3 common causes of headaches in the back of the head

As common as headaches are, sometimes it's hard to pinpoint their exact cause. If you've ever had a headache in the area near the back of your head, here are three possible reasons for your discomfort and what may have triggered it.

Experience may have taught you that headaches accompany only serious conditions – like when you have the flu or injure your head, right? But chances are you've had minor headaches more often in your lifetime than only when you've been sick.

As common as headaches are, pinpointing their exact cause can be hard. However, narrowing down the cause of the pain if it's localized to a specific area (like the back of the head) is much easier. In that case, here are three common causes.

Tension headaches are very common, thanks to the typical, stressful lifestyle many individuals lead today.

• Tension headaches result from stiffness in any of the muscles supporting your head.
• The muscles that are most commonly affected are those of the upper neck and shoulders, but the pain can also reach the scalp and eyes.
• Tension headaches occur commonly in response to bad posture, stress, injury or anxiety.

Believe it or not, your daily water intake, or lack of, may cause pain in the back of your head.

• Our body puts significant effort into maintaining electrolyte and water balance in order to properly support all organs and their functions. Whenever this balance is disturbed, your body will let you know.
• At first, you might feel thirsty or agitated, but in some cases, lack of water may manifest itself as dehydration headaches.
• You should consider how much water you drank for the day if you notice your headache worsens when you are moving your head, bending over or walking.

Like all parts of our body, the head is innervated so we can sense our environment and respond to touch or pain.

• The feeling in most of the back and top of your head is courtesy of two nerves called occipital nerves, distributed on each side of the head.
• If either of these nerves are pinched or irritated, you are sure to know about it, as chances are you will experience headaches, called occipital neuralgia headaches, in those areas.
• Sometimes the pain radiates to the eyes, or the scalp becomes sensitive. Be sure to mention these symptoms to your doctor.

There are many other much more serious conditions that manifest similar symptoms as these types of headaches. If your headaches persist, make an appointment with your doctor immediately. Although headaches usually resolve with perhaps only a bit of over-the-counter intervention, they should not be taken lightly.