Throbbing Headache and Pulsating Head Pain – Causes

What Is a Throbbing Headache?

A throbbing headache is a head pain pulsating in a rhythm of the heart.

Causes of Throbbing Headache

SUDDEN, NEWLY APPEARING Throbbing Headache

• Exertion
• Flu or other infection
• Hangover
• Allergic reaction
• Tooth abscess
• Caffeine withdrawal
• Medications
  • Avelox (antibiotic), bactrim, chlorpropamide, diltiazem (and other calcium-chanel blockers), disulfiram-alcohol reaction, epinefrine, glipizide, isosorbide, Mirena (intrauterine contraceptive device), moclobemide, nitrates (nitroglycerin and isosorbide mono- and di-nitrate), omeprazol, vasopressin, vitamin A overdose
  • Medication withdrawal: ergotamine (Cafergot), amphetamine, methysergide
• Poisoning
  • Spoiled fish (scombroid poisoning) causing throbbing headache and flushing (3)
  • Carbon monoxide (CO) from faulty heaters, gas-powered cleaning machines…: throbbing frontal headache, tiredness, confusion, irritability (4)
  • Toxic metals: arsenic, copper, lead
  • Benzene
  • Carbon tetrachloride
  • Cleaning products, solvents, pesticides
  • Dynamite (nitroglycerin)
• Heat stroke: high body temperature, red, hot, dry skin, but no sweating, rapid pulse, throbbing headache, dizziness, nausea, unconsciousness
• Lumbar puncture, contrast imaging of vessels (angiography)
• Hypnic headache wakening you up and lasting for up to 15 minutes
• High altitude (mountain) sickness
• Dissection or thrombosis of carotid, vertebral or basilar artery (1)
• Arteriovenous malformation (AVM) in the brain
• Preeclampsia and eclampsia: high blood pressure and seizures during pregnancy or delivery
• High blood pressure can, rarely, when suddenly increased, cause throbbing pain in temples or in the back of the head

EPISODIC Throbbing Headache

• Migraine, triggered by strong scents, monosodium glutamate – MSG (in soy sauce in Chinese restaurants), sodium nitrite (hot dog headache), red wine, noises, stress…Symptoms include throbbing one-sided headache, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light.
• Sleep apnea – a sleep disorder with throbbing morning headache (2)
• Throbbing headache after seizures
• Decreased serotonin levels in the blood
• Refractive errors
• Basilar artery migraine, triggered by menstruation in young obese females.
• Cluster headache. Attacks of intense, throbbing one-sided headache, lasting for several minutes and repeating once or more times in a day, several days or weeks in a row.
• Short-lasting, Unilateral, Neuralgiform headache attacks with Conjunctival injection and Tearing (SUNCT) – brief recurrent bursts of throbbing head pain, usually one sided, around the eye or temple, watery, reddish eyes, and runny nose.

CONSTANT Throbbing Headache

• Iron deficiency anemia
• Temporal arteritis – an inflammation of the temporal artery usually causes severe, throbbing pain and tenderness on one side of the head, low grade fever
• Shingles
• Carotidynia – inflammation of the carotid artery. Throbbing pain and tenderness on one side of the neck and head
• Structural abnormalities in the head or neck, like Chiari malformation or syringomyelia
• New Daily Persistent Headache (NDPH) without a known cause

Related Articles:

• Headache Types
• Headache Causes and Symptoms
• Headache in the Back of the Head
• Headache, Nausea and Vomiting
• Head Pain Causes
• Sudden Severe Headache
• Can Allergy Cause Headache?

References:

1. Dissection of the carotid artery  (emedicine.medscape.com)
2. Sleep apnea and throbbing headache  (drtmjsleepapnea.com)
3. Scombroid fish poisoning, throbbing headache and flushing (picture)  (dermatology.cdlib.org)
4. Substances related headache  (imigraine.net)