Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesTypesTreatmentWhen to See a Provider
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Types
Treatment
When to See a Provider
Aheadacheon the left side of your head can be due to aprimary headache disorder, likemigraineor cluster headache. It can also occur due to an injury like aconcussion, lifestyle factors like diet or insufficient sleep, or a condition such as allergies, high blood pressure, or stroke.
Some of these can be self-managed, while others may need the help of a healthcare provider—in some cases, urgently. The fact that the pain is only on the left side of your head offers them clues as to what’s going on.
This article will go over what causes left-sided headaches and how to manage this condition.
Paolo Sousa / Getty Images
Left-Sided Headache Causes
Clinically referred to as “unilateral headaches,” headaches on one side of the head arise due to a variety of factors. Everything from lifestyle choices to head injury can be at fault. Here’s a breakdown of common causes of left-side headaches.
Lifestyle Contributors
Some one-sided headaches arise due to lifestyle factors. Understanding these connections can be a way of preventing and minimizing the impact of this issue. Common factors that can bring on a headache include:
Common Health Conditions
A variety of common health conditions can cause headaches. These include:
Monitoring Your Blood PressureHigh blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart disease, and other serious health issues.This is why it’s important to know what your blood pressure is. If it’s high (above 140/90), talk to your healthcare provider about ways to get your numbers down.
Monitoring Your Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart disease, and other serious health issues.This is why it’s important to know what your blood pressure is. If it’s high (above 140/90), talk to your healthcare provider about ways to get your numbers down.
Less Common Health Conditions
In addition to the common conditions listed above, some less common conditions can also cause headaches. Contact your healthcare provider if you are concerned that you are experiencing any of these conditions:
Medications
Headaches can also be an unintended side effect of some medications, so it’s important to understand what you’re taking. Headaches may arise when you take:
Generally, the headaches go away if you stop or reduce intake of these drugs. However, be sure to talk to your healthcare provider first before making any changes.
Medication Overuse HeadachePeople who take too many pain medications too frequently—more than three times a week—can experiencemedication overuse headache (MOH), also known as “rebound headache.” This type is chronic, with symptoms arising daily. Several classes of drugs can cause MOHs, including:Analgesic drugs, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin and Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen)Pain relievers combined with caffeineTriptans and ergotamine, prescribed for migraineOpioids, including the strong pain relievers oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and othersCaffeine overuse from drinking too much coffee or other caffeinated beverages
Medication Overuse Headache
People who take too many pain medications too frequently—more than three times a week—can experiencemedication overuse headache (MOH), also known as “rebound headache.” This type is chronic, with symptoms arising daily. Several classes of drugs can cause MOHs, including:Analgesic drugs, such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), including aspirin and Advil or Motrin (ibuprofen)Pain relievers combined with caffeineTriptans and ergotamine, prescribed for migraineOpioids, including the strong pain relievers oxycodone, hydrocodone, morphine, and othersCaffeine overuse from drinking too much coffee or other caffeinated beverages
People who take too many pain medications too frequently—more than three times a week—can experiencemedication overuse headache (MOH), also known as “rebound headache.” This type is chronic, with symptoms arising daily. Several classes of drugs can cause MOHs, including:
Neurological Causes
Left-sided headaches can also arise due to nerve damage in the spine, neck, and head. This is the case with occipital neuralgia,giant cell arteritis, and trigeminal neuralgia. These conditions can be debilitating and require medical attention.
Types of Headaches on the Left Side of the Head
There are several types of headaches that can cause pain on the left side of the head.
Tension
Tension headachesare the most common kind. As the name suggests, they are due to both physical and psychological tension and distress. Common causes of tension headaches include:
This type of headache is usually mild to moderate in intensity, and usually affects both sides of the head, though it can affect only one side, too. Alongside pain, you may feel pressure on the face or neck.
