What Causes a Headache on the Right Side of Your Head?
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Medically reviewed by Brigid Dwyer, MDMedically reviewed by Brigid Dwyer, MD
It’s not unusual to experience a headache on just the right side of your head. Several types of headaches, like migraine and cluster headaches, cause unilateral (one-sided) pain. A right-sided headache is generally no different from a left-sided headache in terms of possible causes.
While headaches are often temporary and go away with little to no treatment, some people experience long-term and severe pain. Home remedies, medications, and procedures are all available to help relieve your symptoms.
What Does a Headache on the Right Side Feel Like?
A headache on the right side of your head refers to pain or discomfort on one side of your head. How unilateral headaches feel depends on the type of headache you're experiencing, as the symptoms and severity can differ from person to person. The location can also vary, causing pain behind the eye, in one temple, or on one side of the jaw and neck.
Right-side headaches can be acute (short-term) or chronic (long-term). Depending on the cause of your headache, the pain can come on suddenly or be gradual. Unilateral headaches also affect different parts of the head and face, causing other symptoms. While your exact symptoms will depend on the condition causing your pain, symptoms of right-side headaches can include:
Throbbing, pulsing pain
Sharp, stabbing sensations
Nausea and vomiting
Light or sound sensitivity
Scalp tenderness
Eye redness
Potential Causes
Healthcare providers classify headaches into two types based on their causes: primary and secondary. Primary headaches occur on their own and in the absence of another condition. Secondary headaches result from an underlying condition. Both types of headaches can cause pain on the right side of your head.
Migraine
Migraine is a primary headache disorder and the most common cause of one-sided head pain. The pain can last anywhere from 4-72 hours. Most people with migraine experience aura before the headache begins, which causes symptoms like seeing flashes or zig-zags, blurry vision, or temporary blindness.
Alongside the headache, migraine attacks cause several other symptoms:
Nausea and vomiting
Confusion
Light and sound sensitivity
Loss of appetite
Urge to urinate
Yawning
Cluster Headache
Cluster headaches can cause severe and searing pain on the right side of your head, usually behind the eye or on the temple. The pain peaks in intensity about 10 minutes after the headache starts and can persist for up to three hours. Some people with cluster headaches also experience aura before the headache begins.
These headaches occur in clusters, meaning they occur daily (or nearly daily) for weeks to months at a time. After this period, you'll go into remission (a period where symptoms stop). While symptoms are active, you may experience the following:
Eye redness
Ptosis (swollen or droopy eyelids)
Restlessness
Irritability
Changes in heart rate and blood pressure
Nausea
Other Primary Headache Disorders
Several less common primary headache disorders can also cause a right-side headache. These include:
Hemicrania continua: A rare disorder that causes a continuous headache behind the eye. The pain can last days at a time and occur alongside symptoms like watery eyes, restlessness, runny nose, swollen eyelids, and sweating.
Paroxysmal hemicrania headache: This headache disorder causes short bursts of one-sided, searing, or “claw-like” pain in or around one eye. People with this condition experience five or more attacks a day, each lasting up to 45 minutes. Other symptoms include a dilated pupil, redness and tears in the affected eye, ptosis, and nasal congestion.
SUNCT headache: Short-lasting, unilateral, neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT) causes moderate to severe pain around the eye or temple. Episodes are brief, generally between five seconds and four minutes. However, they strike 5-6 times an hour. Other symptoms may include sweating, ptosis, red and watery eyes, nasal congestion, and pressure in the affected eye.
Secondary Headaches
Secondary headaches can also cause pain on the right side of your head. The most common conditions that lead to right-side headaches include:
Giant cell arteritis: Inflammation of the blood vessels between the head and neck causes sudden and severe headaches in the temple. This condition is often a medical emergency and can cause additional symptoms like a tender scalp, sore jaw, muscle stiffness, and loss of vision in one eye.
Cervicogenic headache: Triggered by head and neck movements, which causes moderate-to-severe one-sided headaches. The pain often starts in the neck and radiates to the head and eye.
Brain aneurysm: When a blood vessel near the brain balloons up, it can cause a stroke and a sudden “thunderclap” headache. Aneurysms are incredibly painful and require immediate medical treatment.
Trigeminal neuralgia: A damaged trigeminal nerve causes short bursts of intense, throbbing, and electric shock-like pain in the jaw, cheek, lips, mouth, eye, forehead, or other parts of the face. Activities like brushing teeth, eating, drinking, smoking, or talking may trigger the pain.
