What are the symptoms of a temple headache? What causes a temple headache? How can a temple headache be treated? Discover the answers to these questions and more in this comprehensive guide.

Tension Headaches: A Common Cause of Temple Pain

Tension headaches are one of the most common types of headaches that can cause pain in the temples. These headaches typically cause a dull, non-throbbing pain in the forehead, neck, or back of the head. Tension headaches are often rooted in the neck muscles at the base of the skull, and they can feel like your head is being pressed or squeezed.

Tension headaches can be episodic, occurring only occasionally when you’re under stress or tired, or they can be chronic, happening multiple times a week or even constantly. In most cases, you can treat a tension headache yourself by taking an over-the-counter pain reliever like acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen. Sometimes, a nap can also provide relief.

Migraine Headaches: Pulsating Pain in the Temples

Migraine headaches are another common cause of temple pain. While the symptoms of migraines can vary from person to person, a common starting point for the pulsating pain is the temples. The pain may spread to both temples, but it often stays on just one side of the head.

Other symptoms of a migraine can include fatigue, depression, or irritability before the pain starts, as well as nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light or sound, and visual disturbances like auras. Without treatment, a migraine can last anywhere from 4 to 24 hours.

If you feel a migraine coming on, your doctor may recommend a nonprescription pain reliever, such as acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen, along with caffeine. If that doesn’t help, you may need a stronger treatment plan, including prescription medications like triptans, ditans, or gepants.

Temporal Arteritis: A Serious Condition Requiring Medical Attention

Temporal arteritis is a condition that can also cause throbbing pain in the temples. Unlike a migraine, however, the temples are also tender to the touch, and the throbbing may be constant.

Temporal arteritis is a serious condition that requires immediate medical attention. It occurs when the temporal arteries on the sides of the head become swollen, reducing blood flow to the eyes, brain, and other areas. Symptoms can also include low fever, fatigue, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

To diagnose temporal arteritis, doctors will test your blood for an elevated sedimentation rate, which indicates inflammation. They may also recommend a biopsy of the artery to confirm the diagnosis. Treatment typically involves steroids to reduce the inflammation.

TMJ Disorders: Jaw Pain and Temple Pain

Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders can also cause pain in the temples. TMJ is a condition that affects the muscles and joints in the jaw, leading to pain in the temples, jaw, neck, and other areas involved in chewing.

Symptoms of TMJ include pain in the temples, pain in any part of the head that involves chewing (such as the jaw or neck), clicking or popping sounds in the jaw, and changes in how your teeth fit together.

Your doctor or dentist can diagnose TMJ. Sometimes, the condition goes away without treatment, but if the pain persists, your doctor may recommend over-the-counter pain medication, muscle relaxants, physical therapy, corticosteroid injections, or even arthroscopic surgery.

Identifying the Cause of Temple Headaches

When you have a headache in your temples, it’s important to try to identify the underlying cause. Is it a tension headache, a migraine, temporal arteritis, or TMJ? Knowing the type of headache can help you determine the best course of treatment.

If your temple headaches are recurring or persistent, it’s a good idea to see your doctor. They can perform tests and examinations to help diagnose the cause and provide appropriate treatment recommendations.

Effective Treatments for Temple Headaches

The treatment for a temple headache will depend on the underlying cause. For tension headaches, over-the-counter pain relievers and rest can often provide relief. For migraines, a combination of medication and lifestyle changes may be necessary.

For more serious conditions like temporal arteritis, prompt medical treatment is critical to prevent complications like vision problems or stroke. And for TMJ-related temple pain, a combination of treatments, including medication, physical therapy, and even surgery, may be required.

No matter the cause, if your temple headaches are persistent or severe, it’s important to seek medical attention. Your doctor can help you identify the underlying issue and develop an effective treatment plan to provide you with much-needed relief.

Temple Headaches: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments

Written by Angela Nelson

• Tension Headache
• Migraine Headache
• Temporal Arteritis
• Temporomandibular Joint Disorders

When you have a headache in your temples, figuring out what type of headache you have is a good step toward relief. A few different types of headaches can cause pain in your temples.

The most common type of headache, tension headaches usually cause a dull, non-throbbing pain. You might feel:

• Pain in your forehead
• Pain in your neck or the back of your head (tension headaches are rooted in the neck muscles at the base of your skull)
• A feeling of your head being pressed or squeezed

In most cases the pain goes away when you take an over-the-counter pain reliever.

Some people get tension headaches once in a while when they’re under stress or tired. These are called episodic tension headaches. Other people get chronic tension headaches, which means they happen multiple times a week — or even all the time.

