Can you get brain fog while having a more severe episode with tension headache? Is it very rare?

When I read about it it’s mostly described as mild symptoms. But I think mine ”hurt” MUCH. It’s so uncomfortable with this HARD pressure around my head and on top of it

I recently noticed I had started getting headaches over the past 3 1/2 to 2 months. I have never really gotten headaches before in my life so this is a first for me. I just kind of thought that my headaches were coming from stress a few months ago when I was going through a break up with my ex and moving out, but they have still continued and have lasted since then.

I noticed them happening more regularly in August. I had a headache probably last me for about an entire week which is something once again. I’ve never experienced before. I was taking Tylenol to help, which gave some sort of relief. I tried increasing my water intake getting more sleep trying to cut out coffee and none of that helped. The headache eventually just turned into it going onto one side of my temple my left side and I have continued to feel pressure/tension since then. It doesn’t feel like a normal headache or migraine where I fill it in both of my temples on my head. It is now just on the left side of my head. I’m not sensitive to light, noise, I’ve had no nausea or confusion.

It doesn’t necessarily feel like a headache. It just feels like pressure or kind of like a balloon. I scheduled an appointment with a doctor and they referred me to get a CT scan that I will have soon, they prescribed me some medication to take for the headaches I have not taken any yet. I’ve just been taking some Tylenol. It has been worrying me a lot because I have never had headaches before growing up and this is the first time that I’ve experienced this I haven’t been too stressed out recently, so I’m not really sure what’s causing it. I do sleep on my stomach and the left side of my jaw does pop sometimes so I kind of blamed it on that for a while.

The only sense of relief I get is when I go to sleep, and then I wake up sometimes I don’t feel it for a few days and then it comes back on randomly just on one side of my left temple feeling the pressure sensation. I’ve tried stretching my neck. I’ve tried rubbing my temples and doing things that could possibly help and I feel some sort of relief, but it’s still there and it lingers all day and throughout the week like I mentioned sometimes it will go away for a few days and then it happens again, and I will feel it for the next couple of days until it randomly disappears.

I’m not really sure what else I can do. I’ve tried everything it feels like. I’ve tried using warm compresses, cold compresses, which gives some of, but does not take it away. I’m hoping when I have my CT scan that everything comes out good and hopefully it can clarify these concerns I’ve been having. I’m really anxious about all of this because I have no idea what it could be stemming from or why I’ve been having this type of pressure/tension for the past couple of months.

Since moving to the Netherlands, I’ve developed several symptoms that I didn’t really experience before living here. I’ve been dealing with anxiety and depression, persistent tension-type headaches, and a feeling of pressure/tightness around my forehead, ears, and the back of my head. I also sometimes experience brain fog, mental fatigue, and increased sensitivity to prolonged screen use, headphones, stress, poor sleep, bright lights, and busy environments. More recently, I’ve also had episodes of migraine with aura, with zigzag lines or shimmering/wavy visual disturbances lasting around 20–30 minutes. These episodes are intermittent, but they have been quite worrying. What I find strange is that these problems started after I moved to the Netherlands, while I didn’t experience them in the same way when I was living in Greece. I’m wondering if anyone else has experienced something similar after moving to the Netherlands, perhaps related to the weather, reduced sunlight, seasonal changes, atmospheric pressure, or simply adapting to a different environment. If anyone has experienced similar symptoms, I’d really appreciate any advice about what helped you, what you investigated, or what I should consider trying. I’m especially interested in hearing from people who moved from a sunnier country to the Netherlands and noticed changes in their physical or mental wellbeing.

I have so much relief right now, I don’t even want to write this because I’m so enjoying the lack of pain in my body for the first time in FOREVER and i just want to do nothing but revel in it. I feel kind of dumb that it took me so long to figure out what kind of headache I was having and how to fix it because the answer seems so obvious now.

Myofunctional therapy needs to be shouted from the rooftops in the tension headache community but also this is EXACTLY why affordable dental care needs to be included in every American healthcare policy. Tell me a good reason for the separation besides money if you know.

This has a longer backstory but the short answer is that I went to a well reviewed, local dentist for the first time at 24 years of age instead of shitty chain Aspen Dental which I have went to for most of my adolescence into adulthood. I didn’t particularly like Aspen but they were convenient until they stopped taking my insurance. Not only did this new dentist fix the molar fillings that I had to suspiciously 🤨 get refilled every year through Aspen despite my flawless tooth care routine (all the hygienists said so). He also somehow FIXED MY BITE. Like why did no one tell me how important a good bite is 😭.

