Does anyone of your family or friends complain, ‘my head feels heavy’? If you or anyone you know experiences heaviness in the head, it might have a cause. Many conditions can result in your head feeling heavy, but knowing the exact cause can be difficult. However, it does not usually require immediate medical attention.
Why Causes My Head to Feel Heavy?
A heavy head can make it hard to survive through a day. You might find it challenging to concentrate, and every minor task can feel tedious. Simply put, it is not a pleasant experience.
If you have been experiencing a heavy feeling in your head, it can be due to many reasons. These include:
1. Concussion or Injury to Head
If you had an injury to your head, scalp, or your brain — it could be why your head feels heavy. A concussion is a head injury due to a blow to the head. Thus, someone with a concussion might complain, “My head feels heavy and dizzy.”
Headaches, vertigo, dizziness, fatigue, drowsiness, and other symptoms also occur with concussions. Proper rest, no strenuous activities, over-the-counter pain relievers, avoiding alcohol and driving, and similar precautions will help treat it.
2. Sinus Headache
“My head feels heavy, but there is pressure” this can be because you have a sinus headache. Pain and pressure due to swollen sinus passages can make your head feel heavy in the morning when you wake up or while lying down.
Using decongestant, saline nasal spray, warm compresses, and steam might help in reducing sinus headaches.
3. Tension Headache
If you feel like your head is squeezing, along with a dull ache, it can be a tension headache. Tension headaches also cause neck and muscle tension, making your head feel heavier than usual. It can last for 20 minutes or as long as 2 hours.
Medications and a few lifestyle changes like the following can help reduce your headache:
- Allow yourself to relax
- Try reducing your stress
- Relieve the pain or soreness with cold or hot compresses.
- Maintain a good posture, with your shoulder held back and head leveled when standing. Similarly, keep your thighs parallel to the ground and avoid slumping your head forward while sitting.
Tension headache might also be one answer: why does my head feel heavy when I lie down?
4. Poor Posture
You can also experience a heavy head your body has an improper posture, with your neck and head tilting forward. Try observing your posture and fixing it accordingly. If you stay in a position that is not neutral or uptight, it can be why your head feels heavy on your neck.
Try fixing your posture to reduce the heaviness.
5. Myasthenia Gravis
If your head feels heavy, you might have weak muscles due to myasthenia gravis. In addition, you will feel fatigued in the neck muscles. As a result of this condition, you might experience bulbar weakness. Simple tasks like eating and chewing will seem hard.
There is no cure for MG. Nonetheless, medications and drugs are used to treat it. Sometimes, the doctor might opt for surgery.
In conclusion, if you have a constant complaint of ‘my head feels heavy,’ — it might be for many reasons. Usually, it does not point to a severe issue. However, it is better to consult a medical professional if you experience a persistent heavy feeling in your head. Our experts at Sleep and Headache Solutions are here for your aid. Contact us at 832-688-8886 or leave a mail at saguilar@sleepandheadache.com for appointments.