You likely can treat your tension headache yourself. Try taking an over-the-counter pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Panadol, Tylenol), aspirin (Bayer, Buffrin), or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Nuprin). Sometimes a nap will do the trick, too.

If you take medicine 2-3 times per week and your headaches aren’t going away, tell your doctor. They may be able to give you a prescription or a referral to a headache specialist.

While migraine symptoms vary from person to person, a common place for migraine pain to start is in your temples. The pulsating pain may spread to both temples but often stays on just one side of your head.

Other symptoms of a migraine can include:

• Fatigue, depression, or irritability before the pain starts
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sensitivity to light or sound
• Seeing auras such as halos or flashing lights
• Watery eyes, runny nose, or congestion

Without treatment, a migraine can last anywhere from 4 to 24 hours. The treatment for migraines varies depending on the symptoms and amount of pain.

If you feel an occasional migraine coming on, your doctor may recommend a nonprescription pain reliever such as acetaminophen, aspirin, or ibuprofen. Caffeine can help, too, so try sipping a cup of coffee or tea. Some people use ice packs.

If that doesn’t help, you may need to see your doctor for a stronger treatment plan. They may prescribe nausea medication or a triptan drug such as almotriptan (Axert), eletriptan (Relpex), frovatriptan (Frova), imigran (Imitrex, Onzetra Xsail, Sumavel, Zembrace), naratriptan (Amerge, Naramig), rizatriptan, sumatriptan, or zolmitriptan (Zomig). Triptans stimulate serotonin in your brain and usually stop the migraine in 2 hours. It can be taken as a tablet, nasal spray, or injection. Other prescription strength medicines that are available to treat a migraine are ditans such as lasmiditan (Reyvow) which are similar to triptans, and gepants like rimegepant (Nurtec) and ubrogepant (Ubrelvy) that block the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP).

Temporal arteritis may feel like a migraine at first, as it starts with throbbing in the temple on one side of your head. But unlike a migraine, temporal arteritis makes your temples tender to the touch. And the throbbing may be constant. This is a condition that needs medical help right away.

Other symptoms of temporal arteritis can include:

• Low fever
• Fatigue
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Pain in the jaw while chewing

Temporal arteritis is when the temporal arteries on the sides of your head are swollen, which reduces blood flow. (It’s sometimes called giant cell arteritis.) These arteries deliver blood to your eyes, brain, and more. In severe cases, the artery could become completely blocked. If that happens, you may be at risk for vision problems or even a stroke.

To diagnose the condition, doctors will test your blood for its sedimentation rate. Basically, that means how quickly your red blood cells sink to the bottom of a test tube. A faster rate means there may be inflammation in your arteries.

Your doctor may recommend taking a biopsy of the artery to confirm the diagnosis. For temporal arteritis, your doctor may prescribe a steroid to reduce inflammation in your arteries.

Another cause of temple pain is TMJ, or temporomandibular joint disorders. TMJ causes pain in the muscles and joints in your jaw. Other symptoms include:

• Pain in your temples
• Pain in any part of your head that involves chewing, such as the jaw or neck
• Clicking or popping sounds in your jaw
• Your teeth fit together differently

Your doctor or dentist can diagnose TMJ. Sometimes it goes away without treatment. Sometimes stopping a bad habit, such as grinding your teeth or chewing your fingernails, will help.

But if the pain continues, then your doctor may recommend:

• Over-the-counter pain medication
• Muscle relaxants
• Physical therapy
• Corticosteroid injections
• Arthroscopic surgery

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4 Ancient Tricks for Instant Headache Relief

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4 Ancient Tricks for Instant Headache Relief

Our Pharmacy in Beverly Hills knows that many people suffer from constant headaches and migraines.

Although many people just suffer through them or take over the counter medication, there are other ways to relieve yourself from the pain!

Did you know that ancient Tibetans applied pressure to certain spots of their bodies in order to relieve their headaches? This method, called acupressure, has been proven to be incredibly effective. Here are our tricks to help you.

1. Massage Between the Eyebrows

Try applying steady pressure the area between your eyebrows and above the bridge of your nose. Apply this pressure for several minutes repeatedly until you feel as though your pain is starting to relent. Touching this pressure point can aid in relief from pain caused by indigestion and eyestrain.

2. Massage Your Temples

Your temples, or the sides of your forehead, are other pressure points that can be touched with acupressure. Use your thumbs or the tips of your index finger to apply steady pressure to your temples; try moving your fingers in small circular motions until the pain subsides.

