How do you know when something is wrong?

I made a post not too long ago titled "Headaches?" which got one reply. Basically I have these headaches that feel as if I got poked by a sharp object, seemingly any place on my head. The most common locations are in or around the ears, the sides, in or around the eyes, and the scalp or around the scalp. They are brief and last for a few seconds at the most. I can remember having them occasionally years ago (maybe once every week or couple of weeks or so) but now they are happening several times a day. I suppose the closest thing that I've found to my headache experiences are "ice-pick headaches". Basically it feels like a cluster headache, except not quite that painful and more brief. I often feel tired during the day but awake at night, which really makes it difficult to maintain a healthy sleeping schedule. Lately I have been getting these sensations which are very difficult to describe. It is somewhat of a buzzing, dizzying, perhaps vertigo type of sensation. It kinda feels like the sensation you get after getting hit in the head really hard.

The headaches are starting to happen a lot more often and it is really starting to worry me. I think, or even hope, that it is TMJ - temporo-mandibular joint syndrome. I have worried about brain tumors, aneurysms, etc. before, and that was years ago. I don't like to say this, but I am kinda worried (once again...) that it could be something like that. I didn't have very good reasons to worry about it before but now I actually am seeing symptoms that are reason for concern. Of course it could be stress-induced, which is what everyone keeps telling me it is. But I don't think this is all completely in my head. I am trying very hard not to worry about any of it because I know it would make it all the more worse but it's just so hard to believe I'm healthy sometimes. I try my best to respect my own health (although I do need to quit smoking cigarettes, which I am aware is contributing to the headaches, but without a doubt, not every smoker gets this).

I am going to see my doctor as soon as I can find the time. I have already had a routine physical (stethoscope to the heart, checked my breathing, etc.) and had samples of my urine and blood tested, which to my knowledge did not get bad results. What possibilities does this rule out?

Thanks a lot for reading.

some of it sounds like a tension headache, I suffer from TMJ getting the pain near your ear etc, i get that as well...

Going to see your doctor is a good thing, even it's just ease your mind.

I think one thing you need to keep in mind is that if they are stress related, that doesn't mean they "are all in your mind". What it means is that the stress is the major contributor to why your having headaches, they aren't coming because of you worrying about them, which came first, the chicken or the egg. In your case your headaches came first then the stress about them. You need to talk to your doctor about the stress too. Your doctor needs to make sure their is nothing physically wrong with you #1, then do some troubleshooting.
I dont push drugs but their are some amazing perscriptions that are there to help your stress, which will in turn help your headaches.
My wife went on Effexor, she had close to the same symptoms as you, tried massage, Tylenol 3, Chiro, to no avail till the effexor, she's not perfect now but a major improvement to the headaches, just watch to see if you start getting better, then as they raise it you get totally emotional and stressed again, I'm convinced this happens with this stuff, find a good dose if you go on it.