What Your Headache Location May Indicate

Headaches occur for different reasons. There are tension headaches, migraines, sinus headaches, and several others. While not a definitive indicator, the pain's location can be helpful as you try to determine the cause or type of headache.

People who experience head pain regularly develop a sense of headache areas and meanings for them. If headaches are something new for you, this article provides information on different headache zones.

Front of the Head

Several types of headaches can produce pain at the front of the head. For example, sinus headaches caused by infections can cause pain and pressure in your forehead and around your nose and cheekbones.

Eyestrain headaches, caused by activities like reading or using a computer for extended periods, tend to produce pain at the front of the head and eye discomfort. The proverbial ice cream headache occurs when eating something cold causes blood vessels in your mouth to constrict. This triggers a sudden, sharp, temporary pain in the forehead and temples.

A condition called temporal arteritis, in which blood vessels supplying the scalp become inflamed, can cause throbbing pain on one or both sides of your forehead. It typically affects people over 50.

Sides of the Head

Some events exclusively involve head pain on the left side or right side of the head. Migraine headaches, which occur for unknown reasons, typically affect one side of the head. Cluster headaches are another type primarily experienced at the side of the head. These rare headaches are often felt in or around one eye.

Two other types of headaches similar to cluster headaches are hemicrania continua (a long-lasting headache) and paroxysmal hemicrania (events occurring several times daily and lasting around 30 minutes).

SUNCT (short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing) and SUNA (short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with cranial autonomic symptoms) headaches are best known by their acronyms — for obvious reasons. They produce short, sharp bursts of pain, typically around one eye.

Back of the Head

Cervicogenic headaches, primarily felt in the back of the head, are caused by spinal issues like fractures, infections, rheumatoid arthritis, and tumors. Occipital neuralgia is a condition where the occipital nerves of the upper neck and back of the head get inflamed or pinched. The resulting pain occurs at the back of the head and feels similar to a migraine.

Other Types of Headache Considerations

Some events, like tension and exertion headaches, cause pain experienced all over the head. Brain tumors, though rare, similarly produce pain that isn’t localized to one part of the head.

Other common conditions can produce specific types of headaches, including:

Dehydration Headaches

Becoming dehydrated can cause a headache that manifests in different ways. Some people feel a dull ache, while others experience sharp pain. The discomfort can occur anywhere on the head and typically hurts more when you move your head or bend over.

Medication Overuse Headaches

Sometimes called rebound headaches, these events are associated with the long-term use of medications to treat headaches, particularly migraines. If you take medications more than a few times a week, you’re more likely to experience medication overuse headaches.

Remember that while there are common locations for headaches, everyone experiences headache pain differently. If you don’t often get them, you might wonder when one occurs, “What sort of headache do I have.”

If you experience them regularly, you’ll likely become familiar with your headaches by area. Many people have an internal headache pain chart of sorts.

For example, a headache behind your left eye might be a migraine for you. Or you might identify your stress or tension headache areas and know that a headache in your temple is probably stress-related. A headache at the top of your head or that feels like it’s behind your head? That might be how you experience a dehydrated headache.

When To See a Doctor for a Headache

Headaches are normal and typically don’t indicate a serious medical issue. If you’re familiar with your different headaches and their meanings, you shouldn’t be concerned when they occur. However, it’s essential to seek immediate medical care if you get a headache along with any of the following:

• Pain that comes on quickly and becomes severe
• Stiff neck
• Confusion
• Slurred speech
• Weakness
• Persistent fever

If you get regular headaches that interfere with your daily activities or adversely affect your quality of life, you should contact your doctor. They can help you reduce your headache frequency and severity.

If you don’t have a Baptist Health primary care doctor, use our online provider directory to find one.

Next Steps and Helpful Resources

Learn More About Neurology and Stroke Care Services
Find a Neurology and Stroke Care Location
Headache Causes
The Difference Between Headaches and Migraines
What Causes Chronic Headaches?