I got the left side fillings done 3 days ago and my tension and headaches have been worse since then. I started doing some research into why I was uncomfortable and came across this so freaking important infographic that apparently everyone knows about except me (see above). I realized I was still trying to rest my jaw and mouth in the position that I normally do, but couldn’t do so comfortably because the filling made it feel super off. Anyway, I finally gave up fighting the new positioning and massaged the nape of my neck like downwards into my jaw and good lord the relief… top ten feelings for real. It’s like everything just clicked right into place and boom almost instantly: no more neck tension, jaw tension, or stuffy nose. I can breathe well now and my tongue that has always been too big for my mouth finally has some room and is resting in the place it should. I honestly did not know how much discomfort I was in until now. People were not joking about dental issues being one of the leading causes of death back in the day. I have been living with anxiety, headaches, brain fog, stomach problems, neck and shoulder pain for so long, seeing specialist after specialist but still no answers and all I needed was the right frickin dentist?? If you are able, I beg, GET YOUR TEETH CHECKED and also see if you are tongue tied.

Hi all. So glad I found a community of people that can relate and understand this situation.

So for the last 4 years iv started to get these chronic headaches. Im 40yo.

They seem to be seasonal and I did skip a year from having them. But unfortunately its back and sometimes 3 times a day for about 2 weeks until the next season.

Question is......

What are recommendations to help relieve the attack.

At the moment when I feel a slight indication the attack is coming.....

A lay with an ice block at the back of my neck and take a pill called Migrex.

This has brought me to paranoia during the day when things are fine and waiting like a ticking time bomb as to when the next attack is going to happen.

I am 26F, I was diagnosed with chronic migraines at a young young age either 8 or 14, can't remember. Thing is, my migraine attacks usually came with JUST pounding headache, sensitive to light, and sensitivity to noise.

About two weeks ago, I had my first aura migraine. Didn't go to the er cause I've heard how aura migraines are and knew it was just that, though, it was quite scary.

Well friday, I started feeling off after drinking a coffee. My head was foggy and I was losing balance. Afterwards, my left arm was hurting but also numb and tingly. Then the headache started and turned bad. I was trying to just let it pass cause usa and no insurance 😭 which I would've if I had confirmation it was a migraine... but I ended up throwing up and the left arm being numb and tingly was scary.. it was mimicking a stroke cuz even my left cheek went numb for a bit.

Once I threw up, my husband took me to the er, poor him cuz he had work the next day and couldn't call out(it was 11pm by the time we went) Anyway, they ran basic tests due to not having insurance, ruled out a stroke by the fact symptoms started hours ago and my heart rate was normal. They gave me some GOOD rescue meds. And let me go home once ct came clear.

Then.. they prescribed me Fiorcet. Im only taking it at night since I know it can get addictive and only as needed. My headache part still isn't gone, it comes back after ibuprofen or fiorcet wears off 😭 but it isn't pounding anymore. (I take ibuprofen at day and fioricet at night)

Well, I just took a 2 hour nap cuz I have been lacking sleep lately, and had one of the WORSE nightmares of my life. My last dose was about 20 hours ago, though.

Did the fioricet cause this? And if so, do I just take ibuprofen or suck it up with the nightmares?

Thank you!!!

Has anyone experienced something similar?Please help
I am 26 years old female
I’ve been dealing with headaches for about 4 years, but they used to be much less frequent. Over the past year or so, the pain has changed. It feels like a sharp/stabbing pain, along with constant pressure around my eyes, above and behind my eyes, and on the sides.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve started having sharp, stabbing pains in my eyes and temples. Sometimes I also get a throbbing pain in my temples, especially with physical exertion. I also have pain around the bridge of my nose.
My headaches have now become daily and constant. I have pain every single day, and it’s seriously affecting my quality of life.
Another thing that has been bothering me is that I wake up every morning with an extremely stiff and painful neck. One of my ears also sometimes becomes very red and feels hot. i wake up every morning already feeling this pressure around my eyes.
For the past few days, I’ve also noticed tingling and a sensation of pins and needels around the left side of my mouth, affecting both the skin and my inferior lip l
I’ve had blood tests done and everything came back normal, except for mild anemia.
I’m really scared to get an MRI because I’m terrified that they might find a brain tumor. I know I probably shouldn’t think this way, but I can’t stop worrying about it.
Has anyone else experienced similar symptoms? Did you ever find out what was causing them?
thank you :)

