There are a number of conditions which can cause a sensation of tightness, weight, or pressure in the head. These strange head sensations can range in intensity from being mild to severe.

Most of the conditions that result in strange head sensations aren’t cause for alarm. Common cause include tension headaches, conditions that can affect the sinuses, and ear infections. Abnormal or severe head pressure leading to some strange head sensations sometimes can be a sign of a serious medical condition, like a brain tumor or an aneurysm but, these problems are very rare.

Do you feel strange head sensations all over your head?

Are these strange head sensations  restricted to the forehead, temples, or a single side?

To know about causes and everything related to strange head sensations keep reading all is discussed below.

 

what you will read next :

 

Location of strange head sensations?

 

What are the causes of strange head sensations?

Strange head sensations has many potential causes among the causes common ones are tension headaches and sinus headaches.

Tension headache

Sensation or pain from a tension headaches is generally mild to moderate in severity. Some people explain  it as an elastic band squeezing their head which is a weird feeling . Its also known as tense type headaches. But alas  their causes aren’t well-understood yet.

Causes of tension headaches are following:

Sinus headaches and other sinus related conditions

Its feels like a constant pressure behind the forehead, cheekbones, nose, jaw, or ears, one might experience other symptoms too like stuffy nose. The sinuses in human body are a series of connected cavities behind the forehead, eyes, cheeks, and nose and when the sinuses become inflamed, they tend to produce excess mucus, which can eventually lead to head pressure and sensation called sinus headache.Causes of sinus headache are as following:

Ear conditions

It mostly feels like a very dull but at the same time constant pressure in the temples, ears, jaw, or side of the head giving weird head sensations. Ear conditions can sometimes affect one or other times both sides of the head. Ear infections and earwax blockages are very common ear conditions that can cause headache  with ear pain. Causes of ear conditions are as following:

Migraines

Migraine feels like a pain and is usually described as pulsing or throbbing. It mostly occurs on one side of the head, and it can be so severe that it’s disabling. Migraines are more often accompanied by additional symptoms, like nausea and vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. Migraines are a very common type of headache and in today’s world it’s not rare thing. They first tend to appear in adolescence or early adulthood, and tend to reoccur later in life . Migraines often include some warning signs and progress through distinct stages to reach a certain level Causes of migraine are as follows : the causes of migraines aren’t well-understood yet, although some genetic and other environmental factors appear to be involved.

Psychological and Psychosomatic headache

There is a common predisposition to anxiety disorders, depression, and migraines that may exist.  To mention chronic daily headaches are very common in people who suffer with anxiety disorders. There have been few studies which have suggested that migraine headaches can precede  onset of mental disorders. Mental disorders like major depression, general anxiety disorder , bipolar disorder, panic attacks, panic disorder, substance abuse disorders, agoraphobia, and simple phobia all these coexist with strange headaches. There are studies which have proven that the occurrences over a lifetime of depression, anxiety disorders, and bipolar disorder are significantly very higher in migraine sufferers than in the normal  population, as are the  chances of epilepsy and stroke.

Other headaches

Feeling of Pressure, pulsing, or throbbing all over or in a specific area of the head can lead to some type of headache , there are few headaches which are accompanied by eye pain. It’s a well known fact that most people experience a headache at some point in their lives. There are different types of headaches, including cluster and rebound headaches. Headaches are caused by man factors in general it can’t be generalised. Some have a medical condition, while other have another condition.

Concussions and other head injuries

A sensation of mild pressure in your head or a headache is called an concussion. Some related symptoms include following confusion, nausea, and dizziness. However concussion is a mild head injury. It happens when the brain shakes, bounces, or twists inside the skull, that can. affect brain activity and damage brain cells at some level. Causes of concussions are : Concussions and other head injuries are typically caused by some sudden impact to the head. Falls, car accidents, and sports injuries are very common and cause concussion.

Brain tumor

Feeling pressure or heaviness in the head or neck can sometimes be a sign of brain tumor.Brain tumors can lead to severe headaches and are often accompanied by some other symptoms, like memory problems, vision problems, or difficulty walking and sometimes even giving strange sensations. A brain tumor happens when cells grow and multiply to form some abnormal mass in the brain which is very rare.

Causes if Brain tumour: Brain tumors can be of types either noncancerous that is benign or cancerous that is malignant. They can originate direct in the brain called primary tumors or indirectly grow from cancer cells that have travelled from elsewhere in the body called as secondary tumors.

Brain aneurysm

A brain aneurysm feels like a Severe head pain that comes on suddenly. People who had aneurysms before described it as in this way “the worst  type of headache of their life.” A brain aneurysm is like a bulging or ballooning in the blood vessel then excess pressure can cause the bulge to rupture and bleed in the brain.

Causes of brain aneurysm  are following: The causes of brain aneurysms aren’t definitive yet but there are some risk factors which include high blood pressure, smoking cigarettes, and age.

Other conditions

There are a number of other conditions that can cause head sensations . Some of these include following:

 

When to see a doctor for strange head sensations?

 

What is the treatment for strange head sensations?

The choice of treatment depends on the underlying cause of head sensations.

Tension headaches are typically treated with a combination of some OTC and prescription medications. Some medications can treat tension headache pain when it happens . These include OTC pain medications like aspirin or ibuprofen or naproxen, and combination drugs that combine two or more pain medications with either caffeine or a drug to help you relax and let pain go. But if tension headaches occur on a regular basis, the doctor might prescribe medication to help prevent them as well . These medications include following : antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and muscle relaxants.

Few lifestyle changes, home remedies, and some alternative therapies are also effective in treating tension headaches. Alternative therapies focus on relieving the stress and tension of a person. These include following:

Home remedies

 

Summary

Mostly the common causes of pressure in the head are tension headaches and sinus headaches as mentioned earlier. And luckily both of these conditions respond well to treatments. In very few cases, pressure in the head is a sign of a more serious condition like tumour and aneurysm . If the issue persists for few days , one should definitely see a doctor