Temporal pain

Temporal pain can disturb a person in different forms. They can affect the temple on the left, the temple on the right or can hurt from both sides of the head. The pain can be acute or dull, short-term or prolonged. To choose an adequate treatment, it is important to know the causes of pain in the temples.

Causes of the temporal pain

Here are some of the possible causes of temporal pain. Most likely, you should consult a doctor so that the diagnosis is accurate.

• Refractive anomalies
• Headache of tension
• Migraine
• Cluster headaches
• Sinusitis
• Temporal arteritis
• Subarachnoid haemorrhage
• Meningitis
• Encephalitis
• Hypertension

The causes of temporal pain can be simple, such as head trauma, but they can also be viral in nature. There are also tension headaches that are localized in the temples, with such additional symptoms as pain around the entire head. Temporal pain may be accompanied by sensitivity to light or sound and nausea, this indicates a migraine. Pain in the temples with nasal congestion, heat and weakness - cold or flu symptoms.

Some headaches go away on their own, usually after sleep. Rest is very important for the treatment of headaches, as does massage in the temporal region and neck. It is very useful to get rid of temporal pain. If the pain still does not pass, there is a choice of medicines, it is most recommended to use ibuprofen or tylenol.

Pain in the temples and eyes is usually a sign of various types of headaches. This is a very unpleasant sensation, and sometimes requires medical intervention. The most common causes of this pain are dry-eye syndrome and sinusitis, but there are other causes of pain. For example, such as orbital inflammatory syndrome, paralysis of cranial nerves and optic neuritis.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6]

Epidemiology

The type of tension headache (HDN) is the most common type of chronic periodic headaches (temporal pains). 

This is one of the most common medical conditions in which a patient needs to see a doctor. 

Temporal pain in overexertion is more common in women than in men (ratio 1.4 to 1). 

Temporal pains are the most common among young people, with about 60% occurring in patients older than 20 years. The onset of the disease at the age of more than 50 years is unusual. 

The prevalence of episodic temporal pain with overvoltage of the nervous system varies between 30% and 78%. 

Care should be taken when diagnosing older people, since they are more typical of secondary temporal pain that occur in old age.

[7], [8], [9]

Symptoms

Dry pupils are a very common problem. Eyes itch, burn, and pain in the eyes and temples can be sharp and stitching. Artificial tears (special eye gel) - a good tool for treating the so-called dry eye. This gel can be found in any pharmacy or store and this medicine does not require a prescription.

Sinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. The pain in the temples with this disease is usually acute and severe, and it becomes worse with every movement of the head. Diagnosis is carried out using computed tomography (CT), but usually a doctor can diagnose it with the help of thorough testing. Treatment includes antibiotics.

Orbital inflammatory syndrome is a condition that affects the muscles of the orbit. This is diagnosed by CT and cured with the help of steroids. Orbital inflammatory syndrome is usually associated with another condition, such as rheumatoid arthritis, gout. Symptoms include red eyes and pain in the temples.

Neuritis of the optic nerve affects the nerves and muscles of the eyes and is characterized by blurred vision and problems in perception of color. Cranial nerves often become inflamed in patients with diabetes mellitus and high blood pressure. In addition to temporal pains and pain in the eyes, the symptoms include a double vision.

If a headache or eye pain persists, a consultation between a neurologist and an ophthalmologist should be conducted.

Regional pain syndrome

Regional pain syndrome is a condition that comes with chronic pain, in particular - temporal pain. It is believed that the pain comes from dysfunction or malfunction of the central or peripheral nervous system. Patients suffering from a unilateral regional pain syndrome tend to complain of pain, swelling and stiffness of the affected side of the body or limb. In most cases, a complex of regional pain syndrome is associated with trauma. The harm that causes pain can be small or, conversely, quite large.

Injuries can be triggers (triggering) of disorders of the nervous system, and this leads to an intense sensation of heat in the affected area, as well as pain, in particular, temporal pain.

This syndrome mostly concerns people between the ages of 25 and 55. Chronic pain in the temples in the regional pain syndrome affects women more than men. Only in the United States of America approximately from this syndrome suffer from 3 to 6 million people.

Tension headaches

Tension headaches are one of the main causes of temporal pain. The tension of the nervous system with temporal pain is one of the main causes, causing a lack or disruption in the ability to work. The type of tension headache (HDN) is classified as a primary headache, according to the International Classification of Headache, Nervous System Disorders. This is a very common form of headache and can be distributed as follows 

Episodic headaches (in particular, temporal pains) - 78% of the population are involved. Can develop into chronic forms. 

