Pain Behind Eye Socket: 7 Causes and Treatments
What are the causes of pain behind the eye socket? Learn about the common conditions like eyestrain, migraine, dental problems, glaucoma, and more that can lead to pain behind the eye, and how to treat them.
Understanding Pain Behind the Eye Socket
Pain behind the eye socket can be a concerning and debilitating symptom, as it can arise from a variety of underlying health conditions. This article will examine the potential causes of pain behind the eye, the associated symptoms, treatment options, and when it’s important to seek medical attention.
Common Causes of Pain Behind the Eye Socket
1. Eye Strain
Prolonged exposure to digital screens, poor lighting, and other visual demands can lead to eye strain, causing pain, dryness, and fatigue in the eye region. Giving the eyes regular breaks and using the 20-20-20 rule (look 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes) can help alleviate eye strain-related pain behind the eye.
2. Migraine
Migraine is a common neurological condition that can cause severe, throbbing pain behind the eye, often accompanied by visual disturbances, nausea, and sensitivity to light and sound. Prescription migraine medications and avoiding triggers like certain foods, stress, and hormonal changes may help manage migraine-related eye pain.
3. Sinus Infection
Sinus infections, or sinusitis, can cause a feeling of pressure and pain behind the eyes, along with other symptoms like thick nasal discharge, headaches, and a reduced sense of smell. Antibiotics may be prescribed to treat bacterial sinus infections.
4. Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis
This rare condition involves the development of a blood clot in the cavernous sinus, a vein located between the brain and the back of the eye sockets. It can be life-threatening and is often caused by infections in the sinuses, ears, nose, or throat. Prompt medical treatment is crucial.
5. Glaucoma
Glaucoma, a condition characterized by increased pressure within the eye, can cause pain, redness, and vision changes. Early detection and treatment are essential to prevent permanent vision loss.
6. Dental Problems
Dental issues, such as tooth abscesses or temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, can refer pain to the eye region. Addressing the underlying dental problem may help alleviate eye pain.
7. Giant Cell Arteritis
This inflammatory condition affecting the arteries can cause severe, sudden pain behind the eye, along with headaches, vision changes, and jaw claudication. Prompt treatment with corticosteroids is necessary to prevent vision loss.
Diagnosing the Cause of Eye Pain
Determining the underlying cause of pain behind the eye is crucial for effective treatment. Your healthcare provider may perform a comprehensive eye examination, review your medical history, and potentially order imaging tests or other diagnostic procedures to identify the source of the pain.
Treatments for Pain Behind the Eye Socket
The specific treatment will depend on the underlying cause of the eye pain. Potential treatment options may include:
- Over-the-counter pain relievers for eye strain or mild migraines
- Prescription medications for chronic migraines or glaucoma
- Antibiotics for sinus infections
- Anticoagulant or antibiotic treatment for cavernous sinus thrombosis
- Corticosteroids for giant cell arteritis
- Addressing underlying dental issues
In some cases, the use of cool or warm compresses, rest, and avoiding potential triggers may also help alleviate eye pain.
When to Seek Medical Attention
If you experience persistent or severe pain behind the eye, it’s important to consult a healthcare provider. Sudden, severe, or worsening eye pain, especially accompanied by vision changes, should be considered a medical emergency and requires immediate attention.
Conclusion
Pain behind the eye socket can have a wide range of underlying causes, from common conditions like eye strain and migraine to more serious issues like sinus infections and glaucoma. Seeking prompt medical evaluation and appropriate treatment is crucial to alleviate the discomfort and prevent potential complications. By understanding the possible causes and recognizing the need for medical attention, individuals can take steps to address and manage their eye pain effectively.
7 causes of pain behind the eye
Pain behind the eye can result from eyestrain, migraine, dental problems, glaucoma, giant cell arteritis, and other causes. Treatment will depend on the cause, but applying cool or warm compresses may help.
Pain behind the eye is a nonspecific symptom as it can be associated with many different health conditions.
Common types of pain behind the eye vary from dull aches to sharp and intense pains. Some people experience a sharp pain behind while others have a deeper pain inside the head. Symptoms can also include tearing, sensitivity to light, redness, vision changes, or pain during eye movement.
This article examines the possible causes of pain behind the eye, treatments, alternative therapies, and when to consult a doctor if the pain persists.
Reviewing the possible causes for pain behind the eye may provide people with a better sense of the signs of discomfort and when to seek medical help.
There are as many as 300 types of headaches, including those that may cause pain behind the eye. The specific causes are known for only about 10% of headaches. Where a person feels pain does not necessarily correspond to what is causing it.
Many different health issues can cause pain behind the eye, including the following:
Straining the eyes can leave them feeling dry, tired, and blurry.
Research has shown that if a person stares at something for an extended time, they tend to blink less, so eyes become less moist. People should keep screens at a comfortable distance and take breaks from digital devices to reduce eyestrain.
