A headache is one of the most common disorders of the nervous system, which leads many people to seek medical help. There are over 150 different types of headache, but it should be noted that most have a benign cause. However, some headaches are associated with serious illnesses and should be treated as warning symptoms.
How should pain areas be analysed?
Forehead (front region): pain related to tension, often triggered by stress. Poorly corrected vision problems can also contribute, without ruling out the possibility of migraine.
Behind both eyes: This may indicate sinusitis, inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, or pathologies in the upper respiratory tract, such as infections or allergies.
Temples (temporal region): Associated with tension-type headaches or disorders of the temporomandibular joint, such as bruxism (teeth grinding), which cause sustained muscle contractions.
Back of the head (occipital region): This can be caused by cervical pathology, migraine or a tension-type headache. Occipital nerve neuralgia may also be a cause.
Unilateral (hemicranial): Pain on one side only is most likely caused by migraine; subject to confirmation by complete medical history.
Around the eye (periorbital): Pain in the orbit of the eye may be indicative of trigeminal autonomic headaches, such as cluster headaches, or an inflammation of the eye nerves or muscles.
Facial pain: Trigeminal neuralgia, characterised by short, intense pain on one side of the face, may be the cause.
Each part of the head where you have pain can indicate different causes. However, it must be stressed that the same disease can present different manifestations in more than one area.
Therefore, the location of the headache provides useful information, but it is not the determining factor for a diagnosis. Communication between patient and doctor is essential, since details such as the intensity, duration and presence of other symptoms are also equally important for a clinical evaluation.
