11 Causes of Headache on Left Side of Head

Headaches are common these days and you must have noticed that every other person these days
complain head pain. There are different types of headaches among different people but when it comes
to headache on left side of your head then you must take it a serious problem. You must keep this fact
in your mind that more than 90% of headaches are due to common causes and there is no such brain
injury or disease involved.

Head pain may start slowly or suddenly in some people. You may feel intense sharp or even throbbing
pain on one side of head. The head pain may radiate from teeth, neck or from your eyes too. Headache
on left side of your head could be migraine, cluster headaches or even tension headache. Although
symptoms vary from person to person but these are not life threatening and you should not be that
much worried. The severity of head pain can be calculated on various factors such as location of pain,
duration of pain, aggravating and reliving factors as well. Let’s us discuss these common types of
headache on left side one by one.

What causes head pain on left side?

1. Migraine
Migraines are usually caused by the constriction of blood vessels around the brain and it causes pressure
in the head. A person suffering from migraine usually feels pressure on one side of the head. He or She
may experience vomiting, nauseas and visual disturbances. Most of the experts think of it to be
inherited and according to an estimate it effects 3 times more women than men. Another common
symptom of migraine is that it is usually throbbing and pulsating pain located in one side of eye and
head. It may stay on one side of the head and also spread on other side of the head. The pain usually
worsen due to the sensitivity of light, smell and sound. The treatment of migraine is usually provided by
your health care advisor but you may also various thing which may help in reducing your pain. Get
plenty of sleeping dark room. Identify pain trigging foods such alcohol, caffeine or other drinks.

2. Cluster headache
A cluster head is usually on one side of the head. A person may experience pain in the eyes, stuffy or
runny nose, swelling in the face. A person may experience vomiting, nausea feeling or sensitivity to light
and sound. Cluster headaches are less common than tension type headaches and migraines. A person
may experience an attack in early morning and the attack may last from 15 minutes to 3 hours. Although
there is no cure for this type of headache but avoiding alcohol and sticking to a healthy sleep schedule
may help to ease the pain.

3. Tension headache
Tension type headache is also characterized by pain on one side of head but it is more common as
compared to migraine. They are more common in women than men. A person suffering from tension
type headache may feel tightness across the forehead or backside of the head. It is not associated with
nausea or light sensitivity. The medication for this type of headache may include anti-depressants or
muscle relaxants. Other home remedies to reduce the pain include reducing overall stress, applying hot
and cold and erection of posture.
Lifestyle Factors that Trigger Headache
There are many factors which may be the cause of one side headache or headache on left side of the
head. We will discuss these factors one by one.

4. Skipping your Meals

Many people experience headache when they skip meals because your brain needs glucose to function
properly and when you don’t eat the sugar level in your blood drop and it is one of the most common
headaches which occurs due to lifestyle changes.

5. Headache Due to Stress

When your body is under stress then it releases certain chemicals known as fight or flight chemicals.
These chemicals are the reason for head pain because they tense muscles and make changes in the
blood flow.

6. Foods that Trigger Headache

Many people still don’t know that there are various foods which may trigger your head pain such as
aged cheese, hot dogs, red wine and others. Foods that contains preservatives or the processed foods
are likely to cause headache.

7. Lack of sleep
Lack of sleep is one of the most common causes of headaches and those people suffering from insomnia
or obstructive sleep apnea may get headache easily because of their sleeplessness.

8. Flue and Allergies

Another common cause of headache may be fever or blocked nasal passage during cold or flu. It usually
causes pressure around your forehead or cheekbones.

9. Over Use of Pain Killers

Many people use medicines on regular basis so they get headache known as rebound headaches
because when they miss a dose it causes pain and it is also known as medication over use headache.

10.High Blood Pressure

Although high blood pressure don’t cause headache but in some people headache is the most common
sign of high blood pressure.

11.Brain Tumor
A tumor in the brain can be a reason of intense and sudden headache along with speech problems,
vision problems, maintaining balance or seizures.

When to see your doctor:

Although headache on left side of head are common but in case you experience worst pain of your life
or unbearable or sudden pain then its high time you should visit your nearest doctor. You should
monitor other symptoms such as vision loss, double vision, and weakness, stiffness around neck or loss
of consciousness. In these conditions seek the advice of health care provider because a headache which
prevents you from doing your normal activity should be taken a serious one.

Meta Description:
Headache on left side of head is common one but there can be various factors involved such as brain
injury, lifestyle changes, sleep changes, mood changes, diet changes, high blood pressure, and brain
tumor, Pain due to sensitivity to light, stress, sound or others.