View Full Version : Worried about possible brain aneurysm
Developed a headache for the past week. The ache seems to be located on the right side of my head (temple area), whilst I know reading upon brain aneurysm's it says it'd probably be the worst headache of your life BUT is is doing enough to put me off what I'm doing. Just going to highlight a few bullet points that'll explain a bit more for you all to understand hopefully :)
* Suffering from general anxiety in regards to illness (being tested for IBS which I think has started it all).
* Located on right side in my temple area, it comes and goes with a general stabby pain then disappears but the "ache" sort of remains.
* I've normally put it down to tension hence maybe a tension headache, but I do seem to have watery eyes with it and that isn't one of the symptoms.
* Ive had migraines in the past but this doesn't feel like one, just does t seem as powerful which sparks the question can migraines be minor aswell?
* I've taken paracetamol but this doesn't necessarily take the ache away, which prompts another question, would a brain aneurysm be ineffective to medication?
Apologies if I've waffled on, just need a few answers. Thanks!!
i had right temple pressure for 6 months. It would sometimes turn into pain and I had to press the bottom of a jar against the temple for relief. It led to some horrible panic attacks, and it got worse when my anxiety was up. The more I stressed and obsessed about why it was only the right side, the more I felt it and the more it manifested.
Now that it's gone, because I moved onto fixation on a new ache, I know that my anxiety was creating the feeling because it set off my panic attacks. That could the problem in your case as well. You're anxious about the pain and its reoccurring as a result of the anxiety. There's a big chunky muscle in your neck called the sternocleidomastoid. I got relief from massaging that whenever I felt the temple pressure. Mine was more tightening/feeling like someone was pushing their finger into my temple than pain. It wasn't pain but it was SO disconcerting I would wake up in the night in a panic attack because it was there. I was also grinding my teeth in my sleep which directly affects the Temporalis.
Anxiety makes anything feel worse. I would also get feelings of faintness and weakness with the temple pressure so I was terrified it was sinister. I also had facial numbness yikes.
So rest assured, one sided temple pain happens with panic/anxiety. I know this for a fact because there were times when I felt it come on and I wanted to leave wherever I was. As soon as I got home, it eased up. It mightn't be a "panic attack" symptom but it can be psychosomatic.
Medication didnt make mine go away either. I just had to stop thinking about it! Like I said it hung around for 6 months and was so bad I stopped leaving my house so scared it was an aneurysm about to blow. As soon as I started thinking that I actually convinced myself my temple was going to explode because the pressure would get so intense that it would feel like it would. I think your fear of aneurysm is making this area of your head tighten up. That was the connection I made with mine.
It CAN be eyestrain, have you had an eye test recently? Could explain the watery eye. is your neck and shoulders tight? Every doctor said it was tension/muscular. I'm actually starting to feel it right now from thinking about it! What did help was putting either ice or a hot cloth on the temple.
Thanks for the reply. I have an eye test booked in for next Friday, that does sound quite familiar tbh, I've just woken up fine but then when I thought "oh the ache isn't there" it felt a slight twinge, again probably just overthinking about it.
---------- Post added at 07:05 ---------- Previous post was at 06:46 ----------
In addition to that, I very much agree with the fixation with a new ache. Was convinced I had a blood clot in my arm, legs, lungs, you name it just because of random aches and currently I'm not thinking about that hence I suppose being fixated thinking I have something wrong with my brain.
No way, I thought I had a blood clot in my leg as well! It gave me a day off worrying about the temple pain, heh.
I've learned that any pain is there if you look for it. I know exactly what you mean when you say you wake up and feel a twinge and it all starts again. Honestly you're fixated on this area now. Mine has moved to behind my ear. The joys of anxiety..
Does it wake you up at night?
The thing is, I can sometimes forget about it then it comes on again which puts further doubt in my mind that it's something to do with anxiety and more something drastic. But it's quite comforting to know you feel pretty much the same as bad as that sounds.
My girlfriend has put it something to do with hayfever aswell, so I've taken some paracetamol that helps with hayfever. Not entirely sure it's worked but hey-ho. Again, probably down to anxiety.
In regards to does it keep me awake, I'd say no, only the worrying.
I have a doctors appointment on Tuesday in regards to my blood tests to see if I have IBS, I will question him about these headaches too.
Your girlfriend may be right. I am awake right now with the damn thing!! And I feel congested with a bit of an earache which could point to hay fever/allergies. It's just such a disconcerting feeling. I chew Rescue Remedy lollies that seem to stop the feeling from
turning into a panic attack. It's just weird how it can come on strong then wear off pretty quickly - before coming back later. It drives me insane.
I think you are always subconsciously thinking about it and that brings it on. We both clearly have health anxiety so the fact we don't know what it is only makes us worry because it seems out of our control whereas someone else might just brush it off as uncomfortable. Let us know what the doctor says! Mine was always "tension, tension, tension..." Temple is the classic place for it. I feel it might be connected to overworked jaw muscles/teeth grinding. Also, do you have any wisdom teeth/dental issue?
Thanks ever so much for the replies.
Overworking the jaw muscles could have something to do with, I'm forever clenching my jaw for whatever reason, no doubt a habit. But I've never had the problem before, BUT maybe I've been doing much more without me thinking during the past month when I've been feeling terrible. I haven't been to the dentist in nearly a year but it was always the same, clean much harder, I've had a few fillings but never more serious than that.
buy a mouthguard gonna buy one myself think that can be the culprit
funny thing is my sister in law had the same thing
headaches, jaw pain, numbness in the face, back of neck and shoulder pain etc and all she did was buy a mouthguard to help alleviate some of the pressure from jaw clenching or teeth grinding
she said shes been dong better no more headaches or soreness
A night guard made a difference for me. I stopped waking up with headaches. The temple pain is definitely anxiety. I think it's migraine caused by adrenaline and hits us in the temple. I just had a CT scan and there's nothing going on so I just want to reassure you that right sided temple pain is anxiety. I had the worst pain in my temple after my scan and for several hours thinking about getting bad results so it's definitely stress. It's a form of migraine triggered by adrenaline. Or some muscle in our neck tightens up in response to anxiety and refers pain to the temple. That's what I believe..
Yeah my doctor said to me it's mostly likely tension headache which of course is triggered with anxiety as you say. And what do you know I feel a bit better.
Also been told I'm being referred to a Gastroenterologist because of my stomach problems, hopefully that won't stress me out.
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