3. Massage the Back of Your Neck

Try pressing the back of your neck with the very tip of your index finger; this can help your migraine or a headache go away almost instantly. This works so quickly because the muscles in this area tighten when experiencing stress, this causes your head to ache. Therefore, directly targeting this spot is extremely effective.

4. Massage Between Your Big and Second Toes

This may seem like a weird pressure point to focus on, but there are many parts of the body that are interconnected despite not being next to each other. This spot in your foot can help you alleviate your headache or a migraine just as quickly as focusing on a spot on your head.

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Pharmacy of Beverly Hills is dedicated to providing their patients with accurate medical information.  Stay in touch by following us on Facebook and Twitter. Do want to learn more ways to relieve headaches or migraines? Our pharmacy in Beverly Hills recommends this article here.

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Pain in the temple area – the causes of occurrence, in what diseases it occurs, diagnosis and methods of treatment

Arthritis

Migraine

Meningitis

Neuralgia

Hypertension

Vasculitis

Otitis

Mountain sickness

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28 of October

Pain in the temple area: causes of occurrence, in which diseases it occurs, diagnosis and methods of treatment.

Definitions e

Pain in the temple area is one of the most common complaints that brings patients to the doctor.

In the bone structures of the skull and brain tissues, pain sensitivity is negligible, so the main sources of pain are blood vessels, meninges and cranial nerves.

Varieties of pain in the temple area

According to the International Headache Classification 3 (2013), all headaches are subdivided into:

• for primary pain not associated with diseases of the brain and other structures of the head and neck;
• secondary pain associated with other diseases;
• painful cranial neuropathies, other facial and headaches.

Possible causes of pain in the temple area

Arterial hypertension is one of the common causes of headache in the neck and temples. With an increase in pressure, headache attacks occur, which may be accompanied by nausea, vomiting, “flies” before the eyes.

Tension headache is one of the most common reasons for visiting a neurologist and therapist. Patients characterize it as compressive, pressing.

Tension headache impairs the quality of life and performance, despite the fact that it is considered benign and does not carry serious consequences.

Migraine is the most common form of paroxysmal headache.

Migraine is characterized by localization of pain in the temporo-fronto-orbital region and the paroxysmal nature of the course.

If the pain is not paroxysmal, then it is not a migraine. Attacks can be both on one side of the head, and on both, and also change their localization (right-left).

An attack of headache can occur at any time of the day, more often during a night’s sleep in the morning or after waking up. The pain is pulsating, bursting in nature, with a gradual increase in intensity over several hours. Before the onset of an attack, the so-called aura is possible (harbingers of pain, they are individual, but are often described as impaired vision, speech, dizziness). The pain is aggravated by bright light, from loud noises and other stimuli, up to a change in the position of the head. The attack can last up to several days.

Garris’ periodic migraine neuralgia – characterized by sudden onset of pain in the eye area on one side and spreading to the temporal, frontal and zygomatic regions, and sometimes even to the neck.

Unlike migraine, there are no signs of pain.

The pain is burning, cutting, bursting, accompanied by redness of the eye and tearing from the painful side. Some patients experience a sensation of “eye bulging out of the orbit”. All these attacks are characterized by a certain seasonality or periodicity. The duration of the attack is from 6-8 weeks to 3 months.

Pain in the temple area may occur immediately after drinking cold water or ice cream due to spasm of the arteries. In this case, the pain is bursting, squeezing, sometimes throbbing.

Cold pain occurs in individuals with increased sensitivity to cold stimuli and with high reactivity of the body.

“Sausage” headache (in English authors – hot dogs headache ) occurs when eating foods containing food additives such as sodium nitrate. During a chemical reaction in the body, nitrate is converted to nitrite, which has a vasomotor effect (controlling the contraction and relaxation of the muscle membrane of the walls of blood vessels, and therefore the lumen of blood vessels), and sensitive people may feel pain in the frontotemporal region.

A similar effect is sometimes seen in Chinese cuisine (“Chinese restaurant headache”), where monosodium glutamate is often used.

Giant cell arteritis is the world’s most common systemic vasculitis affecting large vessels. The favorite localization of this disease is the temporal artery. Most often, the pain is intense, accompanied by a limitation of the function of the corresponding temporomandibular joint, visual impairment with a gradual decrease in it, a thickened artery in the temple area is determined.

Without treatment, it can lead to permanent blindness of the eye on the side of the lesion.

In inflammatory diseases of the ear , pain in the temporal and parotid region is possible, which is accompanied by fever, redness, swelling in the ear, purulent discharge from the ear.
Meningitis develops when an infectious agent enters the membranes of the brain, followed by an inflammatory process.

