I've kind of been experiencing some worrying symptoms of something lately, and I thought I'd run them past you guys. I'm trying not to think of the worst case scenario here, as most patients tend to do, but I'm also kind of trying to prepare for bad news. I've been experiencing an odd kind of pressure in my head lately. It's not quite pain, and when it does hurt, it's just in a dull, small area kind of way. It feels like someone pressing a thumb down on my scalp, and tends to be around the top of my head, near the back of the left side of my skull, and near the temples. It comes and goes, but tends to stick around for long periods of time. It's really not very painful, though occasionally I'll feel a bit of a sharp pain (though again, not severe at all). This has been going on for the past few days, and doesn't seem dependant on my current condition. In other words, It'll feel the same way before bed as it does after a good night's sleep, when I'm hungry and when I've had a good meal, etc. Then comes the really scary part. Twice today, I had a dizzy spell. The first time, I was at my computer desk, reading something online. For just about 1 second, I felt pretty dizzy, then I was fine. I wasn't moving or anything, it just sort of happened. The second time, I was standing at a table in a store. Again, I wasn't making any movements at the time, and again for a second, I felt dizzy, then I was fine. In the store, it was very hot, but I was well hydrated. The climate in my room (the first dizzy spell) was fine. That about covers it. Even now, I can feel the pressure at the top of and on the back left of my head. It's mostly just a pressure, but it's a bit painful. A 1 out of 10 on the good ole pain scale. Any thoughts of what might be causing this? Of course, as the person it's happening to, the first thing I can think of is "inoperable brain tumor," and the second is "aneurysm," and I'm sure that both are entirely possible, but any other ideas (or ideas supporting those two options) would be really, really helpful! Thanks in advance!
Just wondering have you had your blood pressure checked at all? because I have low blood pressure (it's something like 70/40 when it's meant to be like 90/60) and I get that very often. Do you feel nauseous when you feel dizzy or is it kind of like a head spinning kind of dizzy?? Also - what is your sleeping like and are you stressed about anything that's going on in your life?? Sometimes stress can manifest itself physically. Either way - I highly recommend you go to the doctor about this.
The spinny kind of dizzy, like you've just spun around in a chair a bunch and feel like you're gonna fall over. I kind of swayed when I had those two spells, and put my hands out to stabilize things, but like I said, just about 1 second later, it was gone, and I was fine, in both cases. They took my blood pressure when I was in the emergency room last, which was around mid September, and was for something completely unrelated (tooth pain). They just took it as part of the usual admitance procedure, and since they didn't tell me anything about it, I'm guessing that it was fine at the time. My sleep habits have certainly been a lot better than they are. These days, I don't go to sleep the same time from day to day, and I'll usually sleep for a good 4-5 hours, then take a 2-ish hour nap later in the day. Sometimes I'll just go without the nap and get by on the ~4 hours. About once a week I'll sleep for like 9 hours, which usually sets me straight. Preveously, I'd sleep for 7-8 hours a night, but I really can't do that anymore. Working the night shift, when I wake up "in the middle of the night" which, for me, is about noon, I'm up for good, and can't get back to sleep. Stress could be a factor too, I suppose. I have been under a bit of pressure lately. My stress headaches are usually a "headband" kind of pain, though, and are certainly a pain, and not a pressure. I'm not discounting that this is resultant from stress, though - in fact, to know that was the cause for a fact would be great news! ^^ Thanks for opening up a few more options, Tess ^^ I'll probably have to wait a few months for a proper doctor's visit, though. I can go to the emergency room and set money aside to pay their exorbitant fees, but if they need to do any tests, I'm out of luck (being uninsured sucks).
I'm not a doctor, so please don't take what I say for a diagnosis. You need to see a doctor no matter what people say here. It sounds like when you suddenly became dizzy those couple times, that you experienced Vertigo. I've experienced it myself. You'll suddenly feel dizzy, like the room is spinning. Even if you close your eyes, you feel like you're in motion. This can happen while walking or sitting --- doesn't matter. While in a Vertigo "episode" you might also experience a light ring in your ears and feel like you're moving in slow motion. The head thing is a bit more difficult. Have you bruised yourself up there? Have you made changes to diet? Have you taken any new prescription drugs lately? I'm basically looking for anything NEW --- even down to your fabric softener.
The symptoms are much too vague - it coulf be anything from diet/lifestyle to blood problems or worse. See a doctor.
I've had the 'low blood pressure' headspin thing a few times as well. My BP has always been on the low side of normal - and when I was in full training, really fit and with a really low resting pulse, I could regularly just about black out (& have done so a couple of times) when I stood up suddenly after crouching or lying down for a little while. Somehow this doesn't sound like your scenario tho'. Even if it is difficult, I would try and see a Doctor. Hopefully KB will be along shortly to add his opinion - and maybe suggest something. *EDIT* I Googled... ...this seems to be one of the more sensible web pages covering 'dizzy spells': http://www.bbc.co.uk/health/conditions/dizziness1.shtml
There are two common causes of "dizzy spells". The dizziness that is typically caused by low blood pressure is a condition called orthostatic hypotension. It's caused by a sudden shift of blood from the head to the feet- usually when a person stands up too quickly. It happens normally but when a person has low blood pressure or is dehydrated, the symptom worsens and can cause you to black out. The other cause is neurological. The symptoms that you're describing- the sudden shift or head spin when you're sitting still is usually related to an inner ear or neurological problem. Sometimes it can be from a temporary condition like an inner ear infection. There are also some chronic neurological conditions that can also cause problems with balance. But given that you are having other symptoms- especially the new type of headache that you're having, I'm going to recommend that you see a doctor. You should start with your primary care doctor first. If you don't have one, then you should make an appointment at a public health clinic. If you are uninsured, you should be able to qualify for your state's public clinic payment program that is usually very affordable. Don't wait weeks or months to address this problem. It's something that you should have checked out. It may be as simple as a need to do a course of antibiotics to clear up an ear infection but there are also some more serious problems that can cause the symptoms that you're describing.
Thanks so much for the help, guys! I asked Jason, the EMT I work with (who I actually kinda have a crush on :icon_redf ) to check my blood pressure when I experienced some dizziness at work, and it turns out it was low! One of the two numbers was low, he said, but I forget now if it was the systolic or the diastolic (I'm thinking it was the systolic?). I had a soda afterward, and he noted that some color had returned to my face, likely due to the sugar and caffeine. After I had eaten, I asked him to check me again, and my blood pressure had returned to normal. I should probably still see a doctor, though, as I don't really know what's causing my pressure to be low. I'm guessing that there can be a lot of causes? Either way, thanks again, everyone! ^^ Thanks so much!