The following may put people at risk of eyestrain:
- spending long hours staring at a screen
- being exposed to glare
- straining eyes in poor lighting
- driving long distances
- struggling to get by without glasses or an updated prescription when needed
- other underlying vision problems
Treatment
Giving the eyes a chance to rest and recover can do a lot to relieve pain behind the eye due to eye strain. People can use the 20-20-20 rule, which involves looking away to a distance of at least 20 feet for 20 seconds every 20 minutes.
People may also try over-the-counter (OTC) artificial tears to help relieve dry, tired eyes.
Migraine is a common condition related to the brain that can often cause headaches along with extreme pain behind the eye. Migraine affects roughly 2 in 10 people, occurs in females more than males, and tends to run families.
Other symptoms
Migraine symptoms may also include visual disturbances, such as:
- shimmering lights
- zig-zag lines
- flashes of light
These disturbances may occur on only one side of the head and worsen with movement, exposure to sound, light, or strong smells.
Migraine headaches may also cause people to feel nauseated or experience vomiting.
Treatment
Doctors may recommend nonprescription medications, such as aspirin and ibuprofen.
However, people with migraine often need prescription medications. These medications balance the chemical changes leading to a migraine and include:
- Imitrex
- Amerge
- Zomig
If migraine attacks are severe or happen frequently, a doctor may recommend taking daily medication like beta-blockers.
The best remedy to prevent migraine is to avoid triggers where possible. Common triggers include:
- certain foods, like aged cheeses and red wine
- food additives and artificial sweeteners
- hormonal imbalances, for example, during pregnancy or menstruation
- emotional stress or anxiety
- environmental factors, including smells, temperatures, sounds, or lights
- irregular sleep patterns
- poor posture
- dehydration
- certain medications, including sleeping pills or hormonal treatments
Doctors often misdiagnose sinus infection as migraine due to the overlap in symptoms and triggers such as weather changes. A person must consult a medical professional to determine the cause of any headache.
Other symptoms
Thick, discolored nasal discharge is a common symptom of a viral or bacterial infection in the sinuses.
Other symptoms may include:
- headaches
- facial pain
- a feeling of pressure
- an impaired sense of smell
- fever
Treatment
Doctors may prescribe antibiotics to treat this type of infection if it is bacterial.
In some cases, doctors will use a CT scan to determine whether sinus disease or migraine is causing the pain.
This rare condition occurs when a potentially life threatening or a septic blood clot develops in the cavernous sinus. The cavernous sinus is a vein running between the bottom of the brain to the back of the eye sockets. A bacterial infection often causes this condition.
Septic cavernous sinus thrombosis can occur due to the following conditions:
- sinusitis
- dental infections
- pharyngitis
- tonsillitis
- other ear, nose, or throat infections
People with uncontrolled diabetes or receiving treatment for cancer may be at risk of developing cavernous sinus thrombosis.
Other symptoms
Symptoms may include:
- a severe, sudden headache
- pain or swelling around the eyes
- vision changes
- high fever
Treatment
Doctors tend to treat this condition with antibiotics and antimicrobial therapies, typically for 3–4 weeks. They should monitor patients’ conditions closely even after the discontinuation of antibiotics.
Other experts recommend anticoagulants to thin blood and therefore prevent further blood clots. Doctors typically prescribe these for several weeks to several months.
Doctors consider this type of treatment effective in slowing down the progression of blood cots and reducing the mortality rate. However, there is also some controversy surrounding anticoagulants as they can result in hemorrhage or bleeding.
Another option that doctors often prescribe is corticosteroids, as there is a potential benefit of reducing inflammation. Doctors do not recommend surgical interventions for the cavernous sinuses themselves.
In cases where the blood clot is septic and potentially fatal, a person may require hospitalization, often in an intensive care unit.
Three nerve branches run through the jaw and eye areas, meaning that issues with the jaw could potentially lead to pain behind and around the eye.
Dental and bite problems that can cause pain behind the eye include tooth infections and temporomandibular (TMJ) disorder, which is dysfunction in the jaw joint.
Other symptoms
If TMJ causes orbital eye pain, people may also experience:
- eye strain
- watery eyes
- sensitivity to light
Treatment
If doctors have ruled out other medical conditions causing pain behind the eye, they may recommend consulting an orthodontist to check jaw joints and bite.
Realigning the bite with custom-made aligners for the teeth, through orthodontic treatment, can reduce the stress put on the muscles and joints in the head and neck. This treatment may alleviate nerve pain and pain behind the eye.
The two types of glaucoma are primary open-angle and angle-closure.
Risk factors include a family history of the condition and other eye-related injuries or surgeries.
Primary open-angle glaucoma is where eye fluid does not drain correctly, causing damage to the optic nerve. However, this type of glaucoma is painless.
