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Severe Pain in base of skull
I have had severe pain/soreness in the base of my skull (right side) for over 2 weeks now. At first I thought I had slept wrong on my pillow but it hasn't gotten any better. What could this be? No other symptoms that I have noticed.
Hi,
It may have something to do with your cervical spine or muscles in the upper part of neck. The chances are more if your job involves spending prolonged hours in front of the computer.
I would suggest you to do some neck exercises daily. Make sure that your neck is well supported at night while lying down. Avoid bending forwards while sitting. Heat packs may also help along with OTC NSAIDS like Motrin.
Take care!
It may have something to do with your cervical spine or muscles in the upper part of neck. The chances are more if your job involves spending prolonged hours in front of the computer.
I would suggest you to do some neck exercises daily. Make sure that your neck is well supported at night while lying down. Avoid bending forwards while sitting. Heat packs may also help along with OTC NSAIDS like Motrin.
Take care!
P.S. Also... if you do go to the ER or an Urgent Care Centre and it does turn out to be "just a headache" then they will still be able to tell you specifically what type of headache you had. They will also be able to treat you for pain and get rid of your headache so you don't have to suffer anymore!! Two weeks is long enough to have a severe headache for!! If you go to the ER or Urgent Care Centre, they'll give you pain medication that will be strong enough to interrupt the pain signals and you will leave without your headache and the headache most likely will not return. So, that is another good reason to go to an ER or Urgent Care Centre.
If you have an Urgent Care Centre that is currently open in your city (they usually don't run 24 hours)... pick that over the ER as ERs are usually busy and an Urgent Care Centre is usually less busy and has all the equipment, medication and specialists who are able to treat all types of headaches. This way you won't have to wait as long to be seen. Although... just to let you know, a severe headache is very high on triage, so... you probably won't have to wait long anyway unless there are a lot of other people there experiences severe headaches and chest pains (pretty much the two highest things on triage other than things that need immediate surgery and stuff and some people who have been brought in by paramedics).
If you have an Urgent Care Centre that is currently open in your city (they usually don't run 24 hours)... pick that over the ER as ERs are usually busy and an Urgent Care Centre is usually less busy and has all the equipment, medication and specialists who are able to treat all types of headaches. This way you won't have to wait as long to be seen. Although... just to let you know, a severe headache is very high on triage, so... you probably won't have to wait long anyway unless there are a lot of other people there experiences severe headaches and chest pains (pretty much the two highest things on triage other than things that need immediate surgery and stuff and some people who have been brought in by paramedics).
Have you been to a doctor yet?
It sounds like a tension headache or a stiff muscle or a muscle that has gone into spasm. With that said...
Headache pain that you would rate "the worst pain you have ever felt before" is considered an emergency and anyone with such pain needs to be seen by a doctor right away.
Also, any new severe headache pain (that means headache pain that has not already been diagnosed by a doctor)... even if it is not "the worst pain you have ever felt before"... as long as you would rate it severe... that lasts more than an hour should be considered an emergency. Your pain has lasted more than two weeks now. Please go to the ER or an urgent care centre immediately.
If you would describe the pain more as a new type of "moderate pain" and it has not gone away in more than 12 hours, you should make an appointment to see a family doctor today or go to a walk-in clinic today. Since your headache has lasted more than 2 weeks, please go to a walk-in clinic immediately or an urgent care centre if you cannot see your family doctor TODAY.
If you would describe the pain more as "mild pain" then I would still suggest going to see your family doctor within the next 24 hours or to a walk-in clinic or to an urgent care centre since this has lasted for more than 2 weeks.
If you HAVE experienced this pain before... a trip to the ER probably is not necessary.. but you should still go to your family doctor, a walk-in clinic or to an urgent care centre within the next 24 hours to be examined by a doctor.
I have found that pretty much always... in my personal experience... all but twice in my life, those who I have known who have had severe headaches have turned out "just to have a headache"... and I have sent a whole lot of people to the ER and urgent care centres for headaches and other emergencies. But, it's those two times that stick out in my head... and it is times like those "two times" in my life that they teach us in first aid to suggest seeking emergency treatment for any new severe headaches to people or new headaches that last for an unusual length of time. I personally have never been told that it was anything more than just a headache at the ER or an urgent care centre, and I have been to the ER a LOT for severe headaches since I have severe migraines. So please do not panic. Most of the time, a headache is just a headache. Anyway... they'll give you IV liquids and your skin will look great and you'll feel super hydrated for like a week after because of the IV liquids so hey... that's not a waste of time, eh? And, it is better to be safe even if safe is boring and this is basic first aid headache protocol.
It sounds like a tension headache or a stiff muscle or a muscle that has gone into spasm. With that said...
Headache pain that you would rate "the worst pain you have ever felt before" is considered an emergency and anyone with such pain needs to be seen by a doctor right away.
Also, any new severe headache pain (that means headache pain that has not already been diagnosed by a doctor)... even if it is not "the worst pain you have ever felt before"... as long as you would rate it severe... that lasts more than an hour should be considered an emergency. Your pain has lasted more than two weeks now. Please go to the ER or an urgent care centre immediately.
If you would describe the pain more as a new type of "moderate pain" and it has not gone away in more than 12 hours, you should make an appointment to see a family doctor today or go to a walk-in clinic today. Since your headache has lasted more than 2 weeks, please go to a walk-in clinic immediately or an urgent care centre if you cannot see your family doctor TODAY.
If you would describe the pain more as "mild pain" then I would still suggest going to see your family doctor within the next 24 hours or to a walk-in clinic or to an urgent care centre since this has lasted for more than 2 weeks.
If you HAVE experienced this pain before... a trip to the ER probably is not necessary.. but you should still go to your family doctor, a walk-in clinic or to an urgent care centre within the next 24 hours to be examined by a doctor.
I have found that pretty much always... in my personal experience... all but twice in my life, those who I have known who have had severe headaches have turned out "just to have a headache"... and I have sent a whole lot of people to the ER and urgent care centres for headaches and other emergencies. But, it's those two times that stick out in my head... and it is times like those "two times" in my life that they teach us in first aid to suggest seeking emergency treatment for any new severe headaches to people or new headaches that last for an unusual length of time. I personally have never been told that it was anything more than just a headache at the ER or an urgent care centre, and I have been to the ER a LOT for severe headaches since I have severe migraines. So please do not panic. Most of the time, a headache is just a headache. Anyway... they'll give you IV liquids and your skin will look great and you'll feel super hydrated for like a week after because of the IV liquids so hey... that's not a waste of time, eh? And, it is better to be safe even if safe is boring and this is basic first aid headache protocol.
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