Does the left head hurt? This is the cause and how to eliminate it

Left headaches can occur due to several things. Usually, the left headache can recover within a few hours and there is no need to worry. However, if the pain is felt intense or does not disappear immediately, you should visit a doctor for proper treatment.

When the left headache attacks, your daily activities will certainly be disrupted. For your headaches to be properly resolved, you must know the underlying causes and how to deal with them properly.

Recognizing the Causes of Left-Headaches

The cause of left headaches can be caused by various factors. One of them is a lifestyle factor, which includes:

• Drink alcohol
• Delay eating
• Lack of sleep
• Stress

In addition, although not everyone feels it, certain foods can also trigger left headaches, such as foods that contain preservatives, nuts, and processed meat.

There are also several other conditions that can trigger a left headache, including:

• Infection and allergies

Respiratory tract infections such as flu, often accompanied by the fever followed by complaints of headaches. While in allergic reactions, narrowing of the airways and sinus cavity can occur, which often causes headaches.

• Trigeminal neuralgia

This nerve disorder occurs in the trigeminal nerve which functions to deliver sensations or stimuli from the face area to the brain. Trigeminal neuralgia is generally characterized by pain on one side of the face so that it can trigger left headaches.

• High blood pressure

Although it does not have typical physical symptoms, high blood pressure can trigger a tension sensation in the neck, to headaches, including a left headache.

• Stroke

Sudden and severe headaches can be a sign of a stroke. Therefore, you need to be vigilant when you experience sudden severe headaches and you should consult a doctor immediately, especially if accompanied by weakness on one side of the body.

• Concussion

The concussion is usually caused by a collision or a hard blow resulting in injury to the brain. The concussion can be a cause of someone experiencing a left headache.

• Brain tumor

Brain tumors are a condition of abnormal cell growth in the brain. Tumors can cause intense headaches, appear suddenly and repeatedly, accompanied by other symptoms such as loss of vision, difficulty walking, and seizures.

The above conditions can cause several types of headaches, including migraines that feel like throbbing on one side of the head, although they may also be felt in all parts of the head, and cluster headaches, characterized by severe pain on one side of the head, pain felt often felt up to the eyes on the side of the head that hurt.

How to treat left-sided headaches

In dealing with the left headache, you can try doing a treatment at home, which is a warm or cold compress on the head that feels pain, soaks in a warm bath, and rests. If needed, you can take over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen, paracetamol, or aspirin.

However, it would be better if you still check with your doctor, because home care generally only relieves pain and not deal with the causes of headaches you experience.

Usually, before handling this condition, the doctor will ask about the characteristics of your headache, for example, what is the left headache you feel and how long you experience it. If you feel it is necessary, your doctor may advise you to undergo investigations, such as a CT scan or MRI head, to find out the cause.

After knowing the underlying cause, the doctor will provide appropriate treatment for the cause, as well as drugs intended to alleviate the complaints of the left headache that you experience. Among these drugs, including:

• NSAIDs

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, like naproxen, can help relieve headaches.

• Beta-blocker drugs

This drug is usually used to treat high blood pressure, is also a mainstay to prevent episodic migraines. Types of drugs class beta blockers include atenolol, metoprolol, and propranolol.

• Anticonvulsant medication

Some anti-seizure medications that can prevent migraines and are commonly used to prevent chronic headaches, namely topiramate, sodium Divalproex, and gabapentin.

• Antidepressant medication

Some antidepressant medications such as amitriptyline can help treat depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders that accompany chronic headaches.

• Botulinum toxin

Injections of onabotulinumtoxin A (Botox) can relieve tension in the head muscles, and this might be the right choice for those who cannot tolerate other drugs properly.

Important information that you need to know from various types of medicines is that you can only take them with a doctor's prescription. That is because doctors know what drugs are right to deal with pain in your head, according to the cause.

Therefore, it is better to consult with a doctor if you experience symptoms of left headaches, especially those that occur suddenly, permanently or repeatedly, so that they can be handled appropriately.