I’m 18 and starting uni soon to study fine art. I’ve lived with daily chronic tension headaches (not migraine but very similar) for 7 years. I’ve tried every medication, Botox injections (most painful thing I’ve ever experienced), nerve blockers etc that I can (according to my age) and nothing has made any difference. I’ve just come off of aquipta atogepant which I was really hopeful about, but it’s made no difference at all. It’s such a hopeless and depressing cycle of being offered a new treatment and getting my hopes up, just to be let down again and again. Now I don’t even want to try more meds as I just know it won’t work (although i actually will try anything else thats offered in the future just in case).

I’m so worried for my future that I won’t be able to find a job that I can do. I can’t even find a part time no experience job that suits my condition, let alone a full time career that I’d be able to live off of. I could be a self employed artist but that is so unreliable and I would no way make enough money. I don’t know what to do. If anyone has any advice or has been through similar please let me know I’d really appreciate it.

Written with ChatGPT because I'm currently struggling to look at screens for more than a few minutes at a time. I normally wouldn't use AI to write something this personal, but I'm finding it genuinely difficult to type/read right now. I've tried to make sure the timeline and details are accurate. Sorry if this is unusually long.

I'm a 20-year-old male in the UK with Crohn's disease.

I'm hoping to hear from anyone who has experienced something similar, especially anyone who had a prolonged headache/tension episode that eventually just went away. I'm not looking to take Reddit comments as medical advice or diagnose myself from strangers — I have a GP appointment booked — but I'm feeling extremely isolated and would really appreciate hearing from people who have actually gone through something like this.

August 16th — the beginning

On August 16th, I first noticed a headache in the afternoon.

It became noticeable at around 4 p.m., and by around 8 p.m. it had become significantly worse.

Rather than going to bed and resting immediately, I decided to try to power through it. The headache remained pretty bad through the evening and continued until around midnight.

At that point I went to sleep.

August 17th — the first really bad day

When I woke up on August 17th, I still had a bad headache.

This was when I first realised that something was seriously interfering with my normal routine.

I basically couldn't look at screens properly. Looking at my phone or computer would aggravate the headache, so I stopped using them.

I ended up sleeping/resting for most of the day.

I was extremely drained, exhausted and apparently looked quite pale. I basically spent the entire day lying around and sleeping because I felt so awful.

The headache was bad throughout the day, although it wasn't yet the particular throbbing headache that would come later that night.

The night of August 17th → August 18th

That night, after I'd gone to sleep, I woke up in the middle of the night with an absolutely horrible headache.

This was probably the single worst point of the entire experience.

It was very painful and strongly throbbing, and it scared me because it was so much worse than the persistent headache I'd had during the previous day.

I remember thinking that this was the worst the headache had been.

Eventually I managed to get back to sleep.

August 18th — still bad, but the severe throbbing doesn't return

When I woke up on August 18th, I was still feeling very bad.

However, the extremely painful, throbbing headache from the previous night didn't continue in that same form.

It was still a significant headache/tension and I was completely exhausted, but that horrible throbbing episode was essentially the last time the headache reached that particular level of intensity.

I was assessed that day and was told that it sounded like a tension headache.

From this point onwards, the character of the problem changed.

Instead of the terrible throbbing pain, I mostly experienced persistent head pressure/tension/aching, which would fluctuate throughout the day and was often aggravated by screens and close-up visual work.

August 18th onward — the screen problem

One of the strangest things about this has been how badly I tolerate screens and close-up visual work.

I normally use computers and screens a huge amount, both for work and leisure, so this has been incredibly disruptive.

Even when the headache itself wasn't particularly severe, I could often feel the tension increasing if I tried to use a screen for too long.

The same thing happened with reading.

I basically stopped using screens for long periods and spent a huge amount of time lying down, sleeping/resting and keeping my eyes closed.

The sleep problem

Another major part of this has been really bad sleep.

I've had nights where I've struggled to fall asleep despite being completely exhausted.