Chronic headaches (in particular, pain in the temples) - they suffer from 3% of the population. This happens on more than 15 days a month.

As with many headaches, a medical examination is necessary for the patient to make the correct diagnosis. With proper diagnosis, an effective treatment and a doctor's advice on lifestyle changes can be offered.

The nature of temporal pain in overexertion

As a rule, the character of temporal pain in overexertion is described as pressure or the capture of the temples of the temples or a whole strip around the head. Often there is a connection with pain in the neck, with pain below the neck. These pains can be removed for several hours, but there are not enough specific functions and associated migraine symptoms (although photophobia and exacerbations in the state of movement are common to many headaches). Compared to migraine, tension headache with localization in temples is manifested as follows 

• Pain in the temples is more gradual at the beginning. 
• Pain in the temples is more variable in duration (usually goes to a decline). 
• The pain in the temples becomes more constant with time.

Diagnosis of a tension headache involves the following localization of pain 

• Bilateral or general, from mild to moderate intensity (hinders, but does not interfere with the activity). 
• Frontal-occipital localization of pain. 
• Pain in the temples is not aggravated due to regular physical activity.

Forms

Temporal pains occur in different forms and different degrees of intensity. Some pains can arise from too active activities, or such innocent movements as exercises, coughing or push-ups from the floor, for example. Other headaches are caused by a lot of caffeine in the body, or low blood sugar. But because the temporal pain brings experience, and because the headache arises for different reasons, it can be useful to look at its different types.

Temporal pains are divided into four different types

Inflammatory - inflammatory temporal pains tend to indicate more serious health conditions, such as infections (eg, meningitis and sinus infections).

Muscle contraction (their tension) - Approximately 75% of all headaches are tension headaches. Stress and poor posture can lead to stiff neck muscles and tension of the scalp, which can result in pain in the temples. Noise and stuffy environment aggravate these types of headaches. Women suffer more often than men.

Vascular temporal pains - they can be troubling due to disruption of the blood vessels. The most famous type of vascular headaches with localization in the temples is a migraine, but cluster headaches (pronounced up to suicide attempts) are also classified as vascular headaches.

Tension headaches, as a rule, indicate a very serious condition of the body and occur when the eye sockets and forehead are too strained, last from 30 minutes to 7 days.

Temporal arteritis

Temporal arteritis is a severe pain in the temples, which most often affects people after 50 years. These pains are so strong that a person can even completely go blind. They are combined with insomnia, severe weight loss, pain in the neck and shoulders, redness, spreading over the scalp.

Giant cell arteritis (GCA or temporal arteritis or cranial arteritis) or Horton's disease is an inflammatory disease of the blood vessels - it occurs most often involving large and medium arteries of the head, mainly in the external carotid artery. This is a form of vasculitis.

Giant cells of arteritis reflect the type of inflammatory cells involved in the work of the temporal arteries, they are clearly visible on a biopsy. When a person presses his fingers to his temples, he feels a good pulse in them in the part of the head where the hair grows. Because of inflamed arteries, oxygen and blood are very poorly delivered to the optic nerves, which causes the death of nerve cells, pain in the temples and eventually blindness.

Temporal arteritis is often treated with steroids (steroid hormones), which help to relieve inflammation of the arteries and pain in the temples.

To better understand your headache, it is important to understand the differences in the symptoms of each type of pain. This can put you on the right path to choose the appropriate treatment. To find out more about the symptoms of temporal pain, read the special literature on this issue and consult a physician-therapist and ophthalmologist, as well as a neuropathologist.

[10], [11], [12]

Diagnostics of the temporal pain

In addition to your medical history, your doctor can recommend several tests to you to determine if the pain is the result of an infection, a tumor or an abscess, whether there are aneurysms, disruption of the brain neurons, etc. Temporal pain can occur as a result of specific physical conditions, so one or more tests can allow your doctor to determine the cause. These tests, combined with your medical history and physical and neurological examination, should enable your doctor to determine the cause.

CT (computed tomography) This test provides a 3-D image of the brain, which allows doctors to determine the causes of physical problems (eg, tumors).

EEG (electroencephalogram) This test measures the activity of the brain by recording the movements of neurons in the brain. Although this can not always diagnose the cause of the headache, the electroencephalogram can tell the doctor if there is a malfunction in the work of the neurons.

MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) Like CT, MRI provides a vision of the body's internal functions, but in greater contrast than other types of diagnostics. This can be useful for detecting brain tumors or the condition of blood vessels.

