Left side head pressure, tender spot, neck issues
Posted , 85 users are following.
Hello, I am new here but I am a little concerned. I am a healthy 35yr old male however I have been dealing with left side head pressure for the last 5 weeks. I don't get a real bad headache but its mostly just pressure and its pretty much with me 24/7. I have noticed when I lay down or go to the gym with my headphones on it is not as bad but always there, I seem to feel it more when standing but again its always there even when sitting at my desk at work. I will list a few of my symptoms below in a moment but I did want to mention the last 2 years have been rough after going through a tough separation with my fiancée and only seeing my son a couple days a week instead of daily so my stress and anxiety was really bad for a while however I am dealing with that better now so I have a hard time believing this is stress related. I am a very anxious person and do not do well at the doctors, my blood pressure and heart rate go through the roof even just at a check up.
The last few months I have not felt like myself, I have had a bad stomach my whole life but it got worse around November 2015 and I was having chest pains and tightness, long story short I saw my doctor multiple times and was diagnosed with GERD and I also had an EKG and Stress Test Echo on my heart which all came out fine thank god. Now a couple months later I was finally feeling a little better, chest issues and stomach still kind of there but no where near as bad and then randomly get hit with this head pressure one Sunday night after just laying on my couch. I went to the doctor after 2 weeks of the head pressure and he tried 2 weeks of muscle relaxers thinking it was my neck, my neck is super tight especially left side where the head pressure is and he told me to stop going to the chiropractor. I was going to the chiropractor for just a couple months before all this happened because my neck and left shoulder always hurt (I work out in the gym and think part of it is from that, I used to lift very heavy but I don't as much anymore). The funny thing is a week before this head pressure started my chiropractor did his usual neck crack on both sides and I remember it almost hurting, feeling different then normal and sent pain through my head. I honestly wonder if he did something to me and if this is from my neck however almost 6 weeks and still feel the same? Advil doesn't do much, muscle relaxers didn't work. I am doing neck stretches and just bought a hand held massager this past week for my neck and head. My doctor did not think brain tumor at my visit based of my symptoms and said my reflexes were good. Sorry for the long post but hoping for some help, my doctor is now referring me to a neurologist but I am trying to hard to push it off a little more hoping it gets better, I have enough medical bills and I am trying to tell myself this has to be from my neck or something that will heal eventually. I know brain tumors are pretty rare but of course I am having anxiety over that.
Symptoms:
-left side head pressure 24/7.
-some pressure in left eye and ear but not terrible.
-neck issues, especially left side, recently got a massage and the massage therapist said my upper back and neck were extremely tight. Chiropractor although I haven't been in a few weeks doctors orders said my C-1 or 2 joint cant remember which one was out of place. I have been doing neck stretches and using a tennis ball.
-some lightheadedness and fatigue, nothing crazy and could be stress since I think about this and worry all day.
-just noticed this week I have a tender spot on the bone top left back side of head.
-no weight loss, no fever, appetite ok for the most part, stomach ache some days but no vomiting.
I do get a little bit of facial tingles in the left side of my cheek and especially my chin, it is not constant and comes and goes. This did start a couple months before this and I went to the dentist because I still have 3 of my wisdom teeth. He did say they could come out and my bottom right one was coming in a little crooked and could be causing some pressure. He did I could hold off for a bit and it wasnt an emergency and that could be causing some of my chin numbness and tingles. Also I am constantly popping my ears because they feel a little blocked and my nose feels a little congested but this has been going on for a while and is not something new, maybe allergies
Hopefully some suggestions and feedback will help, I will see neurologist if this doesn't improve but again I am trying to wait just a little longer on that.
7 likes, 265 replies
andreea48922 kg81
Posted
First of all, please excuse my english, i am from Europe, more specify, Romania. I am 30 years old female, healthy as far as can know, until one year ago, when those things started. All the issues are on my left part, under the skull, down on the neck and sometimes shoulder. It is constant presure burning on this part. My ear feels full, i have tinitus, but again only on left, my neck is cranckling, popping, on every move. I feel this gradually started, first some pain in the neck..then more and more symptoms. Our health care is not very good here, lot but lot of waiting even for some blood to be taken, so many times i ended in ER bec of pain. Anyway, in one year i did cheks up s i didn t done all my life, some on insurance some on private. MRI, CT, ecohrapy of the neck, blood tests, only thing they could tell is i have some osteophites (hope is correct) in my neck with minimul nerve contact. I tryed PT, osteopaty difrent pain pills, ibuprofen..you name it, even tramadol, nothing stops the constant burning. The only thing that made it very low for a while was medrol. So, same like many of you i find no cure or real cause for this. My life is so messd up, i used to work like hairdresser until some time ago but i had to stop bec of the constant pain. I hope we can share some ideea s...don t know, or maybe i am just looking for people who understand s my pain, i tryed on Romanian forums first, but i could not find similar with mine.