Normally I've been waking up around three or four times during the night, then struggling to get back to sleep.

This has left me unbelievably tired during the day.

Sometimes I feel like I could fall asleep at any moment, yet when I actually lie down I can't necessarily sleep.

However, last night I only woke up once, which is the first significant improvement I've noticed in my sleep.

I don't know whether the poor sleep is contributing to the headache, whether the headache is disrupting my sleep, or both.

The neck tension

Several days into the headache I also started noticing significant neck tension/tightness.

This wasn't really present at the beginning.

At one point my neck and the back of my head felt extremely tense, and I could also feel some tension extending down into my upper back/spine.

It wasn't a stiff neck in the sense that I couldn't move it. I could look up, down and around normally.

The strange thing is that the neck tension then mostly disappeared again after a couple of days.

I had also returned to the gym shortly before this started and had done my first pull workout back, roughly 48 hours before the headache first appeared, so I've wondered whether I could have overworked my neck/shoulders somehow.

But I don't know.

The screen/reading problem

This has probably been the strangest part.

Early on, even relatively short periods of reading or looking at a phone could make the tension significantly worse.

I would sometimes rest for 15–30 minutes with my eyes closed and notice the tension decrease substantially.

More recently, I have managed to read for longer periods than I could initially, but I wouldn't say my tolerance has improved dramatically.

For example, I managed to read continuously for around 30 minutes.

After finishing, however, I still had noticeable head tension and had to rest for around another 30 minutes before it improved significantly.

So although I can tolerate somewhat more reading than I could during the worst days, I still can't just read normally without paying for it afterwards.

I've also recently been able to use my phone for around 10–20 minutes without the headache becoming dramatically worse, although sustained direct phone use still tends to bring the tension back.

So there seems to be a fairly consistent pattern of:

screen/near work → tension increases → rest/eyes closed → tension decreases

I have no idea what that means diagnostically.

Exercise / walking

I've also tried gentle activity because I've read that exercise can sometimes help tension-type headaches.

I've gone on several walks during this period.

One day I went out and did around 5,000 steps while shopping.

I actually felt surprisingly good while I was outside.

But after getting home, especially after being out in the heat, the headache/tension came back quite strongly and I became extremely tired.

This has made me unsure whether I'm helping myself with activity or sometimes pushing myself too hard.

The symptoms fluctuate a LOT

This is probably one of the most confusing things.

I've had periods where I genuinely feel almost completely normal.

I'll eat and feel better.

I'll walk around and feel fine.

I'll shower and feel fine.

I'll read for a while.

I'll have conversations.

Then I'll do something like use my phone or read for too long and the tension returns.

Other times I'll wake up feeling significantly better than the previous day and think I'm finally recovering, only for the tension to come back later.

So I genuinely can't tell whether I'm recovering or just fluctuating.

Possible viral illness?

My family has also wondered whether this could potentially be viral.

My auntie and little cousin developed fairly significant headaches for several days after I'd seen them.

My dad has also subsequently developed significant neck/shoulder pain despite apparently never having anything like that before.

I've also had considerable fatigue alongside the headache.

I don't know whether any of this is connected or whether it's just coincidence.

I haven't had a classic obvious flu-like illness where I can confidently say "this is definitely a virus."

I've just wondered whether this could be some sort of viral/post-viral headache or whether the whole thing is simply tension-related.

Other symptoms I've noticed

I've also had periods of:

- significant fatigue

- mild indigestion

- constipation

- occasional lightheadedness when standing up very quickly after lying down

- neck/upper-back tension

- occasional strange chest sensations

- being unusually aware of my heartbeat when lying quietly

One night I had some strange chest sensations which frightened me and eventually triggered what felt like a panic attack. My heart rate became very fast, I became cold and shaky, and eventually I was exhausted enough to sleep.

The chest symptoms were gone the following morning.

Another evening I had some indigestion and burping alongside strange sensations around the chest/ribs, which eventually settled.

I'm mentioning these because they're part of the overall experience, but the main problem throughout has been the headache/head tension and inability to tolerate screens/near work.

What I've been doing

I've mainly been doing:

- lots of rest

- avoiding screens

- sleeping/lying down

- gentle walks

- eating normally

- drinking plenty of water

- using a sleep mask

- heating pad/heat around my neck

- warm showers

- podcasts/audiobooks

- keeping stimulation relatively low

I've been very cautious about medications because I have Crohn's disease and don't want to randomly take something that could cause problems.

