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What Causes Occasional Swelling Of A Soft Spot On The Head?
Question: I have a soft spot in the center of head & its like sunken soft hole . when I get a headache, my soft spot widens up & the right side of my will swell upward. now when it gets real BAD, a crack will open up the length of crack would go the top of my ears on top of my skull . I want an answer, please, not just to be told to go to the doctor. I know that. plz explain. thx
Brief Answer:
If accompanied by other symptoms, can be a serious diagnoses.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for using HCM to post your question.
I read your question and I understand your concern.
I XXXXXXX not give you a final diagnoses, but I will give you an answer with the information you have provided. You know how in medicine sometimes you can do a lot of labs and imaging studies and still not have a final cause of the problem, while here we can give answers with what we have.
What you are describing as a soft spot who widens up and swell upward it is called a bulging fontanel in medicine. It is the part where the bones of the skull get together and they become hard after the first year of birth. In adults it is not normal for them to be soft and bulging, so it is a problem there.
The most possible causes of widened and bulged fontanels, together with the headache, are:
1) It can be a brain infection- meningitis or encephalitis.
2) It may be a tumor in the brain.
3) It me be accumulation of fluids in the had due to not draining enough.
4) If you don't have other symptoms and its just an impression when you have a mild headache, then it may be nothing...but doctors need to rule out other causes.
Now, all of the above are serious diagnoses, and I am not saying that you have those, but for either one of the other to be more possible you need to have other symptoms which confirm them.
Hope this is helpful.
Let me know if you have other questions or concerns.
Regards.
Dr. Papaqako
If accompanied by other symptoms, can be a serious diagnoses.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Thank you for using HCM to post your question.
I read your question and I understand your concern.
I XXXXXXX not give you a final diagnoses, but I will give you an answer with the information you have provided. You know how in medicine sometimes you can do a lot of labs and imaging studies and still not have a final cause of the problem, while here we can give answers with what we have.
What you are describing as a soft spot who widens up and swell upward it is called a bulging fontanel in medicine. It is the part where the bones of the skull get together and they become hard after the first year of birth. In adults it is not normal for them to be soft and bulging, so it is a problem there.
The most possible causes of widened and bulged fontanels, together with the headache, are:
1) It can be a brain infection- meningitis or encephalitis.
2) It may be a tumor in the brain.
3) It me be accumulation of fluids in the had due to not draining enough.
4) If you don't have other symptoms and its just an impression when you have a mild headache, then it may be nothing...but doctors need to rule out other causes.
Now, all of the above are serious diagnoses, and I am not saying that you have those, but for either one of the other to be more possible you need to have other symptoms which confirm them.
Hope this is helpful.
Let me know if you have other questions or concerns.
Regards.
Dr. Papaqako
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Priyanka G Raj
The other symptom would be the headache is much like the migraine light bothers you, noise and any movement. The worse of the headache is my top of the skull separates in half and the right side of my skull seem to bulge higher. Making my head feel like its opening in half and the center of my skull gets softer and it caves inward. The only relief I can get is by wrapping my head with an ace bandage as tight as I can to put my skull back together, that cuts my pain by half. I know this sounds crazy but I have had others feel my head when I suffer from this, what ever.
Brief Answer:
Next steps suggested to help determine the diagnoses.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Appologies for the late reply.
Headache it is not a problem symptom if it is light, and if you have had these types of headaches before.
Yes, it doesn't make much sense that the headache feels better if you put your skull together, because if it was something that pulled the bones away, the pain would be worse if you pull them together.
Any nausea? Vomiting?- these would also be symptoms that you may have if it is one of the diagnoses above.
Even though, the final diagnose would be made after a neurological exam which will spot any neurological sign with the tests that a doctor does. Also, second step would be to do an x-ray ( during the times of headache) so ot can tell for sure if the bones are separating and soft in between, and after that a CT scan or MRI which would tell if you have a mass or fluid or even if you have nothing in your head.
These are all the possible diagnoses and next steps. The without a confirmation of diagnoses there is nothing much you can do that you haven't done I guess - use analgesics that you have tried and have been helpful with the pain.
Let me know if you need more clarifications.
Regards and take care.
Dr. Papaqako
Next steps suggested to help determine the diagnoses.
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Appologies for the late reply.
Headache it is not a problem symptom if it is light, and if you have had these types of headaches before.
Yes, it doesn't make much sense that the headache feels better if you put your skull together, because if it was something that pulled the bones away, the pain would be worse if you pull them together.
Any nausea? Vomiting?- these would also be symptoms that you may have if it is one of the diagnoses above.
Even though, the final diagnose would be made after a neurological exam which will spot any neurological sign with the tests that a doctor does. Also, second step would be to do an x-ray ( during the times of headache) so ot can tell for sure if the bones are separating and soft in between, and after that a CT scan or MRI which would tell if you have a mass or fluid or even if you have nothing in your head.
These are all the possible diagnoses and next steps. The without a confirmation of diagnoses there is nothing much you can do that you haven't done I guess - use analgesics that you have tried and have been helpful with the pain.
Let me know if you need more clarifications.
Regards and take care.
Dr. Papaqako
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Prasad
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