Pressure in the temples after a working day, and by Friday the pain becomes almost habitual - a familiar story for many, but in reality, it can be a serious signal from the body. Oleksiy Pelepeychenko, chief physician of a private clinic and neurologist, told UNN journalist more about why such pain occurs, when to be alarmed, and what can be done independently.
Pain in the temples after work
According to the doctor, in most cases of pain in the temples, it is about muscle overload. It can even affect the quality of life in some cases.
"When people say their head hurts in the temples, it's not the head that hurts - it's the muscles. It's a pressing, non-pulsating pain like a crown of thorns. It's called tension headache or tension-type headache. Most often, it occurs due to visual analyzer overload, i.e., prolonged work at a computer, stress, abuse of coffee or psychoactive substances," explains the neurologist.
Oleksiy Pelepeychenko says that a characteristic feature of such pain is its own "work schedule," according to which it intensifies in the middle of the week and weakens on weekends.
"These pains can occur several times a week, and sometimes they can last for years. Very often they intensify on Tuesday-Thursday-Friday, and on weekends, when a person rests, the condition improves. But the diagnosis of tension headache is formed only after excluding other causes. We must make sure that there is no arterial hypertension or other diseases," says the chief physician of the private clinic.
Is temple pain related to blood pressure?
According to the neurologist, not every such symptom indicates hypertension. That is why it is important not to self-diagnose.
"Pain in the temples is not always associated with high or low blood pressure. When a patient complains, the doctor excludes arterial hypertension, anemia, electrolyte imbalance, and elevated blood sugar levels. We collect anamnesis and only then determine the further examination plan. There is no need to panic - you need to understand," emphasizes Oleksiy Pelepeychenko.
However, there are symptoms that require immediate medical attention. This refers to sudden, extremely intense pain that differs from the usual.
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"If the nature of the pain changes, it becomes more pronounced, accompanied by vomiting or speech impairment - this is already an alarming signal. There is a so-called thunderclap headache, like lightning and thunder. This can be a sign of hemorrhagic stroke, aneurysm rupture, or malformation. In such a case, you need to seek immediate medical help," emphasizes the neurologist.
What to do if you already have pain in your temples?
So what can you do if the pain has already appeared? First of all, give your body rest and do not overload yourself with additional factors. In addition, the neurologist warns against uncontrolled use of combined painkillers.
"To relieve pain, you need to rest and take a painkiller with one active ingredient. You should not use combined preparations with several components. Most often these are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, but they have contraindications, for example, peptic ulcer disease, bronchial asthma. And most importantly - do not use them systematically and uncontrollably," says the chief physician of the private clinic.
What you should know to avoid harming yourself when treating headaches
In addition, excessive use of analgesics can lead to "abuse" headaches. That is, it turns out that a person seems to be trying to relieve the symptom, but as a result, only deepens the problem.
"Abuse headache is pain caused by prolonged use of painkillers. If a person takes 10 or more pills a month for three months, then this is already a risk. Incorrect treatment itself can maintain chronic pain. Therefore, self-medication is definitely not the best strategy," explains Oleksiy Pelepeychenko.
Even regarding self-massage of the temples, the neurologist advises caution. In some cases, this can temporarily alleviate the condition, but there is a risk of worsening symptoms due to irritation of trigger zones. The optimal way, says Oleksiy Pelepeychenko, is to consult a specialist who will determine the cause of the pain in the temples and select a safe treatment.
ATTENTION! The material is for informational purposes only. If you are concerned about health problems, consult a doctor.