Headaches can develop against the backdrop of many diseases: infectious, colds, accompany intoxication and pathologies associated with circulatory disorders.
Pain can vary greatly: be stupid, aching, shooting, change their intensity.
Regularly occurring headaches should be an occasion to consult a doctor, as they can be triggered by serious diseases.
The main reason why the head hurts on the left side (one-sided pain) are migraines.
The reasons why the left side of the head hurts
The classic reason why a headache on the left side hurts is migraine. In this case, pain passes to the eye and the area near it, the left part of the jaw, forehead, affects the temporal zone.
The onset of the attack is preceded by the appearance of spots, dots in front of the eyes. Migraine pains are accompanied by nausea, chills, vomiting, hyperhidrosis. A person cannot tolerate loud noise and bright light. Often during the attack, the sense of smell is disturbed, unpleasant odors seem to the person. Migraine attacks can be different in duration, reaching up to several days. Deteriorated health can persist for a certain period of time - there are: drowsiness, apathy, fatigue.
Another reason why a headache on the left side hurts can be osteochondrosis. Calcium salts are deposited on the vertebrae, causing a disturbance in brain trophism. Because of this, spasms occur, and hypoxia leads to dizziness. Pain pulling, aching. Intracranial pressure may also increase, on the background of which it begins to pulsate in the temples.
Weather sensitive people often face headaches when changing weather or surges in atmospheric pressure. In this case, the root cause of why the head hurts on the left side is the relationship between arterial and intracranial pressure and weather conditions. A person experiences pain in the left temple, near the ear, frontal and parietal zone. Cramps in the head are felt, which are accompanied by weakness, drowsiness, teeth and bones begin to ache. Headaches are not severe, but can be very long.
It is not always clear why the head hurts on the left side. And this may be the first symptom that indicates development infectious or inflammatory process in the body. Sharp headaches occur when the trigeminal nerve is caught - it can be after a walk in cold weather without a headgear or being under air conditioning, in a draft.
Very often, headaches are due to inflammatory processes in the teeth. If caries, abscess developed on the left side, then it becomes obvious why the head hurts on the left side.
Often, headaches bother people with spinal problems - curvature or trauma, since improper load distribution during walking leads to excessive tension in the neck and shoulders.
A serious cause of headaches is brain tumor. Drawing pains are accompanied by vomiting and nausea, pulsation in the head. These symptoms are combined with impaired coordination of movements, impaired visual function and hearing, decreased memory and appetite, and restless sleep. A tumor is a common reason why a headache on the left side hurts right after waking up.
Burning spilling pain with increasing intensity characteristic of a stroke. At the very beginning of the attack, nausea, vomiting, impaired consciousness, fainting, speech dysfunction can be observed. This is a dangerous condition requiring immediate hospitalization.
It’s logical that pain in the head can be a consequence of and head injury. A feature that you need to know is that this symptom does not always appear immediately after an impact. Perhaps the occurrence of pain and after a sufficiently long period of time (up to six months). At the same time, diagnosis is necessary, as this may be the norm, and may speak of developing complications.
What diagnostic methods are used when the left side of the head hurts?
There are several research methods that can be used when you need to find out why a headache on the left side hurts.
CT scan - A unique tool that allows you to study in detail any pathological processes, anomalies, see signs of hydrocephalus, problems with blood supply, traumatic lesions.
Also an effective research method is magnetic resonance imaging. Magnetic resonance angiography makes it possible to investigate disorders in the vessels of the brain, its state as a whole, and the state of individual structures. Thanks to this diagnostic method, it is possible to study the studied area in layers, simulate a network of vessels, and study individual vessels.
Blood Pressure Monitoring (MAD) allows you to identify arterial hypertension.
In parallel with this, standard laboratory tests are prescribed to eliminate the presence of inflammatory processes. It is also recommended to visit the dentist and optometrist.
A person who constantly has pain in the head must necessarily consult a local therapist or neurologist.
What to do if your head hurts on the left side: treatment methods
Independently take measures to combat headache is allowed only in those cases when it rarely bothers.
This can happen, for example, due to overwork, after a stressful situation. In this case, a warm bath and, of course, sleep will help to relax. Help relaxation techniques like yoga.
The cause of headaches at work may be violation of the rules of the organization of the workplace. Look around and you might understand why the headache on the left side hurts. If during work the muscles of the neck and back are in constant tension, then it is necessary to organize the working space differently. During operation, it is necessary to lean your back against the back of the chair, the knees should be bent at a right angle, and the feet should be completely on the floor. Office workers are advised to take short breaks every 40-50 minutes.
At the onset of cold symptoms measures must be taken to eliminate the root cause.
Get rid of a headache will help massage. There are certain points in the body, the impact on which will help eliminate pain in the head. One of them is a point on the back of the head, located on three fingers below the auricle - in a small depression.
If the pain is localized in the temples and forehead, it is necessary to work on the points on the forearms located on the side of the thumbs, in the place where they feel the pulse. These points are located crosswise, so for pain on the left side of the head, you need to massage the point on the right hand. Pain in the top of the head will help relieve massaging of the points that are located on the palm of the hand above the ankles on the outer surface of the calves. To calm the headache in the back of the head, massage the points on the hands, next to the little fingers. These points are located just below the folds, there is a hand clenched into a fist. Massage is performed with intense movements for several minutes. It is also recommended to massage the nose bridge (without pressure) for 10-15 minutes.
From the recipes of traditional medicine, you can take St. John's wort broth. For its preparation, a tablespoon of St. John's wort is poured with 250 ml of boiling water and kept under the lid for 15 minutes. Drink a drink during the day for several sips.
Self-treatment is not recommended for many reasons.
Firstly, a person is not able to make a diagnosis on his own, and trying to treat a pre-stroke condition with herbs is simply dangerous.
Secondly, with regular consumption of pills, a serious complication can develop - abusal headache.
In other words, it is called drug-induced, that is, if a person takes painkillers and he has a headache all the time, forcing him to increase the dose of drugs again and again, the question is answered why the left side of the head (or the right) hurts - one: because of the wrong treatment.
This condition is a serious drug dependence, which is better not to bring.
Symptoms that should cause concern:
• unusual headaches that were not there before;
• pain begins with an incomprehensible “explosion” in the head;
• the pain does not disappear after taking painkillers, lasts for several days;
• in case of dysfunctions of any systems accompanying a headache;
• increase in pain intensity with little physical exertion;
• occurrence of vomiting;
• over time, headaches become more common.
What to do in order not to complain that the left side of the head hurts: prevention
For those who do not want to understand why a headache on the left side hurts, you can give some advice.
Alcohol consumption and smoking are one of the triggering factors that increase the likelihood of developing headaches, so it is highly recommended to exclude them from your life.
Fresh air is the main assistant, since a lack of oxygen also negatively affects the brain. Therefore, it is necessary to constantly ventilate the room and spend more time on the street.
Useful moderate physical activity and walks. Of course, it is necessary to monitor the general state of health, treat any diseases with the first symptoms, preventing the transition to the chronic stage.