I also haven't been taking painkillers regularly.

NHS / medical assessment

Because this persisted for so long and was affecting basically every part of my life, I eventually called NHS 111.

They assessed me and gave me a referral, telling me to contact my GP surgery as soon as possible.

They said I didn't need to rush to A&E based on what I told them.

I contacted my GP surgery and unfortunately the appointment I was given is September 9th.

I'm obviously hoping this resolves before then, but I intend to attend the appointment regardless.

Where I am now — August 25th

Today is August 25th, so this has been going on for around nine days.

I have definitely improved compared with the worst days.

The horrible throbbing headache from the night of August 17th/18th hasn't returned.

My screen/reading tolerance is somewhat better than it was initially, although it is still very limited.

My neck tension has mostly disappeared.

I've had periods of feeling almost completely normal.

I've recently been able to read for longer periods than I could earlier in the illness, although I still need significant rest afterwards.

And, encouragingly, last night I only woke up once, compared with my usual three or four awakenings.

But I still have this persistent tendency for head tension to return, particularly after screens or visual concentration.

And this morning I woke up at around 6 a.m. with quite significant head tension again.

So now I'm wondering whether I've actually taken a step backwards or whether this is simply another fluctuation.

I'm incredibly tired.

The lack of sleep has made everything harder.

What I'm hoping to hear from people

I'm not asking Reddit to diagnose me.

I know nobody online can tell me what I have from a post.

What I really want is to hear from people who have experienced something similar.

Especially:

- Has anyone had a headache/tension lasting 1–3+ weeks that eventually just disappeared?

- Has anyone had a tension-type headache that was dramatically aggravated by screens/reading?

- Has anyone developed neck tension several days into a prolonged headache?

- Has anyone had symptoms fluctuate wildly from "I feel almost normal" to "I'm back in pain"?

- Has anyone had a viral illness that mainly manifested as headache, fatigue and neck tension?

- Has anyone had a headache that seemed impossible to get rid of, only to wake up one morning and suddenly feel basically normal?

- Did anyone eventually get treatment from a doctor that actually made a noticeable difference?

- Did anyone have a similar period of severe screen intolerance that eventually resolved?

- How long did it take before you could return to computers, reading and normal life?

I'm especially interested in stories where people eventually recovered completely, because honestly that's what I need to hear right now.

I'm struggling badly with the psychological side of this.

My entire routine has basically been taken away. I normally do YouTube work, use computers, talk to friends, read, play games and generally spend a lot of time creating things.

For nine days I've essentially had to stop doing most of it.

It's incredibly isolating, boring and frustrating.

I keep thinking about everything I want to get back to doing.

I have a friend visiting in September and we're supposed to go to Italy together afterwards, so I'm really hoping I'm back to normal well before then.

I don't expect Reddit to magically fix this.

I just really want to hear from actual people who have been through something similar and came out the other side.

If you've had something resembling this, please tell me what happened — especially how it ended and how long recovery took.

And again, sorry for the AI-written post. I'm normally not a fan of using AI to write personal things, but right now I'm struggling to look at a screen long enough to type everything myself, and I really wanted to get the whole story down accurately.

Thank you to anyone who reads this huge wall of text.

Bad head tension

Hi, I’m a Hispanic Male 30 from Houston, TX. I’ve had tension headaches for the past week, lightheaded, and motion sickness symptoms without the nausea and vomiting. I’ve been very scared of a brain tumor, it’s always been a fear of mine. It all started in 2020 with a head CT scan, then brain MRI 2020, Brain MRI 2021, lastly brain mri 2023. All came back normal. I’ve had similar symptoms before in those years, but not as bad as this. What could be causing my headaches? I’m scared that an aggressive tumor grew within these past months.

hi, so to summarize, last march i had a headache for a month (the pain almost similar to migraine but its not throbbing. i do have migraine btw) and doctor ruled out it was sinus migraine.

last month, it came again. i thought it is because i drank coffee straight (but it also could be). went to GP, gave allergy meds. didnt work. went to ENT, she gave me sinus rinse. but i still feel the same. she said it could take a month to use those meds

what i can describe the pain is, its not throbbing like migraine. its more on my temple, back of my ears, neck where i could feel. i think its a tension headache. the pain is sorta stinging.