Headache is sudden, sharp, diffuse, predominates in the fronto-temporal areas, sometimes accompanied by vomiting.

Neuralgia of the auricular-temporal nerve often occurs after an inflammatory process or traumatic lesion of the parotid gland. It is characterized by burning, throbbing pain in the external auditory canal, temple, temporomandibular joint, radiating to the lower jaw. The pain is accompanied by increased salivation, redness of the skin over the affected area. Seizures are provoked by food and smoking.

Neuralgia of the ear node is manifested by bouts of burning pain in the temporal region lasting from several minutes to an hour. May be accompanied by ear congestion and increased salivation.

Altitude sickness changes the tone of the arteries due to reduced oxygen pressure and changes in barometric pressure. Headache is accompanied by shortness of breath, palpitations, blurred vision.

The severity of symptoms depends on the rate of ascent to altitude.

The pain is relieved by applying cold to the temples and drinking cool water.

Traumatic injury to the temporal region can cause pain. This includes a wide group of pathologies: fracture of the temporal bone, dislocation of the temporomandibular joint, soft tissue contusion.

Subarachnoid hemorrhage occurs for various reasons, for example, as a result of a rupture of an aneurysm of cerebral vessels, a person feels as if a strong blow to the head, a hot liquid spilling in the head, strong constriction, and then bursting. The pain may initially be localized in the corresponding section of the head – in the temporal region when an aneurysm of the internal carotid artery ruptures.

Damage to the temporomandibular joint (both inflammatory – arthritis, and non-inflammatory – arthrosis, malocclusion) may be accompanied by pain in the parotid and temporal region. When moving the lower jaw, a crunch and clicking in the joint may occur, the pain intensifies when chewing and during a conversation.

Which doctors should I contact if I have pain in my temples?

With the appearance of intense and recurring pain in the temples, you should seek the advice of a specialist.

If pain persists after taking painkillers or other symptomatic treatment previously prescribed by a doctor (for example, to lower blood pressure), and there are no signs of injury, then you should contact
therapist or
pediatrician. Depending on the accompanying symptoms, you may need to consult a neurologist, rheumatologist, otolaryngologist, ophthalmologist. In case of a previous injury, it is necessary to consult a traumatologist or
surgeon to rule out severe injury.

Diagnostics and examinations for pain in the temples

The list of examinations is prescribed by the doctor depending on the indications. An approximate list of studies that can be assigned:

• computed tomography of the head;

CT scan of the brain and skull

Scanning of the brain, skull and surrounding tissues, which allows diagnosing various pathologies.

RUB 4,890

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MRI of the brain and cervical spine

Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical spine and brain for diagnosis and selection of the optimal treatment option.

RUB 10,890

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X-ray of the temporomandibular joints

An X-ray examination to assess the structure of the temporomandibular joint and identify associated pathology.

RUB 2,290

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Electroencephalography (EEG)

EEG is a safe and painless method for studying the functional state of the brain.

RUB 3,090

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C-reactive protein (CRP)

C-reactive protein – acute phase protein, a sensitive indicator of tissue damage during inflammation, necrosis, trauma.
Synonyms: Blood test for CRP; C-jet …

Up to 1 business day

Available with home visit

665 RUB

Add to cart

Clinical blood test: general analysis, leukogram, ESR (with microscopy of a blood smear in the presence of pathological changes)

Synonyms: Complete blood count, KLA. Full blood count, FBC, Complete blood count (CBC) with differential white blood cell count (CBC with diff), Hemogram.
Brief description of the study CBC: general a…

Up to 1 business day

Available with home visit

RUB 810

Add to cart

Hemostasiogram (coagulogram), screening

Synonyms: Hemostasiogram, coagulogram.
Coagulation studies (coagulation profile, coag panel, coagulogram).
Profile Composition:
No. 2 Prothrombin (prothrombin time, prothrombin (according to Quick), INR …

Up to 1 business day

Available with home visit

RUB 1,620

Add to cart

What to do with pain in the temples?

First of all, it is necessary to provide the patient with peace and fresh air, dim bright lighting, turn off loud music.

As a first aid, you can apply a cold compress to the temporal region – a towel soaked in cold water or ice previously wrapped in a cloth.

If you have had similar pains before and the doctor prescribed drugs, you should take them.

Treatment of pain in the temple area

The choice of treatment depends on the cause of the pain.

Of the medical methods of therapy, anti-inflammatory non-steroidal drugs are used, however, independent long-term treatment with them without medical supervision is not recommended.

