Q: I have been having a mild-to-moderate throbbing pain above my ear that comes and goes. My eye bothers me, too. Two ibuprofens seem to lessen the throbbing. I do drink a lot of coffee with caffeine and am not sure if that’s a factor. I am only worried because I have never had headaches before. How can I be sure I don’t have a tumor or bleeding in the brain?
A: Your description of the pain is not alarming. However, given the fact that you have never had headaches before, I would advise you to see your healthcare professional and have an MRI of the brain to rule out any organic cause of your headache.
That said, it is very possible that the headache is a result of caffeine overuse, which can cause rebound headache. You should reduce your intake to a maximum of one serving a day.
George Urban, MD, Diamond Headache Clinic, Chicago, IL
