Why does my head feel heavy?

Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, could be one of the reasons you’re having this heaviness in the head. Blood pressure is a value that measures the resistance of the artery walls when the heart is pumping blood. Therefore, when we talk about hypertension we refer to a disorder where the blood that pumps the heart exerts more pressure than the arterial walls can support.

The causes of this disorder depend on what type of hypertension you have. If you have primary hypertension, it is important to emphasize that there are no specific reasons for this disease, but there are factors that increase risk such as age, obesity, diet or stress. In the case of secondary hypertension, this disease can be caused by thyroid problems, medications such as birth control, alcohol, or drug use.

As for the symptoms of high blood pressure, many people do not have signs with which to identify this disorder and when they realize that they have it for some time they have had it. However, there are other people with very high blood pressure who often suffer from symptoms such as a heavy headache, pressure or headache, vision changes, and nausea, among others.

The best way to know if you have hypertension is go to a health center so that they measure your tension accurately. In the event that the results are greater than 130/80 mmHg approximately, it will mean that you suffer from this disorder.

If you ask yourself “why does my head feel heavy?”, Keep in mind that another possible cause of this physical discomfort is that you suffer from sinusitis. Sinusitis is a fairly common condition that consists of a inflammation in the sinuses, that is, in the spaces that the air passes between the bones that make up the nose. Sinusitis is usually the symptom of other illnesses or other respiratory infections such as a cold or the flu. You can also have other causes like a deviated nasal septum, some allergies, or other conditions like GERD or HIV. In addition, some factors increase the risk of suffering from this health problem, such as asthma, an abnormality in the nasal passages, exposure to pollutants or being sensitive to medications such as aspirin.

Besides the feeling of heaviness in the head, it is important that you observe if you have any of the following sinusitis symptoms is the cause of your discomfort:

• Thick, colorless rhinorrhea down the back of the throat.
• Pain and tenderness in areas near the sinuses such as the eyes, cheeks, nose, and forehead.
• Nasal congestion and shortness of breath.
• Pain in other areas of the face such as the jaw, teeth or ears.
• Cough and sore throat
• Alteration of taste and touch.

In this other oneHOWTO article we explain how to get rid of a sinus headache.

Rhinitis is a disease that consists of the inflammation of the nasal mucosa, also known as the mucous lining. Depending on its evolution, this disorder can be classified into acute rhinitis, which lasts approximately less than 6 months, and chronic rhinitis which occurs when the period is greater than 6 months.

According to its causes, rhinitis can also be classified into 2 types:

• Allergic rhinitis: It occurs when the inflammation is caused by the inhalation of an allergen, mainly pollen released by plants.
• Non-allergic rhinitis: Although it is not known what causes this type of disease, there are some factors that increase the risk of suffering from it, such as exposure to irritants, infections, weather changes and the consumption of some medications.

If you wonder why do you feel heavy head, you may suffer from allergic rhinitis because among its symptoms we find a headache and swelling of the eyes, which can cause this type of sensation. In addition to these signs, you should also watch for any of the following:

• Itching in the nose, mouth and / or throat, among others.
• Rhinorrhea
• Coughing, sneezing and a sore throat.
• Sensation of having the ears plugged.
• Smell alteration.
• Fatigue and irritability

In addition to the above cases, it is also possible that the heaviness in the head occurs for the following reasons:

• Muscle tension: an inflammation in the muscles, especially those of the neck, can cause the symptoms that occur in this area to spread to other parts of the body such as the head.
• Premenstrual syndrome: It is very common for some women to have symptoms such as severe headaches in the days before their period, which can cause this feeling of heaviness.
• Stress and other psychological disorders: some problems such as anxiety, stress or depression take their toll on our physical condition causing symptoms such as headaches.
• Tired sight: It is very common for people who spend too much time in front of a computer or television screen afterwards to have this feeling of heaviness both in the head and in the eyes.

This article is merely informative, at oneHOWTO we do not have the power to prescribe any medical treatment or make any type of diagnosis. We invite you to see a doctor in the case of presenting any type of condition or discomfort.

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