Headache lasting over 6 months

[lbpira]

Hello. I am 19 years old. I have had an ongoing headache for over 6 months now. I seem to be fine in the morning, but picks up in the afternoon and at night. The pain is all over my head. I'm not very good at pinpointing pain. For sure I feel it in my temple, and base of my head where my neck starts. I think it my forehead, too. When it first started I took ibuprofen, but when that seemed to stop working, I switched to Excedrin tension headache. There is never a day where I don't get the headache. Neither medicine completely relieved the pain, only took the edge off. I have trouble concentrating when watching movies late at night and have to constantly reposition my head as I think it helps, but it doesn't. The pain is so bad that I break down crying and I've noticed that crying relieves some pressure. The past month or so I've been having dull pain in my ears, as well. Light and sound do not affect the pain. I have not yet seen a doctor because of insurance problems that won't be resolved until mid January or so. I'm afraid it might be a tumor or something.

[Piper222]

Mine started with burning in my ears a year ago, now I have fibromyalgia.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
Do you experience nasal congestion also? Ear infection presents with headaches and ear pain also. There is a connection in the nose/throat to the ear (the eustachian tube). If the nose is congested, the ear is more often affected. Drinking plenty of fluids and over-the-counter decongestants may help. If it improves, you go first to an ear specialist to determine the underlying cause. Take care and do keep us posted.

[lbpira]

Well, I still haven't been to the doctor. I should be going within a few weeks, though. For about a month or so my inner ears have been burning along with my headache.

[Dr Santos]

Hi,
How are you? If there was no previous head or neck injury, this could be caused by primary headaches such as migraine or tension headaches or even error of refraction. Definite diagnosis of head tumor is through a CT scan or MRI. That is why it is best to have this evaluated further for proper diagnosis. Cold packs and pain medications may help provide relief. Keeping track of possible headache triggers may also help lessen the recurrences of your headache. Take care and do keep us posted.