terrie27149 andreea48922
Posted
I can totally understand how you are feeling. I too have the tinnitis, the aching in the neck as well as now the aches seems to go behind my eye. Yes mostly left. I too have had cat scan, ultrasound, all showed nothing but a muscle. Probably laying on a nerve. It has to be something with the nerve running along that area. Have you tried getting a massage? My ENT seemed to think that may help. Haven't done it myself yet but I do plan on it. Hoping you can get some kind of relief. So far mine comes and goes..thank the Lord...but mostly the bottom of skull on left side stays aching..
andreea48922 terrie27149
Posted
I am sorry to hear you don t have a diagnosis, i can tottaly feel you, i have it for morw then a year. I didn t tryed therapeutic massage yet, but i think this will be the next step, but what i can tell is my husband does massage my neck, and i can see the diffrence but only on short term, meaning a coulpe of hours. Of course he s not a proffesionist so i am thinking someone specialized on this can do more good. For how long o you have this pain? And other thing is, in a way you can be glad it comes and goes, as i understood, mine is with me all the time, courious thing is, didn t affected my sleep yet. Wish you all the best!
terrie27149 andreea48922
Posted
I have had neck issues for over 2 years now. It started aching and I felt a knot. Then bottom of skull starts painting alon same side. I had tests run, and blood work, all showed nothing major. Muscle in neck, a small amount of arthritis on c1 vertebrae. If I use my neck muscles, such as lifting groceries, suitcases, pushing furniture etc. It really gets bothersome for me.
Yes I 2 will have hubby massage neck and it does help for small amt of time. Pressure along left skull I guess gets to me mostly. Then it moves into temple region and behind left eye..I don't know, but I can tell ya I am fed up with worry over it..Have you tried lemon grass essential oil rubbed in the painful area? This really helps me alot. Relief about 2 hrs but hey, I will take all I can get..
the neck aches come and go but the skull ache pretty much is constant till massage or lemon oil..Try it..hoping it helps..Peppermint works real.well too..
terrie27149
Posted
andreea48922 terrie27149
Posted
terrie27149 andreea48922
Posted
Not.bothering me at all..yes, I too claimed that and believe it until I look up crap on the net. Then it's like ahhhhh..lol..so I don't look up anything anymore except positive stuff. Because I do have major issues with worrying tht something is wrong. Yes, you are still quite young. Me not so much. Late 50's..hard to even comprehend that I am that age. Time is flying so fast. I try to tell myself, life is too short to worry..enjoy yr 30s. Those are some of the best years..reach for the stars while yr able. One day you will be my age and realize all the good opportunities have passed by quickly..
terrie27149 andreea48922
Posted
jennymoore terrie27149
Posted
I had a similar problem and discovered that it was probably due to over use of pain medication tramadol & withdrawals when i came off them..it took a few weeks to feel normal again Its a terrible drug. It affected my sinusitis and i did sinal rinsing for a few weeks and rubbed the back of my head with tea tree oil and also Olbas oil.... So i could sleep at night. Ice pack used to help as well. Its all cleared up now thank the Lord.... Google sinus and back of head pain.
andreea48922 terrie27149
Posted
My neurologyst said is more a problem of muscle/nerve or so, because my head or eye is not involved. My pain is mostly where the skull meets the neck on left side, if i push there i can feel the tender spots, and the pain goes down in shoulder. Neck and shoulder burn is what i feel. I ve tryed regullary streches but for don t know what reason i feel much more pain after few days of trying, and make s me give up. 😭
terrie27149 jennymoore
Posted
Don't think that is my problem. I have never, thank God, had to be on any kind of meds. I try to steer clear of as many as possible due to side effects such as yours. All these problems started for. me after I had a catscan. Not sure if possibly the dye they use caused this or what. But I can tell ya one thing, it makes ya a bit wary of tests..
terrie27149 andreea48922
Posted
So sorry you are in this pain. From what I understand, regardless if it's behind the eye or not, that muscle goes all up and down that area and if a nerve is pinched it can affect all that. The not knowing was b worse for me. If I can put a name to it, then by researching I can prayerfully get an answer to what may help it..
terrie27149 andreea48922
Posted
Guess they didn't show my reply cause I questioned the medical community..Mmmmm
terrie27149 jennymoore
Posted
Let me try this again since my last response was deleted..Guess I offended the medical community. ..anyway, I have never been ,praise the Lord, on any type of meds. So I don't think this is my answer. Mine all started after catscan. Not sure about the dye..can't say a whole lot or will be deleted. But so happy yrs is better now..
QueensGirlNYC terrie27149
Posted
QueensGirlNYC terrie27149
Posted
terrie27149 QueensGirlNYC
Posted