Overview of Headache on right side of Head
Headache on the right side of head can be caused by different types of headache such as Primary headaches, TTH(Tension Type Headache), Cluster headaches, and migraines.
Any severe injury over the face or head can also lead to the headache on right side of head.
Headache on the right side of head is less common but can be a sign of some serious underlying health conditions such as tumors, haemorrhage, or ischemia of the blood vessels of the brain.
If you experience continuous pain and headache on the right side of head, it is necessary to consult your health care expert for early diagnosis and treatment.
Next, we will be discussing the causes of headache on right side of head.
Top 25 Causes of Headache on right side of Head
Most common causes of headache on right side of head are-
- Primary Headache – Primary headaches are the type of headache which are not caused by any underlying disease. The most common type of headache is TTH(Tension type headache) which may result in headache on right side of head and it is usually mild type of headache.
2. Secondary headache – Secondary headache are caused by some underlying disease or disorder. The most common type of secondary headaches are head injury, haemorrhage and brain tumor which can cause headache on right side of head.
3. Head Injury – Any head or face injury can cause the headache on the right side of head. Few individuals who got injuries during childhood have been also diagnosed with headache on the right side of head.
Blow on the right side of face or head can cause vascular or nerve injury which in turn may result in headache on right side of head.
Headache caused by head injury may be dull or sharp in onset depending upon the underlying condition of the head injury. Bleeding from the blood vessels can also cause headache on right hand side of head.
Post traumatic headache can also lead to headache on one side such as headache on right side of head after any trauma or head injury.
4. Tooth Decay – Dental caries on the right side of the jaw can cause headache on the right side of head. As the nerves that supply teeth also supply the forehead and face. Tooth decay causes the irritation and infection of these nerves present in tooth pulp causing severe tooth pain along with headache on the right side of head and numbness of face.
Immediate medical attention is required to resolve the symptoms of tooth decay and root canal treatment (RCT) of dental caries can prevent further episodes of headache on the right side of the head.
5. Migraine:- Migraine is a primary headache type in which patient suffers from unilateral or headache on one side such as headaches on right side of head.
Internal link -Read More about Migraine ( https://healthyqs.com/migraine-headache-overview-causes-prevention-triggers-treatment/)
Environmental and sensory stimuli can trigger the headache in individuals suffering from migraine. Some of the most common triggers which can cause the headache on right side i
- Glare
- Noise
- Hunger
- Excessive stress
- Tiredness
- Atmospheric pressure changes or environmental changes
- Hormonal disturbances
- Insomnia
- Drug abuse
6. Acute Suppurative Otitis Media (ASOM / Right Ear Pain) – ASOM can be caused by various common bacteria which causes inflammation of middle ear. Which in turn result in various symptoms such as hearing impairment, pain in ear, headache on right side of head, and tinnitus.
The treatment of Acute Suppurative Otitis Media also reduces the symptoms and their severity. Usually, ASOM relives with antibiotics and anti-allergic treatment for 5 to 7 days.
7. Refractive Error – Refractive Error are one of the most common causes of generalized and headaches on right side of head. Different type of refractive error are myopia, hypermetropia, or presbyopia that are responsible for headache on right side of head.
The individuals suffering from one of these disorders of vision are not able to see clearly. They stress upon the underlying nerves and muscles which causes symptoms such as headache on right side of head, blurring of vision or dizziness.
8. Stroke – Stroke is an emergency condition, which requires immediate care of health care experts. In stroke hemorrhage occurs in blood vessels of brain which might be due to hypertension or head injury or any other unknown cause. Stroke causes sudden, severe, and sharp headache on right side of head depending upon blood vessel involved.
9. Hypertension or High blood pressure in individuals. – Hypertension is noncommunicable disease, also known as lifestyle disease nearly impacts half of the population above 40 years of age group.
One of the main symptoms associated with hypertension is a generalized headache or headache on right side of head. Anti-hypertensive medication when taken regularly reduces the increases blood pressure. Life style and food habits changes also help in treating Hypertension such as avoiding junk food, processed food, frozen food, regular exercise, avoid alcohol consumption, etc.
10. Meningitis(Bacterial Infection) – Meningitis occurs as a result of some bacterial or viral infections and affects the outer layer of brain.
Symptoms of Meningitis can be very severe such as epilepsy episodes, high-grade fever, projectile vomiting, loss of consciousness, and headache on right side of head.
Broad-spectrum antibiotics and IV fluids help in treating the symptoms of meningitis.
- Diabetes Mellitus Type
- Untreated Viral Infection
- Trigeminal Neuralgia
- Tension Headach
- Cluster Headache
- Sinusitis
- Cervicogenic headache
- Glaucoma
- Hormonal Changes in females
- Post-Traumatic Headache
- Insomnia
- Hypersensitive reaction or Allergies
- Neck and Backbone Issues
- Lack of water or Dehydration
- Environmental Changes
- Drugs and Medication Overuse
- Brain Tumor
- Drugs, Alcohol & Smoking
How to Prevent Headache on right side of Head?
