Why You're Having Sharp Head Pain—and How To Find Relief

Medically reviewed by Smita Patel, DO

Feeling a sharp pain in your head can be alarming, but it’s usually not a cause for concern. Several types of primary headache disorders, including migraines and cluster headaches, can cause intense, pulsating, or stabbing pain, often on one side of the head or behind the eye. Sharp head pain might also be the result of certain neurological disorders, which can cause pain along the back of your head, neck, or ears.

Headaches can disrupt your life if you experience them frequently or if they keep you from your daily activities. Fortunately, most headaches don’t pose a threat to your health. Because of that, feeling a sharp pain in your head is not likely to be life-threatening. However, there are some rare situations when it may be a sign of a more serious issue, like a stroke, aneurysm, or traumatic brain injury.

Whether it’s a headache or something else to blame for your sharp head pain, it’s important to know why it’s happening so you can learn how to treat and prevent the cause of your sharp head pain or get medical help, if needed.

What Organs Are in Your Head?

The main organ inside your head is the brain, but brain tissue can’t actually experience pain. Instead, nerve endings inside your head respond to triggers—like stress or injury—and send messages to your brain telling it to activate a pain response. This pain response puts you on alert that something is wrong.

Your head also contains some smaller organs, like the nasal cavities and several organs in your neck and mouth, such as the tonsils and salivary glands. However, these organs are more likely to trigger pain in response to an infection or illness, like sinusitis or tonsillitis. Sometimes, pain in the sinuses (which causes pain in the cheeks or forehead) is caused by migraine headaches.

Potential Causes of Sharp Head Pain

A variety of underlying conditions may cause sharp pain in your head. In most cases, head pain and headaches aren't concerning. Still, knowing the underlying cause can help you understand when you should seek medical care.

Primary Headache Disorders

Primary headache disorders are the most common cause of sharp head pain. While not all of these primary headaches cause sharp or stabbing pain, many types can trigger this specific symptom.

Experts don’t know why some people get primary headaches, or what causes them. However, researchers do know that certain internal triggers (like hormones, stress, and sleep disturbances) and external triggers (like weather changes, certain foods, or flashing lights) can set off the chain of events causing a headache.

The most common primary headache disorders that may be causing sharp head pain include:

• Migraine: Migraine headaches often cause intense, throbbing, or pulsating pain on one side of the head, which can sometimes feel sharp and piercing. These headaches are somewhat common, affecting 39 million people in the United States alone. Migraine may also include symptoms like nausea or vomiting, sensitivity to light and sound, and fatigue.

• Cluster headaches: This type of headache is especially painful, but comes and goes in short periods, typically lasting one to three hours. People often experience one or more cluster headaches per day for several weeks and then have no symptoms for months at a time. You might feel intense pain on one side of your head and may also have watery eyes, a runny nose, or eye swelling.

• Primary stabbing headache: This type of headache, often called an “ice pick headache,” causes a sudden, piercing pain around the eyes. This headache only lasts for a few seconds to a few minutes and isn’t dangerous—but can be alarming. It’s more common in people with other primary headache disorders, like migraine and cluster headaches.

Trigeminal or Occipital Neuralgia

When nerves become compressed, pinched, injured, or inflamed, they can trigger severe nerve pain, or neuralgia. The trigeminal nerve, which extends into the upper and lower face, can cause generalized headache and sharp, stabbing, or burning pain anywhere on the face, scalp, or jaw. This condition often occurs suddenly and without warning. Trigeminal neuralgia is extremely painful—but also rare, with about 150,000 new diagnoses each year.

Occipital neuralgia is similar to trigeminal neuralgia—it’s also a rare condition and causes sudden, sharp pain. Because different nerves are affected (the occipital nerves, which run along the back of the neck and head), the sharp head pain usually affects the back of your head, ears, and eyes.

Rare Causes

There are other possible causes of sharp head pain besides primary headache disorders and neuralgias, but keep in mind that these are uncommon. Most people will experience sharp head pain because of a primary headache and not a more serious or life-threatening condition.

Still, it’s important to know about rarer causes of secondary headaches, or headaches that are a symptom of a more serious condition such as:

• Stroke: Some types of strokes can cause sudden, severe headaches. An ischemic stroke, in particular, may cause sharp pain near the eyes or on one side of the head. These strokes happen when blood clots block normal blood flow to the brain. They’re responsible for 87% of all strokes. Other symptoms of an ischemic stroke include sudden muscle weakness, confusion, and vision changes.

