Stabbing headache / ears ringing. WORRYIED

[bunny11]

Hi. Last night laying in bed I all of a sudden got a shooting/stabbing pain in the back of my head. It only lasted about 5 seconds then the pain completely stopped. Then within the minute after, my left ear sounded kind of muted and ringing. (More muted) for about 3 seconds or so.

I’ve had both of these things happen before but never right after one another like that. I really don’t have any other symptoms going on. I have had some general headaches this week because I’m supposed to be starting my period.

Anyways, I am worried and that was the first thing I thought of this morning. I am trying not to google because I know it will be something really bad. Anything to do with my head/brain is my biggest fear.

Do any of you guys get these symptoms ever ?? I’m worried

[anx mum]

I can sort of relate you hun but with me my headaches have been going on for almost two years I get severe stabbing in my head on the right side. I'm under a headache specialist but like u I'm really scared as my mum had an anyersym. I think we are best not to goggle but its scary I understand

[bunny11]

About a year ago I had a lot of anxiety surrounding headaches and neurological issues that landed me in the ER. I got a CT scan and MRI and all were normal. But that was a year ago. I’ve never had the headache and ear mute/ringing at the same time so it is worrisome

[Carys]

The thing is about the head is that pains are referred via nerves. So you can get a pain in the back of your head from something in a different location like your neck or ear. If you had a few second of muffled ear and ringing and the pain, then it sounds like a very temporary pressure blockage in the ear. When I've been on a flight I've had exactly that for the 20 minutes of landing....pain in back of head, muffled hearing and ringing.


neurological issues that landed me in the ER. I got a CT scan and MRI and all were normal.

I see this phrase used a lot on this forum ; 'neurological issues/problems' , and I always try to make it a bit clearer to people so they understand that they didn't actually HAVE neurological issues. They perceived/imagined neurological symptoms, or some anxiety responses caused some similar syptoms to something that is neurological in origin. Something neurological is an 'organic disorders of nerves and the nervous system.' You have clear scans, and therefore you didn't have neurological issues.

[bunny11]

T

I see this phrase used a lot on this forum ; 'neurological issues/problems' , and I always try to make it a bit clearer to people so they understand that they didn't actually HAVE neurological issues. They perceived/imagined neurological symptoms, or some anxiety responses caused some similar syptoms to something that is neurological in origin. Something neurological is an 'organic disorders of nerves and the nervous system.' You have clear scans, and therefore you didn't have neurological issues.


True I have never thought of it that way, which makes more sense. Thank you

[anxious848]

About a year ago I had a lot of anxiety surrounding headaches and neurological issues that landed me in the ER. I got a CT scan and MRI and all were normal. But that was a year ago. I’ve never had the headache and ear mute/ringing at the same time so it is worrisome

You're fine. I get these too - clean MRI for years with family history of aneurysms. Mine are due to muscular strain from my neck and shoulders. The tightness was so bad it even caused numbness in my arm, vertigo and severe nausea. All resolved by physio go figure

[bunny11]

I do tend to get tension headaches from muscle tightness but I have only had the stabbing sensation a few times. I think this one really freaked me out because the ear ringing happened right after so I didn't know if it could be connected.....Brain issues are one of my biggest anxieties. So it freaks me out.

It does help knowing other people have had these shooting type pains.

I also tend to get headaches around my period and the very next morning after this happened I started my period.

My anxiety has been better lately but this kind of triggered everything again :/

[anxious848]

I get the short bursts too. They're nerve wracking I think because they come on suddenly. Try stretching out your neck a little when you get those. I find mind is usually a little tight when those happen.

I had an MRI when I was 15 because of ice pick headaches. Those were very short lasting only seconds but the pain was intense. But I had pretty bad migraines as a child that got better over time

[bunny11]

I hope that it is just tension. I googled and saw ice pick headaches. I am trying not to get too worked up about this because I know i will end up going and forcing testing to be done. Any time I get anxiety I don't feel better until I get testing done. But just a year ago I had both CT and MRI that came back normal. But in my mind I tell myself that was a year ago and a year is a long time. UGH. Hopefully I don't spiral with this......

[anxious848]

Could something come up within a year? Sure. Could you get hit by lightning? Of course.

Not saying the odds are comparable here but it is so unlikely that something new would come up within such a short period of time. A year is not a long time.

if you developed any neurological symptoms since then that's another story. But you haven't, and ear ringing and headaches are all very common.

It could be muscular, or maybe it's your sinuses. I would be willing to stake a lot on the fact that it is not your head.