Individuals who experiences multiple episodes of the one-sided headache or headache on right side of head have very distressed life. Below are the some methods to prevent the headache on the right side of the head:
- Adequate hydration – drinking plenty of water and fluids help in reducing primary headache episodes. Water is most important content of human body. Drinking at least 8 to 10 glasses of water are necessary to maintain water balance in body if you live in hot area or involved in more physical work, exercise, etc.
- Sleep – Sleep disorder such as insomnia should be treated and diagnosed in time to prevent headache on right side of head. Try to get adequate sleep daily to prevent headache and avoid taking any caffeine, alcohol for smooth sleep.
- Managing Stress – One of the frequent causes of headaches on the right side of the head is mental stress. Determine the sources of your stress and address them, such as a hostile work environment, problematic relationships, or money problems.
Individuals can practice yoga techniques, meditation practices, and deep breathing exercises can help releasing stress.
- Correct Posture – Try to keep your body posture correct while sleeping, seating on chairs for long hours, and doing exercise.
Poor or Incorrect postures can cause TTH (tension type headache) which has symptoms like a headache on right side of head.
- Take regular breaks when you are engaged in long physical activity or mental activities. If you have increased screen time while working on laptop, phones etc. take short breaks and do eye exercise.Due to long working or sitting hours, the individual may develop unilateral or one-sided headache.
If you have to work regularly on a computer screen for long hours, give rest your eyes after every 2 hours for at least 10 minutes.
- Regular exercise – Take out time from your schedule to do daily exercise for at least 45 minutes. Activities like brisk walk, cycling, swimming, jogging, yoga, aerobics, or any other activity.
- Consulting a Doctor or seeking medical advice in case of symptoms of headache on right side of head – In case of severe pain or continuous headache episodes, consult your health care expert to seek medical advice to treat headache on right side of head.
Treatment for headache on right side of head
Headache on right side of head can be treated after diagnosing the causes, severity and identifying the triggers.
Healthcare experts uses the below common methods to treat headache on right side of head –1. Over-the-counter pain medications are used to manage the mild and moderate headache. Drugs such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen helps in reducing the headache pain if the severity of headache pain is low to moderate.
2. Prescribed Medications- If the severity of the headache is high and the headache on right side of head is not reduced by taking over-the-counter pills, then your healthcare expert will prescribe you stronger medication like triptans or other.
3. Lifestyle changes – Make the below Lifestyle changes to manage headache on right side of head along with medications for faster recovery-
- Drink plenty of water and stay hydrated. Aim to get at least 8 to 10 glasses of water daily.
- Dietary habits – Eat fresh food, avoid junk and contaminated food.
- Get proper sleep
- Stop consumption of alcohol, smoking, or drug abuse.
- Do regular exercise
4. Use of Relaxation Techniques such as taking an ayurvedic spa, Yoga, Deep breathing exercises, listening to slow music, meditation, or muscle relaxation. All these activities help in managing stress and reduce headache episodes.
5. Avoiding Headache Triggers – Note down your daily routine like eating habits, exercise routine, office work routine in a headache diary identify the triggers. Once you identify your triggers after analysing the data, try to avoid those headache triggers
6. Botox Injection – Botox injections are given by the health care experts when migraines are chronic. Botox injections are used as preventive methos. They are injected into muscles of the head and neck to reduce the headache pain severity and episodes of headache.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1. What does right sided headache mean?
Ans. Headache on the right side of your head could be due to Primary headache, TTH (tension type headache), Migraine, cluster headache or any head injury.
Other contributors to right-sided headaches are lifestyle factors like lack of sleep , working or doing exercise in the wrong posture, Diabetes Mellitus Type 2, high blood pressure, or tumor.
Q2. How to get rid of headache on right side of my head?
Ans. Drink plenty of water, Take proper rest and sleep, Do exercise regularly, in case of mild to moderate headache pain take medications like Tylenol, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen.
Note- Take above medicines after the prescription of your health care expert only.
Q3. Are right sided headaches serious?
Ans. No, right-sided headaches are not serious till the severity is low and episodes are less. However to rule out any other factor such as tumor, migraine or TTH it is best to consult your health care expert once.
Q4. How long the right-hand side headache lasts?
Ans. Right side headaches can last from 30 minutes to few hours. The time depends upon the cause of the headache and severity.
Take rest and deep sleep and consult your healthcare expert for medications if the severity of pain increases and does not stop in about hour.
Q5. What is the best solution for headache on right side of head?
Ans. If you are experiencing the severe headache on right side of head and the frequency of headache episodes is high. It is best to take medication like ibuprofen, Tylenol, or acetaminophen after consulting your health care expert to get rid of headaches.
Additional to above use below method to get relief from headache –
a. Take proper rest and sleep in dark and quite area.
b. Take low pressure head massage at affected area
c. Do yoga, deep breathing, and meditation.
d. Drink plenty of water, eat fruits rich in fluid and Stay hydrated.
Q6. Why am I getting headache on right side of head?
Ans. Headache on right side of head can develop because of Primary headache, injury ove face or head, Cluster headache, Tension type headache or Stroke.
Q7. How to prevent headache on right side of head?
Ans. To prevent the right side of head, analyse and avoid headache triggers, treat headache with medication if pain is high such as ibuprofen, Tylenol, or acetaminophen, drink water and juices rich in fluid, take rest and proper sleep.