• Aneurysm: An aneurysm occurs when an artery in the brain swells and weakens the artery wall. This can cause vomiting, a stiff neck, loss of consciousness, and a type of headache called a thunderclap headache because of the sudden onset and the intense severity of the pain. Aneurysms cause symptoms when they rupture, which is relatively rare, occurring in about 30,000 people each year.

• Arteriovenous malformation (AVM): A rare cause of one-sided headaches, an AVM occurs when malformed arteries and veins place pressure on healthy brain tissue. AVMs are extremely rare, affecting less than two people per every 100,000 people. Other symptoms of an AVM include seizures, dizziness, and problems with vision, speech, and muscle movement.

When To Contact a Healthcare Provider

Primary headache disorders are typically not life-threatening, and many headaches can be relieved with over-the-counter (OTC) pain relievers and lifestyle changes, like avoiding your headache triggers, staying hydrated, and reducing stress.

If you don’t feel your headaches are well controlled, it may be time to see a healthcare provider. If your headaches last more than 1-2 days at a time, have recently changed from their normal pattern, or are making it difficult for you to sleep, work, or complete other daily activities, you might benefit from talking with a provider about your headaches.

Though headaches are the usual cause of head pain, some head pain is caused by more serious condition. Seek out emergency medical assistance if your head pain is:

• Sudden and extreme (e.g., the worst head pain you’ve ever experienced)

• The result of a recent traumatic brain injury (TBI)

• Accompanied by other symptoms like vision changes, fever, stiff neck, vomiting, slurred speech, memory loss, muscle weakness, or confusion

Diagnosis

A primary care provider is often the first type of healthcare provider who will diagnose and treat your head pain. If they think a specialist is better for your particular case, your provider may refer you to a neurologist (a medical doctor who treats brain and nervous system disorders).

A physical exam and history of symptoms are usually enough for a provider to diagnose you with a primary headache disorder. However, if the provider isn’t sure which type of headache you have, or if they think another condition is causing your head pain, they may order some additional tests, such as:

• Computed tomography (CT) scan: A special X-ray that can detect injury, bleeding, or inflammation in or around the brain

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI): A non-radiation imaging test that can provide a more detailed picture of your brain

• Lumbar puncture: A procedure that extracts a small amount of fluid from your spine and can detect certain infections

How To Treat Sharp Head Pain

If your head pain is due to primary headaches or neuralgias, several treatment options are available. At-home treatments for sharp head pain may include:

• Taking OTC pain relievers like Bayer (aspirin), Tylenol (acetaminophen), and Advil (ibuprofen)

• Using a cool or warm compress

• Staying hydrated

• Sitting in a dark and quiet room

• Drinking a caffeinated beverage

• Trying acupuncture, yoga, or massage

If home remedies aren't enough to relieve your symptoms, your healthcare provider may recommend the following treatments:

• Prescription-strength pain relievers

• Physical therapy

• Oxygen therapy (for cluster headaches)

• Behavioral therapy or stress management to help reduce stress-induced headaches

A Quick Review

Most of the time, sharp head pain is due to a primary headache disorder like migraine or a cluster headache. These disorders are not life-threatening, but they can disrupt your daily life. Less commonly, conditions like a stroke or aneurysm can be the root cause of your pain.

If you're experiencing sharp head pain, talk to your healthcare provider about your treatment and management options to ensure that your symptoms are not signs of a serious condition.

Frequently Asked Questions

When are sharp pains in your head serious?

If your sharp head pain appears out of nowhere and is unbearable, or if it’s the result of a recent head injury, it may be more serious than a headache. In cases of sudden injuries, it's best to see a healthcare provider sooner rather than later to avoid complications or a life-threatening condition.

Should you go to the ER if you have a sharp headache?

You likely won't need to go to the ER for a sharp headache unless a healthcare provider tells you to do so. In most cases, primary headache disorders causing sharp pain are not dangerous or life-threatening.

However, if your headache is extremely sudden, occurs after a head injury, or is accompanied by symptoms like dizziness or nausea, see a medical provider as soon as possible.

Does caffeine make sharp pains in your head better or worse?

Some people find that caffeine can stop a painful headache in its tracks, while other people find that caffeine worsens or even triggers their headaches. Research shows it has the potential to do both—and it’s actually a primary treatment for certain types of headaches, like hypnic headaches (frequent headaches during sleep).

Still, your overall consumption and individual tolerance for caffeine can affect whether it helps you or worsens your symptoms.

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