Everyone experiences shooting pain in head eventually in their life; it is most commonly called a headache. Small headaches are able to be alleviated by utilizing over the counter pain medications, ingesting some type of caffeine, or getting some sleep. However if you have a more severe headache that does not enhance with any of these remedies, then it may be a symptom of a more severe medical problem such as a stroke, growth, or blood clot.
Fortunately is that these medical concerns are rare. Even though they are uncommon, if you are experiencing an unusual headache, it is best that you speak with a physical for proper treatment and treatment.
Why Do I Have Shooting Pain in My Head?
1. Migraine headache
Migraines afflict the majority of the population without them even recognizing it. A lot of migraine headache victims think that they have a sinus or stress headache rather of a migraine.
How does it feel like: Migraines usually happen during the night or sleep after a long period of fatigue, depression, sluggishness, irritation or perhaps uneasyness. Many people who struggle with migraines grumble about vision disabilities such as sparkles, halos, wavy lines, flashing lights, and even loss of vision.
Some migraines start with a neurological symptom called an aura, although the majority of the time they begin without one. The aura at the start of a migraine headache may even produce slight numbness or a tingling sensation on one side of the body, the face, or a hand. It is possible to deal with a migraine and only have the aura with no accompanying shooting pain in head.
When migraines begin without an aura, there is usually a severe pain located around one eye or temple, which eventually transfers to the back of the head. This pain is accompanied by pulsating experiences that might likewise cause nausea, watering eyes, a running nose, or congestion.
The symptoms of migraine headaches are typically misdiagnosed as sinus or stress headaches due to the fact that they are the same, however if the headache continues without raising within a few hours and you have actually repeated incidents then you probably have a migraine headache.
What can be done: If you are able to identify that you have a migraine headache early in its development, then you can usually eliminate the symptoms with rest or a bit of massage therapy. However, most of the time medications are had to lower the migraine headache attack.
2. Tension-Type Headaches
Tension headaches impact about 3 fourths of all grownups. Stress headaches vary in intensity from mild to moderate and are the most common kind of headache experienced by adults. Some might even have repeated occurrences of 3 to 4 days a week.
How does it seem like: The shooting pain in head will be dull and feel as though it is squeezing your head on both sides if you are experiencing a tension headache. Together with the squeezing pain you may also experience a pains in your shoulders and neck, fatigue, psychological stress, or other muscle and joint pains. The majority of the time, the aches and discomforts will decrease in about 20 minutes to one hour.
What can be done: Usually, over-the-counter pain medications will help relieve a tension headache. Whenever you use medications, be sure that you are not taking more than the advised dose on the label. Other manner ins which you can launch the tension headache is by applying a heating pad, taking a warm shower, getting some sleep, or getting a message to loosen the strained muscles.
3. Ice Pick Headaches
The “ice pick headache” is one that is a stabbing headache located in one area. Most of the time, they are short with a frighteningly severe stabbing feeling. The short, shooting pain in your head will generally just last from 5 to thirty seconds.
They can be frightening since they appear to come out of nowhere, can take place in any region of head, and feel as though somebody is shoving an ice choice into your skull. They disappear prior to you can find out what is triggering them and they might even be located behind your ear.
4. Sinus Headaches
Sinus headaches are normally brought on by intense sinusitis. The symptoms of a sinus headache consist of pain around the forehead, nose, eyes, upper cheeks, and in the upper teeth. The pain in these areas will intensify when you lean forward. Dealing with the sinusitis will also ease the symptoms of a sinus headache.
5. Medication Headaches
Headaches may be caused by numerous medications as a side effect; paradoxically enough numerous headache medications have a side effect of headaches as well. If you are experiencing headaches more than 10-15 days monthly while using over-the-counter or prescription medications, then you more than likely have a medication headache brought on by medication overuse.
6. Cluster Headache
Cluster headaches are indicated by an intense pain that reaches its worst in about five minutes. It might last approximately 1.5 hours and return numerous times throughout the day.
The most common symptom of a cluster headache is severe agitation. Individuals who experience cluster headaches might speed the floor, scream, or even bang their heads against the wall.
7. Brain Tumor
One symptom of a brain growth is a sharp, shooting pain in head, generally the left side. Given that a brain growth shares the space inside your skull with your brain, it may disrupt your typical brain activities.
You may likewise discover that there is added pressure within the skull, your brain may shift, or you might experience damage to nerves and brain tissue. The quantity of pain is directly relevant to the size of the tumor.
The best treatment for this type of pain is to consult your doctor to create a treatment plan. If you are experiencing severe vision problems, the failure to maintain your balance, dizzy spells, loss of hearing, troubles speaking, or other habits modifications, it is necessary that you consult your physician.
8. Giant Cell Arteritis
Giant cell arteritis might a reason for sharp pain in the left side of your head. This occurs when the arterial lining in your head is irritated, triggering a severe pain. The majority of the time you will observe the pain is located to the area around your temple.
Some of the most typical symptoms of Giant cell arteritis are a consistent sharp pain, tenderness, pain in the jaw when chewing, a fever, as well as weight loss. If not treated, it may cause other health complications such as a stroke or blindness.
9. Trigeminal Neuralgia
Trigeminal neuralgia also causes a sharp shooting pain in head over the left side. A sharp, stabbing pain that seems like electric shock around the face is a symptom of trigeminal neuralgia, a nerve disorder that most commonly affect older grownups.
Multiple sclerosis, entrapment, and swelling of the trigeminal nerve are all causes of trigeminal neuralgia. Along with the sharp pain you may also experience short bouts of intense pain situated in one area or pain that intensifies in time.
10. Occipital Neuralgia
The occipital nerves run from the top of your spinal cord up through your scalp, when these nerves are irritated or injured, you have what is called occipital neuralgia. This shooting pain in head may be confused with a migraine due to the fact that it has numerous comparable symptoms. However, it is a certain disorder that needs appropriate diagnoses in order to have appropriate treatment.
You may feel a severe pain that is jabbing into the back of your head or neck. That pain may also be accompanied by one, or any combination, of other symptoms such as pain on one or both sides of the head, a pain behind one eye, a severe light sensitivity, a tender scalp, or pain triggered by moving the neck.
11. Exertional Headache
A lot of typically referred to as an explosive, pulsating pain, exertional headaches are caused by sinus disease or subarachnoid hemorrhage. The pressure builds up from these disorders cause the exertional headache. Although many people who have an exertional headache do not have either of the previous diseases, it is necessary to consult your doctor if you have a sharp, pulsating pain in your head.
What to Do
Headaches, for most people, are simply a temporary derailment from your normal daily activities. It is really simple to decrease headaches with a basic modification in your lifestyle practices. Lots of relaxation strategies, yoga, massages, and rest will help most cases.
However, if the headache persists, there are over the counter and prescription medications that will help relieve the symptoms. If you experience any of the symptoms listed throughout this post, it is necessary that you consult your doctor to ensure that you appropriately alleviate your headache.