There can be many reasons for the condition you describe (headache). The CT-scan that was performed excluded a brain tumor. Good for you! Brain tumors, FYI, are very rare causes for headaches. There are few types of headache that are classed as follows:
1. TENSION headaches are due to tight, contracted muscles in your shoulders, neck, scalp, and jaw. They are often related to stress, depression, or anxiety. Overworking, not getting enough sleep, missing meals, and using alcohol or street drugs can make you more susceptible to them. Headaches can be triggered by chocolate, cheese, and monosodium glutamate (MSG). People who drink caffeine can have headaches when they don't get their usual daily amount of caffeine.
Other common causes include:
• Holding your head in one position for a long time: such as sitting at a computer, using a microscope, or a typewriter. Poor sleep position. Overexertion. Clenching or grinding your teeth.
Tension headaches tend to be on both sides of the head. They often start at the back of your head and spread forward. The pain may feel dull or pressurized, like a tight band or vice. Your shoulders, neck, or jaw may feel tight and sore.
2. MIGRAINE headaches are severe, recurrent headaches and are generally accompanied by other symptoms such as visual disturbances or nausea. They tend to begin on one side of your head, although the pain may spread to both sides. You may have an "aura" (warning symptoms that start before your headache) and feel throbbing, pounding, or pulsating pain.
3. CLUSTER headaches are sharp, extremely painful headaches that tend to occur several times per day for months and then go away for a similar period. They are far less common.
4. SINUS headaches cause pain in the front of your head and face. They are due to inflammation in the sinus passages that lie behind the cheeks, nose, and eyes. The pain tends to be worse when you bend forward and when you first wake up in the morning. Postnasal drip, sore throat, and nasal discharge usually occur with these headaches.
5. OTHER types of headache include:
- occurrence coinciding with a cold, the flu, fever, or premenstrual syndrome.
- If you are over age 50 and are experiencing headaches for the first time, a condition called temporal arteritis may prove to be the cause. Symptoms of this condition include impaired vision and pain aggravated by chewing. There is a risk of becoming blind with this condition. Therefore, it must be treated by your doctor right away.
- Rare causes of headache include: Brain aneurysm ( a weakening of the wall of a blood vessel that can rupture and bleed into the brain), Brain tumor, Stroke or TIA, Brain infection like meningitis or encephalitis.
At this time you can request an X-ray image of the cervical spine and the peri-nasal sinuses. You can also perform an eye examination (sight, eye bottom and eye pressure), an ENT-examination (sinuses, hearing, balance etc.), and a neurological examination (complete neurological status). If all examinations appear OK, then anxiety and stress can be considered as causes for the symptoms you experience. You may appeal to a neurologist, an ophthalmologist and an ENT-specialist for investigating the possible reasons for the headaches.
