What disease does a headache at the back of the neck warn of?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by Specialist Doctor I Vu Dung Kien - Neurologist, Vinmec Times City International Hospital.
Headaches at the back of the neck are mostly benign, but this is also a warning symptom of many dangerous diseases. When these signs appear, the patient needs to see a doctor soon to find the cause and have the appropriate treatment.

1. Expression of headaches

Headache is defined as pain in the head, neck-neck, face-eye sockets. Pain can be unilateral or bilateral, fixed or diffuse, varying by intensity (mild-moderate-severe), pain nature (electrical throbbing, constricting, dull, intense, pulse-like pain) beating ...), course (crushing, continuous, worsening..), onset (sudden, gradual) and accompanying symptoms (motor, balance, vision, hearing .. .).
Almost everyone experiences some kind of headache in their life, headaches occur at any age, and are the most common.

2. What disease does a headache at the back of the neck warn of?

Headache in the back of the neck is understood as pain behind the head and neck area, this phenomenon causes neck pain/fatigue spreading to the top of the occipital region, the top even spreading to the temples on both sides. Pain may be intermittent or dull, ranging from mild to severe, with an electric shock or constricting nature, it may be accompanied by scalp sensation disorders, limited neck mobility, fatigue, confusion. sleep disturbance, nausea, dizziness or not.
Most cases of headaches in the back of the neck are related to bad habits and mechanical factors such as:
Working in the wrong posture: bending too close when sitting at work (reading, computer... ), carrying heavy loads in the neck - shoulder area Unscientific living habits: pillowing your head too high (watching TV, reading books ...), lying - sitting in the left posture, excessive movement of the neck and shoulders. Stress, stress: stressful living environment and activities, excessive stress causes muscle contraction. This condition causes the neck muscles to contract, causing neck pain.

Injuries: Injuries to the neck - neck area encountered in daily life, work and sports, causing damage to the neck - neck structures such as bones, muscles, ligaments, blood vessels, and nerves are the causes of posterior headaches. nape. In addition, headache in the back of the neck is also a consequence/symptom of other diseases/causes:
High blood pressure: Pain in the back of the neck, pain like a tight grip on the head is often a sign of high blood pressure. Virus infection syndrome (influenza, parainfluenza, viral fever, dengue fever): causes headache, neck pain... Increased intracranial pressure: Severe headache, accompanied by vomiting, fear light, impaired consciousness... Diseases related to cervical vertebrae (cervical spondylosis, disc herniation, cervical vertebrae, C7 transverse process overgrowth, osteoarthritic tuberculosis...): this is Common causes, especially cervical disc herniation is the leading cause. Pain in the back of the head, may be accompanied by neck pain, limited neck movement, throbbing pain like electric shock spreading to the back of the head, scalp sensation disorder, pain may spread to the arms and forearms. .. Meningitis, subarachnoid hemorrhage: severe headache accompanied by stiff neck, neck pain ... Posterior fossa disease (U, hemorrhage...): pain in the back of the head accompanied by psychotic symptoms residential area. Headaches at the back of the neck are mostly benign, but they are also warning signs of many dangerous diseases. When these signs appear, the patient needs to see a doctor soon to find the cause and have the appropriate treatment. Some of the symptoms of a headache in the back of the neck are considered serious, the patient should be examined immediately and found the cause:
Headaches of moderate to severe Pain that increases in intensity and frequency Headache back of neck accompanied by fever Nausea/vomiting, photophobia, fear of noise Focal neurological symptoms: motor weakness/paralysis, clumsy movements, difficulty walking... Psycho-behavioral disorders .... Depending on the patient's situation, the doctor will screen the patient for the cause of the headache by using the following techniques: BP measurement, blood test, X-ray of the cervical spine, MRI of the brain /cervical spine, electrodiagnostic examination (electromyography)...

3. How to treat a headache at the back of the neck thoroughly?

Most cases are resolved well with conventional pain relievers, physical therapy, and a reasonable regimen of rest and work
Some more severe cases need to be controlled with pain relievers anti-inflammatory (NSAID), muscle relaxant, neuropathic...
Headache secondary to another medical condition that needs to be treated according to the cause (severe disc herniation, posterior fossa disease, hemorrhage) subarachnoiditis, meningitis ...)
In addition, a work-rest regime, proper nutrition, daily exercise with forms such as yoga, meditation, sports, periodical health check-up are the best way to maintain health, early detection of signs of disease and timely effective treatment.

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