A number of conditions can cause a sensation of tightness, weight, or pressure in the head. These sensations can range in intensity from mild to severe.
Most conditions that result in head pressure aren’t cause for alarm. Common ones include tension headaches, migraines, conditions that affect the sinuses, and ear infections.
Abnormal or severe head pressure is sometimes a sign of a serious medical condition, such as a brain tumor or aneurysm. However, these problems are rare.
Read on to learn more about types of pressure and what they might mean.
Do you feel pressure all over your head? Is the pain restricted to your forehead, temples, or a single side? The location of your pain can help your doctor identify potential causes.
| Location | Possible causes |
| Entire head | Concussion or head injury Tension headache |
| Top of head | Tension headache |
| Front of head, forehead | Sinus headache Tension headache |
| Face, cheeks, or jaw | Sinus headache Tension headache Dental problem |
| Eyes and eyebrows | Sinus headache |
| Ears or temples | Ear condition Dental problem Sinus headache Tension headache |
| One side | Ear condition Dental problem Migraine |
| Back of head or neck | Concussion or head injury Dental problem Tension headache |
Pressure, aches, and pain in the head have many potential causes. Tension headaches and migraines are among the most common.
Tension headaches
What it feels like: Pain from tension headaches is generally mild to moderate in severity. Some people describe it as an elastic band squeezing their head.
What it is: Also known as tension-type headaches (TTH), tension headaches are the
Causes:
Sinus headaches and other sinus conditions
What it feels like: A constant pressure behind your forehead, cheekbones, nose, jaw, or ears. It will also come along with other symptoms, such as nasal discharge.
What it is: Your sinuses are a series of connected cavities behind your forehead, eyes, cheeks, and nose. When the sinuses become inflamed, they produce excess mucus, which can lead to head pressure. This is also known as a sinusitis headache. True sinus headaches are rare; it’s easy to mistake a migraine for one.
Causes:
Ear conditions
What it feels like: Dull but constant pressure in the temples, ears, jaw, or side of the head. Ear conditions can affect one or both sides of the head.
What it is: Ear infections and earwax blockages are common ear conditions that can cause head pressure with ear pain.
Causes:
- ear barotrauma
- ear infections
- earwax blockage
- labyrinthitis
- ruptured eardrum
- outer ear infection (swimmer’s ear)
Migraines
What it feels like: Migraine pain is usually described as pulsing or throbbing. It typically occurs on one side of the head, and it can be so intense that it’s disabling. Migraines are often accompanied by additional symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
What it is: Migraines are a common type of headache. They first appear in adolescence or early adulthood and tend to reoccur. Migraines often include warning signs and progress through distinct stages.
Causes: The causes of migraines aren’t well-understood, although genetic and environmental factors appear to be involved.
Other headaches
What they feel like: Pressure, pulsing, or throbbing all over or in a specific area of the head. Some headaches are accompanied by eye pain.
What they are: Most people experience a headache at some point in their lives. There are hundreds of types of headaches, including cluster, caffeine, and rebound headaches.
Causes: Headaches are caused by a wide range of factors. Some are medical conditions, while other types are symptoms of another condition.
Concussions and other head injuries
What it feels like: A sensation of mild pressure in your head or a headache. Related symptoms include confusion, nausea, and dizziness.
What it is: A concussion is a mild head injury. It occurs when the brain shakes, bounces, or twists inside the skull, which can affect brain activity and damage brain cells.
Causes: Concussions and other head injuries are caused by sudden impact to the head or whiplash. Falls, car accidents, and sports injuries are common.
Brain tumor
What it feels like: Pressure or heaviness in the head or neck. Brain tumors can cause severe headaches and are often accompanied by other symptoms, such as memory problems, vision problems, or difficulty walking.
What it is: A brain tumor occurs when cells grow and multiply to form an abnormal mass in the brain. Brain tumors are rare.