Migraine
Migraine is a primary headache disorder that can cause unilateral head pain, among other symptoms. Lasting anywhere from four to 72 hours, these moderate to severe headaches are sharp and stabbing, and localized in one area. In addition, migraine attacks cause a range of other symptoms:
Migraine VariabilityThere are severalkinds of migraines. Some, likevestibular migraine(involving visual auras, sensitivity, and extreme dizziness) arise with or without headache, while others may cause headaches on both sides.Symptoms vary considerably from person to person.
Migraine Variability
There are severalkinds of migraines. Some, likevestibular migraine(involving visual auras, sensitivity, and extreme dizziness) arise with or without headache, while others may cause headaches on both sides.Symptoms vary considerably from person to person.
Cluster
During active periods, these can arise daily or even multiple times a day; however, generally there are periods of remission afterward, lasting months to years.
Key Features of Cluster Headache vs. Migraine Symptoms
Chronic
In some cases, headaches arise regularly and are resistant to treatment. Encompassing a couple of different types of headaches, chronic daily headache (CDH) is a term for when symptoms arise 15 or more days a month. There are several types:
These can be very difficult to live with. If you’re struggling with regular headaches, be sure to seek out medical help.
The treatment for headaches depends a great deal on the specific cause. Therapies for these conditions tend to be multifaceted, blending medical approaches with lifestyle changes. Approaches include using “rescue” medications after the onset of headache, preventive drugs, lifestyle changes, and other medical treatments.
Rescue Medications
Both over-the-counter and prescription medications help with headaches. These can come in the form of pills, or nasal sprays for quicker delivery. Effective classes of drugs include:
Preventive Medications
Preventive medications can be effective for conditions like migraine and cluster headaches that occur often. These include:
Botox Injections for Chronic Headache
Medical Procedures for Chronic Headache
In cases of chronic headache that’s resistant to treatment, neurologists and pain specialists may considerneurostimulationto take on the pain. These focus on using mild electrical shocks or magnetic waves to stimulate nerves associated with the headaches. This essentially scrambles the pain sensation at its source. These therapies include:
Lifestyle
Along with medications and medical approaches, there are a number of things you can do on your own to help prevent and minimize headache attacks. These include:
When to See a Healthcare Provider
While most headaches don’t necessarily call for medical attention, it’s important to remember that the pain might be related to something more serious and dangerous.
Get emergency medical help if you in the following cases:
Other cases should prompt a call to your healthcare provider. Do so if, alongside your headache, you experience the following:
Summary
Stress and tension bring on tension headaches, which are the most common type. You might also experience one-sided headaches due to primary headache disorders, especially migraine and cluster headaches.
Treatment for these conditions may involve taking over-the-counter or prescription pain medications, triptans, antidepressants, and others.In addition, lifestyle modifications, such as ensuring good sleep and a healthy diet, can also help.
9 Ways to Get Rid of a Headache at Home
19 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Headache Institute.Reasons why I have a headache on my left side.American Migraine Foundation.Headache hygiene: What is it?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cold versus flu.National Headache Institute.Can food allergies cause headaches.Courand PY, Serraille M, Girerd N, et al.The paradoxical significance of headache in hypertension.Am J Hypertens. 2016;29(9):1109-16. doi:10.1093/ajh/hpw041National Institutes of Health.Glaucoma. National Eye Institute.National Institutes of Health.Meningitis and encephalitis information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About stroke.Michigan Medicine.Medicines that can cause headache. University of Michigan Health.National Institutes of Health.Occipital neuralgia information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.American College of Rheumatology.Diseases and conditions: vasculitis.National Institutes of Health.Trigeminal neuralgia. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.National Institutes of Health.Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.National Institutes of Health.Migraine information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Cluster headaches.American Migraine Foundation.Understanding migraine medications.Schwedt T, Vargas B.Neurostimulation for treatment of migraine and cluster headache.Pain Med. 2015;16(9):1827-1834. doi:10.1111/pme.12792National Institutes of Health.Headaches: Danger signs. MedlinePlus.Harvard Health.Headache pain: When to worry, what to do. Harvard Health Publishing.
