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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Is The Sharp Pain In The Left Side Of My Head?

I have for the last 24 + hours, an unbearable sharp pain in the left side of my head/skull that repeats itself every few seconds........it is as though a needle or knife were being jabbed into my skull about every 10-15 seconds. Nothing reliefs it or stops it and I cannot function. What do I do.....who do I see?
Tue, 1 Sep 2015
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  User's Response
Hello!

Thank you for asking on HCM!

I read carefully your question and understand your concern.

I would like to know more about these episodes of headaches:

- Does the pain involve the face or just in the back of the head?
- If it involves the face, it spreads in half of the face or just in some regions ?
- Is the pain associated with nasal congestion, tearing?
- Is the pain triggered by head movements, chewing, mouth opening etc?


It is important to perform a comprehensive differential diagnosis between different disorders like:
- SUNCT headache
- trigeminal neuralgia
- occipital neuralgia
- temporal arteritis

which may be related to this clinical scenario.

I recommend consulting with a neurologist for a careful physical examination and some lab tests like (complete blood count, inflammation tests, kidney and liver function tests, blood electrolytes).

A brain MRI may be needed if suspicions are raised for an intracranial cause ( like a brain lesion).

Meanwhile, I recommend taking indomethacine (which is helpful in some types of acute headache).

Hope to have been of help!

Best wishes,

Dr. Aida

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What Is The Sharp Pain In The Left Side Of My Head?

Hello! Thank you for asking on HCM! I read carefully your question and understand your concern. I would like to know more about these episodes of headaches: - Does the pain involve the face or just in the back of the head? - If it involves the face, it spreads in half of the face or just in some regions ? - Is the pain associated with nasal congestion, tearing? - Is the pain triggered by head movements, chewing, mouth opening etc? It is important to perform a comprehensive differential diagnosis between different disorders like: - SUNCT headache - trigeminal neuralgia - occipital neuralgia - temporal arteritis which may be related to this clinical scenario. I recommend consulting with a neurologist for a careful physical examination and some lab tests like (complete blood count, inflammation tests, kidney and liver function tests, blood electrolytes). A brain MRI may be needed if suspicions are raised for an intracranial cause ( like a brain lesion). Meanwhile, I recommend taking indomethacine (which is helpful in some types of acute headache). Hope to have been of help! Best wishes, Dr. Aida