excruciating pain in the back of the head, not just a headache 'Laryngeal neuralgia'
Oct 10, 2024
Everyone has a headache at least once. As common as it is, there are various types and causes. Headache means pain in areas from the forehead to the temples, the larynx, and the back of the neck. A commonly known headache is migraine, which has strong pain intensity and is sometimes accompanied by vomiting and indigestion.
These migraines are classified as primary headaches with no specific cause. Migraines may have brain diseases other than simple pain, so MRI tests may be performed in some cases. On the other hand, nerve pain includes tertiary and laryngeal neuralgia. Stinging pain is common and in severe cases, the eyes may become blurry.
The cause of headaches is also different. Migraines are caused by blood vessels passing through the scalp repeatedly contracting and expanding. Laryngeal neuralgia causes pain in the back of the head (the occipital region) and the back of the neck (the cervical region). The laryngeal nerve is divided into the greater laryngeal nerve, the lesser laryngeal nerve, and the third laryngeal nerve, and most laryngeal nerve pain occurs in the greater laryngeal nerve.
When laryngeal neuralgia occurs, pain occurs in the back of the head and shoulders and the back neck stem is stiff. You feel numb or something poking, but it hurts badly when you press the nerve where the pain occurred. It feels like electricity is spreading along the distribution area of the nerve.
If the pain intensity intensifies, it may be accompanied by symptoms such as pain around the eyes, drowsiness in the eyes, tinnitus, dizziness, nausea, and nasal congestion. It usually occurs only in the back of one head, but sometimes symptoms can also be accompanied on both sides.
Although compression, inflammation, damage, and benign tumors can cause laryngeal neuralgia, there are many cases where no clear cause can be found. Chronic arthritis or trauma to the back of the head in the side joints of the first and second cervical vertebrae is also the cause. It tends to occur a lot during menopause.
If you take anti-inflammatory drugs, the symptoms disappear, but they recur again. Therefore, you should be careful because taking anticonvulsants together is likely to develop resistance. Severe laryngeal neuralgia may be subjected to nerve stimulation. Occasionally, if the pain is not controlled, the laryngeal nerve is found and decompressed (if compression is the cause) or surgically amputated.
Kwon Kyung-hyun, head of the neurology department at Seran Hospital, explained, "Laryngeal neuralgia has a high incidence in straight necks and turtle necks, and is a common pain disease that can occur when cervical muscles and joints are stiff and blood circulation is impaired. If sudden stabbing pain occurs in the back of the head and behind the ear and lasts for several seconds to several minutes, laryngeal neuralgia can be suspected."
Chief Kwon Kyung-hyun said, `Laryngeal neuralgia causes sudden pain several times a day, which significantly lowers the quality of life"The symptoms improve as early as a week with proper treatment, so if you have symptoms, you should see a neurologist, maintain the right posture after treatment, and relax your tense muscles by stretching."," he stressed.
These migraines are classified as primary headaches with no specific cause. Migraines may have brain diseases other than simple pain, so MRI tests may be performed in some cases. On the other hand, nerve pain includes tertiary and laryngeal neuralgia. Stinging pain is common and in severe cases, the eyes may become blurry.
The cause of headaches is also different. Migraines are caused by blood vessels passing through the scalp repeatedly contracting and expanding. Laryngeal neuralgia causes pain in the back of the head (the occipital region) and the back of the neck (the cervical region). The laryngeal nerve is divided into the greater laryngeal nerve, the lesser laryngeal nerve, and the third laryngeal nerve, and most laryngeal nerve pain occurs in the greater laryngeal nerve.
When laryngeal neuralgia occurs, pain occurs in the back of the head and shoulders and the back neck stem is stiff. You feel numb or something poking, but it hurts badly when you press the nerve where the pain occurred. It feels like electricity is spreading along the distribution area of the nerve.
If the pain intensity intensifies, it may be accompanied by symptoms such as pain around the eyes, drowsiness in the eyes, tinnitus, dizziness, nausea, and nasal congestion. It usually occurs only in the back of one head, but sometimes symptoms can also be accompanied on both sides.
Although compression, inflammation, damage, and benign tumors can cause laryngeal neuralgia, there are many cases where no clear cause can be found. Chronic arthritis or trauma to the back of the head in the side joints of the first and second cervical vertebrae is also the cause. It tends to occur a lot during menopause.
If you take anti-inflammatory drugs, the symptoms disappear, but they recur again. Therefore, you should be careful because taking anticonvulsants together is likely to develop resistance. Severe laryngeal neuralgia may be subjected to nerve stimulation. Occasionally, if the pain is not controlled, the laryngeal nerve is found and decompressed (if compression is the cause) or surgically amputated.
Kwon Kyung-hyun, head of the neurology department at Seran Hospital, explained, "Laryngeal neuralgia has a high incidence in straight necks and turtle necks, and is a common pain disease that can occur when cervical muscles and joints are stiff and blood circulation is impaired. If sudden stabbing pain occurs in the back of the head and behind the ear and lasts for several seconds to several minutes, laryngeal neuralgia can be suspected."
Chief Kwon Kyung-hyun said, `Laryngeal neuralgia causes sudden pain several times a day, which significantly lowers the quality of life"The symptoms improve as early as a week with proper treatment, so if you have symptoms, you should see a neurologist, maintain the right posture after treatment, and relax your tense muscles by stretching."," he stressed.
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bellho@sportschosun.com