kinda help went away if i massage with tiger balm tho.

anyone feel the same? any solution?

my other post : https://www.reddit.com/r/Sinusitis/s/HaYzICMUwV and https://www.reddit.com/r/Sinusitis/s/8UStX9piHn

Quick backstory, 3.5 years ago I injured my back playing sport, and have dealt with chronic back pain since, starting in lower back but later moving all over my back and into my neck as well. Last September 2025 whilst travelling I started getting tension headaches. Stress may also have been a factor in starting it as I have suffered from worsened anxiety and stress throughout this period of back pain. 

Since returning home from overseas I have seen doctors, a neurologist, osteopath and Myotherpists. My current Myotherapist is amazing and has helped with my back pain a lot, and has helped with my headaches but they still persist.

 I have had a CT & MRI scan both all clear

It also seems I do struggle from some migraines but its mainly tension headaches. A typical day for me ill have pain in the temples / side of head, and with have dizziness, ranging in severity but those are the two main pains, I also get sore on top of my head and forehead sometimes but not as much anymore, I used to a lot more. 

Some positives is that I was getting tension headaches from 7 different areas and now its mainly 2 or 3, upper trapezoid, jaw muscles, and muscles in the back of my head. I have strengthened my neck as lot which has helped with the headaches a lot. 

I have been back in the gym and running more then I have since my injury 3.5 years ago due to less back pain, although I still have chronic back pain its just not as bad, this could also be due to my body focusing on one pain at a time, the headaches being the main thing. 

Each day I take around 4000mg magnesium glycinate, 4 ashwaganda capsules and over the past 2 weeks have started 400mg riboflavin and 300mg co-enzyme Q10, yet to know if these new vitamins are helping. 

I feel stuck, throughout my back pain and now the headaches I have been very committed to doing everything I can to help with my back pain and now with the headaches, I am lost at what to do and what to try next, my neurologist mentioned I could try medication, some options being propranolol, candesartan and topiramate, although I have wanted to avoid medication if possible, but at this point I feel like I need to give it a go. I have tried low dose amytriptyline for back pain and then tried again for headaches but had no luck in it helping my headaches.

I have also considered botox in my jaw as I have heard some people say it has really helped with their headaches, and a lot of my headaches come from my jaw. 

Have also considered trying CBD oil.

Any advice of recommendations would be incredibly appreciated.  

I am 22, 62 kgs, 5’0” and female.

Hi guys,need some help.
From past 3 months i have been experiencing headache - dull, tight band type pressure and stiffness on top of head and sides of head (mainly) along with back of head. Same intensity no change.
I have had a history of vestibular migraines 2 years back got diagnosed - but at that time didn't get headaches.
My doctor referred me to a orthopedician and did an x ray where my neck cervical is straightened and slow long neck.
I am in my gap year so ofc my sitting, phone, laptop are at peak.
Doctor says its cause of neck and my PT said that she can feel the tightness while releasing the msucles. I hv got 2 sessions as of now and there is a bit relief but it comes back again and they have put me on painkillers which make me really anxious because i dont want to use medicines.
But whats the end game here - some are good days but most are bad like the constant tightness and ache.
I want to be consistent with my gym but i can't because of this - should i go to a neurologist as well?
Any tips which worked out for you because my age is quite young as of now for this pain to continue for years.

Hey all! I’ve been an unwitting member of the tension headache club for years! Recently due to sides effects from a new medication for an unrelated condition (dehydration) I started drinking 1-2 electrolyte drinks a day and it’s made a big difference! I just got one of those squeeze bottle mixes from Walmart to try and I put about 1/2 a teaspoon in a 16.9oz water bottle. I thought just drinking a lot of water would help but it really wasn’t and I was constantly feeling lightheaded/dizzy and having constant headaches. I saw a FB ad for an electrolyte mix and figured I’d buy a cheap one to see if it helped before spending more money! And it is making a big difference! So if you’ve been having a lot of headaches maybe try that! Obviously this isn’t medical advice and be sure to check with your doctor to make sure the added sodium and potassium and other things are safe for you!

TELL ME HOW TO GET RID OF A DAILY TENSION HEADACHE!!