness in the occipital region of the head, as well as other symptoms:

• decreased concentration of attention;
• weakness, fatigue;
• irritability, tearfulness, emotional lability.

Not only mental, but also physical overwork can cause such complaints. Headache appears as a consequence:

• long work in an uncomfortable position, for example, at the computer;
• lack of sleep;
• feelings of hunger.

Headache on the basis of hunger often worries women who abuse low-calorie diets. Even in the absence of a diet, if a person has not eaten 8 to 10 hours, and while working intensively, the head can get sick. What can I do to ease my condition:

1. When doing sedentary work, do gymnastics regularly. To stretch the neck: to carry the head to the shoulders, forward and backward, rotate the head along the largest radius. Gymnastics for the neck should be done at least once a day for at least 10 minutes. This is the prevention of cervical osteochondrosis, helps to prevent headaches in the neck.
2. Sleep enough hours per day, for an adult, the norm is 6-8 hours of deep and resting sleep. In patients who complain of persistent headaches, most often there is a sleep disorder, drowsiness or insomnia. Normalize the sleep will help a neurologist and a psychotherapist.
3. It's good to eat. If you plan a long working day, be sure to use the lunch break for the intended purpose. Lack of nutrients instantly affects brain activity.

If these measures do not help, determine the cause and treatment will help the therapist. Some people have meteosensitivity, and changes in atmospheric pressure cause them a headache in the back of the neck and in any other area of ​​the head. To assess your condition, you need to observe the change in atmospheric pressure and the schedule of headaches. You need to consult a doctor anyway because a constantly repeated malaise signals a pathological process that needs to be identified earlier than the body will be damaged.

2 Trauma

Subluxations and sprains in the cervical spine are common causes of headache in the nape. A person may not notice the stretching of the neck muscles if he performs any physical exercise. The consequences of stretching the victim writes off to normal muscle pain after training. In which cases should you go to the emergency room:

• if there is redness in the neck area, hematoma;
• if the neck muscles swell, and when the head moves the pain increases;
• if the pain is localized at the base of the skull, in the first two vertebrae;
• if there is a limitation of mobility, it is impossible to turn the head to the side or tilt to the chest.

With such obvious damages, like a header or neck, visit the emergency room urgently. Injuries of the cervical spine can provoke the development of osteochondrosis. Internal hematomas are capable of squeezing vessels and nerve endings, which causes severe headaches in the nape of the victim. Proper recovery from injury can avoid chronic headaches.

4 Diseases of blood vessels and muscles

There is a kind of migraine, in which the head in the occipital part hurts. When examining patients who complain of pain in the nape of the neck, the causes of the violation are most often detected in the area of ​​organic pathology of the spine. The compression of the vertebral artery leads to oxygen starvation of the brain, dizziness, severe migraine, spasm of small vessels. If the vertebrae and intervertebral discs are in order, you need to check for chronic diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Examination of the spine is performed by an orthopedist, and the cardiologist deals with blood vessels.

Arterial hypertension is a widespread disease in which the patient suffers from pain in the occiput left or right due to high blood pressure.

The location of the primary focus of pain can be constant, for example, only on the left side, but can change over time, and even grab the entire neck completely. Daily fluctuations in blood pressure cause the headache to plague the victim most severely in the morning, from 6 to 10 am. With chronic arterial hypertension, pain creates difficulties for the performance of work duties. What can be done to prevent headaches:

• visit a cardiologist;
• follow the recommendations of the doctor for treatment;
• must follow the diet without salt, spicy and fried foods, do not abuse coffee, cigarettes and alcohol;
• turn to a therapist and limit the amount of stressful situations in your life.

With age, arterial hypertension progresses. Especially often from this affliction suffer women - after menopause. The causes of high blood pressure are diseases of the endocrine system, pathology of the heart and blood vessels. Therefore, the examination should be carried out as soon as possible until the disease does not cause harm to other organs.

Pain indicates a problem that needs to be addressed. If the patient regularly resorts to anesthetics and does not consult a doctor, at some point the disturbances become life threatening.

Arterial hypertension often occurs in people with a sedentary lifestyle. The lack of movement can lead not only to vascular disease, but also to chronic myositis. The neck muscles experience overexertion when sitting in the same position. Myositis is an inflammation of the muscle, which limits the flexibility and extensibility of muscle fibers. The patient is hurt:

• tilts the head;
• pressing on the muscles of the neck;
• strain the muscles of the neck.

Pain in the occipital part of the head in myositis is caused by blood flow disorders. Myositis passes into myogelosis without treatment, muscular tissues form seals and nodules. To prevent this disease, intellectual workers need to regularly do exercises, knead their necks. If you suspect a miositis, you should consult an orthopedist.

5 If the cause is in meningitis

Headache in the nape of the neck is one of the symptoms of meningitis, inflammation of the brain envelopes. The majority of victims of meningitis rises to a temperature of 39-40 degrees, in rare cases, there is no increase in temperature. A distinctive feature of meningitis is the stiff neck, that is, the patient can not touch his chin to the chest. With meningitis, the headache is so severe that the usual pain killers can not stop the pain syndrome. During the inflammation of the brain sore head, whiskey, the area behind the eyeballs. The pain can be felt from the right or the left side of the head, or to capture the entire head entirely. If you suspect a meningitis, you need to urgently call an ambulance, be hospitalized and undergo examinations. Especially dangerous is the disease for young children.