19 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Headache Institute.Reasons why I have a headache on my left side.American Migraine Foundation.Headache hygiene: What is it?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cold versus flu.National Headache Institute.Can food allergies cause headaches.Courand PY, Serraille M, Girerd N, et al.The paradoxical significance of headache in hypertension.Am J Hypertens. 2016;29(9):1109-16. doi:10.1093/ajh/hpw041National Institutes of Health.Glaucoma. National Eye Institute.National Institutes of Health.Meningitis and encephalitis information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About stroke.Michigan Medicine.Medicines that can cause headache. University of Michigan Health.National Institutes of Health.Occipital neuralgia information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.American College of Rheumatology.Diseases and conditions: vasculitis.National Institutes of Health.Trigeminal neuralgia. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.National Institutes of Health.Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.National Institutes of Health.Migraine information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Cluster headaches.American Migraine Foundation.Understanding migraine medications.Schwedt T, Vargas B.Neurostimulation for treatment of migraine and cluster headache.Pain Med. 2015;16(9):1827-1834. doi:10.1111/pme.12792National Institutes of Health.Headaches: Danger signs. MedlinePlus.Harvard Health.Headache pain: When to worry, what to do. Harvard Health Publishing.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Headache Institute.Reasons why I have a headache on my left side.American Migraine Foundation.Headache hygiene: What is it?.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cold versus flu.National Headache Institute.Can food allergies cause headaches.Courand PY, Serraille M, Girerd N, et al.The paradoxical significance of headache in hypertension.Am J Hypertens. 2016;29(9):1109-16. doi:10.1093/ajh/hpw041National Institutes of Health.Glaucoma. National Eye Institute.National Institutes of Health.Meningitis and encephalitis information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About stroke.Michigan Medicine.Medicines that can cause headache. University of Michigan Health.National Institutes of Health.Occipital neuralgia information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.American College of Rheumatology.Diseases and conditions: vasculitis.National Institutes of Health.Trigeminal neuralgia. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.National Institutes of Health.Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.National Institutes of Health.Migraine information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Cluster headaches.American Migraine Foundation.Understanding migraine medications.Schwedt T, Vargas B.Neurostimulation for treatment of migraine and cluster headache.Pain Med. 2015;16(9):1827-1834. doi:10.1111/pme.12792National Institutes of Health.Headaches: Danger signs. MedlinePlus.Harvard Health.Headache pain: When to worry, what to do. Harvard Health Publishing.
National Headache Institute.Reasons why I have a headache on my left side.
American Migraine Foundation.Headache hygiene: What is it?.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Cold versus flu.
National Headache Institute.Can food allergies cause headaches.
Courand PY, Serraille M, Girerd N, et al.The paradoxical significance of headache in hypertension.Am J Hypertens. 2016;29(9):1109-16. doi:10.1093/ajh/hpw041
National Institutes of Health.Glaucoma. National Eye Institute.
National Institutes of Health.Meningitis and encephalitis information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.About stroke.
Michigan Medicine.Medicines that can cause headache. University of Michigan Health.
National Institutes of Health.Occipital neuralgia information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
American College of Rheumatology.Diseases and conditions: vasculitis.
National Institutes of Health.Trigeminal neuralgia. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
National Institutes of Health.Headache: Hope through research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
National Institutes of Health.Migraine information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Cluster headaches.
American Migraine Foundation.Understanding migraine medications.
Schwedt T, Vargas B.Neurostimulation for treatment of migraine and cluster headache.Pain Med. 2015;16(9):1827-1834. doi:10.1111/pme.12792
National Institutes of Health.Headaches: Danger signs. MedlinePlus.
Harvard Health.Headache pain: When to worry, what to do. Harvard Health Publishing.
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