Head Veins and Stress.. Please Help

[patient49]

Among all the other problems I have I am experiencing severe head stress. I have been under a lot of stress for over a year now and I have developed this thing where the veins in the sides of my temple and forehead swell and I can feel them, they are really tight, and I can see them clearly. I have them worse now then ever, on both sides of my head. This isn't new though, and they can persist for a couple days at a time, and then subside. And though they subside (seemingly go away), they really concern me because they were never here before a year ago and I am 28 now.  They go and they come back, and they are, when severe, accompanied with a headache that feels like my head is about to throb, but worse.  It's like an ongoing tension and my brain feels a lot of stress!! But it seems that this is worst after doing physical exercise. It almost seems that because I am stressing so bad mentally, with or even without physical exertion my brain undergoes very bad stress and these veins appear to prove it. Sometimes it makes me feel like my brain "clenches" and it becomes hard for me to swallow, and I feel like I am going to drop dead, literally. I know that difficulty swallowing is anxiety attack, and I am not denying that, but can anyone please help me explain the stress that my brain undergoes, please?

[patient49]

Hey thanks a lot for the info! It is very reasuring to hear that head veins swelling are part of the nature of a migrain! I am not sure this is mentioned much at all in researching on migrians.. it is my biggest concern!  Thanks again!

[Xila31]

In 2008 starting in September suddenly and for no reason, I started having headaches that were the worst ever. Sometimes 1 headache would last for 2 weeks straight. The headaches could be left side, right side, or middle. Medicines would help for a while but then stop helping. Often it felt like the entire side of my face was being torn off or smashed in. :( It was terrible. It lasted until April 2009.

At my work there is a lady who suffers from sever migraines. She studies them and had this book all about migraines and new study on the migraine. It appears to be a combination of veins that swell along the inside of the head and retract on the outside of the head, or the other way around. I can't remember the name of the book, or I would tell you. Anyway, this book also listed all of the foods that were bad to eat, etc.

In the end it turned out that I was not having migraines at all, but that I had 2 severely infected teeth. I had to have the teeth removed, but once they were out I've never had another headache like those.

[patient49]

Hey, thank you!  So how did you learn about mingraines being caused by swelling veins in the head? When looking up migraines I didn't read this!  Thanks again!

[Xila31]

Well, you know psychological problems can often have physical effects. But, I would say that if these headaches are enough to interfere with your life and give you concern, you should see a medical doctor. There could be something else going on that you are unaware of causing the problem. Sometimes pain in the head is a sign of other problems as well. Also, migraines are caused by swelling veins both inside and outside your head. So, it is worth having looked at even just for reassureance.