Cheek pain

There is a funny saying: "The head is a bone, there is nothing to hurt there!", but we all know that it is very far from the truth. Along with headaches, earaches and toothaches, a lot of trouble can be caused by pain in the cheek. Sometimes it is completely unclear where it comes from. It is one thing if there was mechanical damage or a bruise. Well, but if for no reason at all the cheek starts to hurt, then what to do next?

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What hurts?

First, we need to understand what exactly hurts a person who complains of pain in the cheek. The cheek is the lateral part of the human face, which serves as the lateral outer wall of the oral cavity and is located between the eye and ear and down to the chin. It is innervated by the buccal (cheek) nerve. Accordingly, it becomes clear that pain in the cheek can occur both in the case of a nerve disease and as an accompanying symptom in various diseases of adjacent organs.

Diseases that may cause pain in the cheek as a symptom

Painful sensations in the right or left cheek can be caused by a number of diseases. It is necessary to analyze the nature and duration of the pain, after which you can draw a conclusion about its origin. In most cases, pain in the cheek is a symptom of the following diseases:

• Trigeminal neuralgia
• Temporal tendonitis (with this disease, a person feels pain in the cheek and teeth, which gradually spreads to the head and neck)
• Ernst syndrome (if the stylomandibular ligament, which connects the lower jaw to the base of the skull, has been damaged, pain is also felt in the face and neck)
• Sinusitis (it should be suspected if the pain in the cheek was less severe in the morning, but became more pronounced by the evening; in addition, with sinusitis, pain in the upper teeth is often observed, as well as a general headache)
• Sinus inflammation
• Caries (in case of prolonged absence of treatment)
• Periodontitis
• Pulpitis (can be caused by advanced caries)
• Other diseases of teeth and gums

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Where to go for help

First of all, you should contact your dentist with a complaint about pain in your cheek. He will either identify the cause of its occurrence and take measures to eliminate it, or refer you for examination to another specialist - an otolaryngologist or a neurologist.

Are there any measures to prevent cheek pain?

Not all diseases that cause pain in the cheek can be avoided by taking preventive measures. Trigeminal neuralgia, temporal tendinitis and Ernst syndrome cause very severe pain. Inflammation of the buccal nerve is also accompanied by a loss of the ability to move the affected cheek. But, much also depends on ourselves. It is necessary to pay due attention to the condition of your oral cavity, teeth and gums. Regular brushing of teeth, rinsing them after each meal, using dental floss and preventive visits to the dentist once every six months can reliably protect you from pain associated with dental problems. It is equally important to try to keep your face warm during cold weather. Hypothermia is fraught with the development of sinusitis or other inflammatory diseases of the nose, ear and throat. Never go outside in cool, windy weather or get into a draft with a freshly washed and wet head - such carelessness can be very expensive. In any case, in order for the pain in the cheek to go away as soon as possible, it is necessary to consult a doctor. Self-medication and a long wait for the effect of "maybe it will go away!" usually do not lead to anything good. Treatment of some of the above-described diseases is quite simple, and pain relief will occur immediately after it begins.

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