Less Common Causes
While less common, these conditions can also cause right-side headaches:
Postinfectious headache: Viral infections can change headache patterns. Researchers found that some people who have COVID-19 often develop moderate to severe, recurring headaches after the infection resolves.
Post-traumatic headache: Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and impact on the head often cause headaches on both sides of your head, but sometimes the pain can be unilateral.
Brain tumor: A brain tumor can significantly affect your nerves and blood vessels and cause headaches. The pain can fluctuate, sometimes getting worse and sometimes getting better.
Ischemic stroke: Strokes are medical emergencies that occur when a blood clot in an artery disrupts blood flow to the brain. This can cause severe headaches on one side alongside symptoms such as numbness, weakness, loss of consciousness, vision loss, and difficulty talking.
When to Contact a Healthcare Provider
If you experience headaches, knowing when to seek medical help for your condition is critical. Make an appointment with your primary care provider if you:
Notice your headaches worsening
Don't see symptoms improving with home remedies
Experience additional symptoms like an irregular heartbeat, nausea and vomiting, pale or blue skin, diarrhea, constipation, and severe thirst
Are pregnant or trying to conceive
Take pain medications more than three times a week
Have pain that worsens when you lie down
Have the worst headache you've ever had
Have a headache along with altered awareness, weakness, cognitive or sensory change, or coordination difficulty
In most cases, you'll see a primary care provider first about your symptoms. However, they can refer you to a neurologist (a doctor who specializes in the brain and spinal cord) for further evaluation.
During your appointments, your healthcare team will ask about your symptoms, underlying health conditions, and lifestyle habits. They'll also likely perform a physical exam and order additional tests to diagnose your condition accurately.
Treatment Options
Your exact treatment plan will depend on the underlying cause of your headaches. In most cases, home remedies, medications, and medical procedures can help alleviate symptoms. However, conditions like a brain aneurysm and stroke are medical emergencies that require immediate treatment.
Home Remedies
For migraine, cluster, or other headache disorders, home remedies may help ease symptoms. These include the following:
Lie down in a dark, quiet place
Takea nap
Apply an ice pack to your head
Drink water
Take over-the-counter (OTC) medications such as Tylenol (acetaminophen), Aleve (naproxen), or Motrin (ibuprofen)
Rescue Medications
If home remedies aren’t yielding results, your healthcare provider may prescribe rescue medications, which help treat headaches and co-occurring symptoms after the headache has already started. Your provider may recommend the following drug classes for pain relief:
Triptans such as Zomig (zolmitriptan) or Imitrex (sumatriptan)
Antiemetics like Reglan (metoclopramide)
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as Indocin (indomethacin)
Dihydroergotamine (DHE) injections
Preventative Medications
In more severe and chronic cases of migraine, cluster, and other headache disorders, healthcare providers consider preventative medications. These treatments help reduce the frequency and severity of your right-side headaches:
Anticonvulsants (anti-seizure medications)
Beta-blockers
Calcium-channel blockers
Tricyclic antidepressants
Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) blockers
Botox (botulinum toxin A) injection
Medical Procedures
If your headaches are very severe, your provider may recommend additional treatments. For cluster headaches, oxygen therapy (which uses a respiratory mask to inhale oxygen) can help relieve symptoms. Neuromodulation (wearing a headset to direct electrical currents to the nerves) can often help with migraine.
How To Prevent a Right Side Headache
In many cases, right-side headaches can be prevented, especially if they’re the result of primary headache disorders. Consider the following prevention strategies:
Avoid triggers such as caffeine, bright lights, or excess screen time
Drink eight glasses of water per day to stay hydrated
Limit alcohol and tobacco use
Set up and follow a consistent sleep schedule
Get regular exercise and physical activity
Manage stress via techniques such as meditation, yoga, or spending time with loved ones
Complications
Even when there aren’t signs of serious conditions like a brain aneurysm, chronic and recurring headaches can increase your risk of some complications. These include:
Mood disorders such as anxiety and depression
Severe migraine attacks that last longer than 72 hours
Migrainous infarction, a rare type of stroke
Migralepsy, which causes a migraine-triggered seizure
Persistent aura, even if headache symptoms have stopped
A Quick Review
A headache on the right side of your head can be excruciating. Several underlying conditions, such as migraine, cluster headaches, and infections, can cause pain on one side of your head. Right and left side pain generally have the same causes.
Generally, the cause of your pain is mild and can be treated with home remedies and medications. However, if you or a loved one may be experiencing unilateral headaches because of a brain aneurysm or stroke, it's essential to seek medical care right away to relieve symptoms and avoid complications.
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