In addition, if doctors suspect that you are exposed to infections that have penetrated the body, they will recommend additional types of diagnosis. For example, a suspicion of meningitis causing temporal pain may require puncture, and a headache caused by a sinusoid infection may require endoscopy of the nose.

Your doctor will be able to prescribe treatment and give recommendations, given your medical history and test results. But how can you cure your temporal pain? And can we really expect that the temporal pain will disappear altogether? To learn more about helping with temporal pain, we have prepared even more information.

Medical examination

The first step towards the diagnosis of temporal pain is the examination by the family doctor. Your family doctor will ask you questions to better understand the causes of your temporal pain (due to light? Noise? During exercise? Due to stress?), And how often they occur. In addition, some types of temporal pain can disturb a person due to genetics (for example, this applies to migraines). In addition, if you have ever had head injuries, had problems with untreated teeth or eye diseases, etc., this information will be very relevant to the doctor.

If your district doctor deems it necessary, he can refer you to a neurologist or a therapist. This direction may become necessary if conventional methods of treatment are ineffective. Or you can contact a specialist if you have a severe type of temporal pain. For example, if you experience a migraine-like headache in which severe pain lasts 72 hours or more and requires hospitalization, you can contact a neurologist.

[13], [14], [15]

Treatment of the temporal pain

Early diagnosis can help you begin treatment of temporal pains immediately, and you will begin to feel much faster than with late treatment. The goal of the treatment is to reduce the intensity and frequency of temporal pain, or, in the case of an infection associated with headaches, to eliminate their underlying cause. Let's look at several different treatments

Alternative Practices

Aromatherapy, vitamins and mineral supplements, chiropractors and herbs can have a certain effect on your temporal pain. However, always check with your doctor about alternative practices and the safety of their use. Many alternative practices can not be sufficiently supported by scientific research, documentation of their effectiveness. However, personal feedback from patients. Cured by this or that method, can be strong enough for a particular treatment.

[16], [17], [18], [19], [20], [21]

Changing the diet

Some headaches are caused by low blood sugar. For example, people with migraine noticed that when they could not eat regularly, they experienced a headache localized in the temples. This can be corrected by reducing portions, but more frequent meals (up to 5-6) throughout the day.

Other headaches can be caused by the use of certain foods. Once you remove these foods from your diet, the pain in the temples may decrease or disappear altogether - but this is only the accompaniment of treatment.

[22], [23], [24], [25]

Change in lifestyle

Disruption and disturbance of normal sleep, smoking or other lifestyle, interfering with being healthy, bad habits can cause temporal pain. Just one measure - restoring a healthy sleep - can change your life by curing temporal pain. Thus, restoring the right way of life and playing sports can be a simple solution for your headache. Patients with cluster headaches may experience pain in the temples as a result of smoking.

Smoking can be a habit that you should get rid of - and pain in your temples will leave you. If the headaches are caused by high intensity exercises, changing their duration, intensity can be useful for getting rid of temporal pain.

[26], [27], [28], [29], [30], [31]

Medications for pain in the temples

Medicines for the treatment of temporal pain can be bought by prescription or without a prescription. Drugs are usually used during the appearance of temporal pain, in an attempt to shorten its duration, or to reduce the intensity of temporal pain.

Temporal pain may occur if the drugs are taken in excessive doses or too often, finding the right dosage is important if you have temporal pains that often occur. In general, use drugs only as needed to get rid of temporal pains or prevent them.

Prophylactic drugs

Preventative medicines can be used to reduce the likelihood of temporal pain. Preventive medications are usually taken every day, regardless of whether the person is experiencing temporal pain. For the prevention of temporal pain may take up to 4-6 weeks.

Since these drugs are meant to be consumed every day, you should always consult your doctor before you stop taking or reduce the dose of medicine that you are prescribed.

Possible prescription drugs include the following 

• antidepressants 
• anticonvulsants 
• preparations of botulinum toxin type A (Botox) 
• cardiovascular drugs 
• spasmalytics 
• painkillers

Relaxation techniques for relieving temporal pain

Some temporal pain can be caused by stress, and your doctor can recommend relaxation techniques to help you relax. Meditation can allow you to focus on your breathing, hence allowing your shoulder and neck muscles to relax. Or you can choose the practice of biological engineering.

These practitioners can use visual images, breathing techniques and mantras. Using these methods, you can reduce anxiety, thereby reducing the chances for temporal pain.

Temporal pain may be different, and there is a wide variety of methods for their treatment. Living a healthy life is only one strategy for recovery from temporal pain, and this is a very good method. However, if necessary, drugs are also needed. Choosing from the mass options, you will be able to live a more fulfilling life.