Causes: Brain tumors can be noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). They can originate in the brain (primary tumors) or grow from cancer cells that have traveled from elsewhere in the body (secondary tumors).
Brain aneurysm
What it feels like: Severe head pain that comes on suddenly. People who’ve had aneurysms rupture describe it as “the worst headache of their life.”
What it is: A brain aneurysm is a bulging or ballooning blood vessel. Excess pressure can cause the bulge to rupture and bleed into the brain.
Causes: The causes of brain aneurysms aren’t well-understood. Risk factors include high blood pressure, smoking cigarettes, and age.
Other conditions
A number of other conditions can cause head pressure. Some of these include:
- dehydration or hunger
- dental infections and other dental problems
- fatigue, and conditions or medications that cause fatigue
- high blood pressure
- infections, such as meningitis and encephalitis
- muscle strain in the head or neck
- stroke and transient ischemic attack (ministroke)
Sometimes head pressure occurs on its own, but it may also be accompanied by other symptoms.
Pressure in head and ears
Pressure in the head and ears might be a sign of an ear infection, earwax blockage, or dental infection. If you suspect infection, make sure to discuss your symptoms with a doctor, as infections can only be treated with antibiotics.
Pressure in head and dizziness
Dizziness accompanied by head pressure can be a sign of a number of conditions, including:
- allergic reaction
- concussion or head injury
- dehydration
- heat exhaustion
- high blood pressure
- infection
- migraine
- panic attack
Pressure in head and anxiety
Tension headaches
Pressure in head and neck
The stress in the nerves and muscles of the neck can cause pain in the head. Sometimes pressure or pain appears in both the head and the neck. This can be caused by headaches, such as tension headaches or migraines. Other causes include whiplash, poor posture, muscle strain, and concussions.
Pressure in head and eyes
Head pressure accompanied by eye pressure can be a sign of eye strain, allergies, or sinus infections. Migraines and other headaches can also cause eye-related symptoms.
Some causes of head pressure and pain don’t require medical treatment. Home remedies and lifestyle changes may help to improve your symptoms.
Tension headaches in particular have been linked to stress, poor sleep, and mental health conditions such as
Here are a few things to try if you suffer from chronic tension headaches:
- Reduce sources of stress.
- Make time for relaxing activities, such as taking a hot bath, reading, massage, or stretching.
- Improve your posture to avoid tensing your muscles.
- Get enough sleep.
- Treat sore muscles with ice or heat.
Over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers, such as aspirin, naproxen (Aleve), ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil), or Excedrin can also help.
You should talk to a doctor if you consistently have to take pain medication for head pressure or pain more than two times per week. Make an appointment with your doctor if your discomfort is long term (chronic), severe, or unusual for you. Headaches that disrupt your day-to-day activities warrant medical treatment.
If you don’t already have a primary care provider, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healinggeeks FindCare tool.
Seeking treatment for an underlying condition, such as sinusitis or an ear infection, can also help relieve head pressure. Depending on your condition, your doctor might refer you to a neurologist or ear, nose, and throat specialist (ENT), also known as an otolaryngologist.
When the source of your head pressure isn’t clear or symptoms suggest a more serious condition, a doctor might order a CT scan or an MRI scan. Both of these diagnostic procedures produce a detailed image of your brain that your doctor will use to learn more about what is causing your pain.
The treatment your doctor will recommend depends on the underlying cause of head pressure and pain.
When headaches occur on a regular basis, your doctor might prescribe medication to help prevent them. These include antidepressants, anticonvulsants, muscle relaxants, and other pain relievers. If your headaches are disrupting your daily life, your doctor will likely be able to help.
Lifestyle changes and alternative therapies are also effective in treating tension headaches. Alternative therapies primarily focus on relieving stress and tension. These include:
The most common causes of pressure and pain in the head are tension headaches and migraines. Both of these conditions respond well to treatments. In rare cases, pressure in the head is a sign of a more serious condition. If the issue persists, you should see a doctor.
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