Depending on the pathology, specific types of treatment are used for this disease. So, with arterial hypertension, the doctor will prescribe drugs that reduce blood pressure. In giant cell arteritis, glucocorticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapy are used. In inflammatory diseases of the ear, antibiotic therapy is carried out. Injuries often require surgery and treatment in a hospital setting.

Sources:

1. Healy P. M., Jacobson E.J. Differential diagnosis of internal diseases: Algorithmic approach. Per from English. – M.: Binom, 2014. 280 p.
2. www.ihs-headache.org
3. Clinical guidelines “Migraine”. Developed by: All-Russian Society of Neurologists, Russian Society for the Study of Headache. – 2021.
4. Headache. – 2nd ed., revised. and additional – M.: Medical Information Agency, 2007. 472 p.
5. International recommendations. Clinical pharmacology and therapy. Recommendations for the treatment of giant cell arteritis of the French group for the study of large vessel vasculitis / I.O. Smitienko, P.I. Novikov, A.D. Meshkov, S.V. Moiseev. – Moscow, 2017, 26 (5). pp. 57–64.

IMPORTANT!

The information in this section should not be used for self-diagnosis or self-treatment. In case of pain or other exacerbation of the disease, only the attending physician should prescribe diagnostic tests. For diagnosis and proper treatment, you should contact your doctor.
For a correct assessment of the results of your analyzes in dynamics, it is preferable to do studies in the same laboratory, since different laboratories may use different research methods and units of measurement to perform the same analyzes.

6 Ways to Relieve Stress Headaches Named

• Health

Stress can be a key cause and trigger of excruciating migraines. Here are six expert tips on how to deal effectively with it.

April 11, 2022

Source:

Getty Images

Our way of life, the endless race – goals, tasks, career, “overdose” of digital information, do not make people healthier, but, on the contrary, cause diseases and conditions that did not bother us before.

In the first lines – migraine, in which a person experiences severe headaches, most often localized in the forehead and temples. Other signs of a migraine include sensitivity to light and loud sounds, nausea, and vomiting.

Migraines of varying intensity and frequency can be caused by common triggers such as strong perfume, hunger, certain foods such as cheese, chocolate and smoked meats. In addition, pain can be provoked by improperly selected glasses, sleep disturbances and stress.

Here are some ways you can help relieve stress-induced migraines. Advice from pharmacist Parvinder Sagu is published by The Mirror.

See also

Rest in a dark room

If you suffer from migraines, you may be sensitive to light and sound. In this case, it is worth moving to a dimly lit or even completely dark room for the duration of the attack.

But just lying down is not enough. Close your eyes and try to relieve muscle tension, relax your back, shoulders and neck – to do this, exhale, relaxing your chest, and lower your shoulders to the stop, then straighten along the body and relax your arms – one by one.

Try to remain still (moving can make the attack worse) and rest for a few hours, or at least until the migraine subsides a little. If you fall asleep, this can also help get rid of an attack.

Hot or cold compress

Both cold and heat can help relieve the pain and muscle tension that accompanies a migraine.

Try to massage the muscles in the bath with a hot jet from the shower, direct them to the place where it hurts. A heating pad, a warm towel, or a compress are also helpful.

If, on the contrary, the cold helps you, soak a towel in cold water and apply it to your forehead, temples, and neck.

Try acupressure

Acupressure is a type of reflexology where the effect is achieved by pressing on certain points of the body. This is a type of targeted massage that can, in some cases, quickly relieve the pain of a stressful migraine.

One of the tricks:

• place your thumbs at the base of the skull in small “holes” on both sides – where the head meets the neck, slight pressure,

• while pressing, make small circles with your thumbs – continue the procedure for about two to three minutes. This should ease your headache.

See also

Get your dose of caffeine

Be careful here. For some, caffeine is a migraine trigger, and a cup of coffee may well make the pain worse.

But caffeine can help others, especially stress-induced migraines. In this case, it can act as an anesthetic.

Try massage

A quality massage is great for relaxing muscles and is especially good for stress or tension headaches.

Ask someone Gently massage your head, neck and shoulders, and gently massage the painful area on your head with your fingertips in a circular motion for a few seconds.

See also

Neck Exercise

Neck exercises are useful for relieving severe headaches that can be caused by sitting at a computer for a long time – especially in an uncomfortable position (with the head tilted down).

One of the exercises recommended by neurologists is to put your palm on your forehead and for a few seconds press your head hard on it (you should feel how the neck muscles tense and relax).