Angle-closure glaucoma occurs when a person’s iris blocks the drainage angle where eye fluid leaves the eye. When this is blocked, pressure builds up quickly, and immediate medical attention is needed to protect the vision.
Other symptoms
Symptoms include:
- sudden, severe eye pain
- headache
- blurry vision
- nausea
- vomiting
- seeing halos around lights
Treatment
Medical treatment for angle-closure glaucoma may include eye drops or laser surgery.
A person must use daily eye drops to reduce eye pressure. While this treatment will help maintain the vision, there will be several side effects associated with this medication, including:
- a stinging sensation
- red eyes or inflamed skin around the eyes
- blurred vision
- eyelash growth
- breathing changes
- changes in energy levels
- changes in pulse and heartbeat
The type of surgery used for angle-closure glaucoma is an iridotomy. An ophthalmologist will create a hole in the iris using a laser to help eye fluid flow through the drainage angle.
This condition is a type of vasculitis, a group of rare diseases causing inflammation of the blood vessels. Giant cell arteritis (GCA), which is also referred to temporal arteritis, may cause the arteries in the scalp, head, and temples to swell.
GCA can also occur alongside joint pain disorder known as polymyalgia rheumatica. This condition is a cause of widespread aches and stiffness in people over 50.
Other symptoms
Symptoms of GCA include:
- a new, persisting headache
- fever
- fatigue
- loss of appetite
- temporary loss of vision
Permanent loss of vision can occur in some cases, but appropriate treatment can prevent this.
Treatment
GCA requires immediate medical treatment to reduce the risk of loss of vision. The treatment usually involves high doses of corticosteroids, typically 40–60 milligrams (mg) per day of prednisone for a month.
In most cases, doctors reduce the dose to about 5–10 mg per day for a few months or up to a year. GCA rarely returns after treatment.
In 2017, doctors approved tocilizumab (Actemra) as an effective treatment for GCA as more people are in remission. Medical professionals can administer this drug intravenously on a monthly basis, or patients can self-administer an injection every 1–2 weeks.
The following complementary practices may help people find relief for headaches, which could include pain behind the eye:
- acupuncture
- massaging pressure points
- biofeedback therapy
- relaxation therapy
Home remedies
There are also some common home remedies to prevent or help relieve pain behind the eye, including:
- applying cold or warm compresses
- staying well-hydrated, such as through drinking herbal teas
- exercising regularly
- getting plenty of rest
- limiting alcohol and caffeine use
- relaxing muscles in a hot bath or shower
- avoiding noisy and bright environments
- reducing screen time
- using OTC pain relievers
- reducing stress where appropriate
- magnesium supplements, particularly in the case of migraine attacks
While some conditions improve with home care and OTC medications, other symptoms require prompt medical attention.
Signs that it is time to see a doctor include pain that:
- is severe
- gets worse with time, coughing, or movement
- is accompanied by fever, numbness, a stiff neck, slurred speech, confusion, or visual disturbances
- develops quickly
- is accompanied by a sore, red eye or sore, tender temples
- develops in people with impaired immune systems or cancers
The outlook for pain behind the eye depends on the cause. Doctors can use several treatments to treat the cause of the pain.
Specific causes of pain behind the eye, such as migraine, may be more likely if people have a family history of the condition. It is important to have frequent check-ups with medical professionals to discuss the risk and the signs to look out for.
Other causes, such as eye strain, may resolve with home remedies, including adequate rest and drinking enough water. Doctors may also recommend nonprescription drugs, such as ibuprofen. Alternative therapies may improve the outlook for certain eye conditions.
Some causes of eye pain could require a course of prescription drugs, including steroids, and in some cases, medical treatment and long-term care.
The location of the eye pain may not be related to the cause. A person should keep track of triggers and other symptoms that accompany the pain. This information will help a doctor make an informed diagnosis and provide suitable recommendations for treatment.
Pressure Behind the Eye: Causes, Treatment, and More
A feeling of pressure or pain behind your eyes doesn’t always stem from a problem inside your eyes. It usually starts in another part of your head.
Though eye conditions can cause eye pain and vision problems, they rarely cause pressure. Even glaucoma, which is caused by a buildup of pressure inside the eye, doesn’t cause a feeling of pressure.
Eye conditions like pink eye or allergies can cause eye pain, but not pressure. Pain generally feels like a stabbing, burning, or stinging sensation. Pressure behind the eyes feels like fullness or a stretching sensation inside the eye.
Keep reading to learn more about pressure behind the eye and its possible causes and treatments.
A few conditions can cause pressure behind the eye, including:
- sinus problems
- headaches
- Graves’ disease
- damage to the optic nerve
- tooth pain
Sinusitis
Sinusitis, or a sinus infection, happens when bacteria or viruses get into the space behind your nose, eyes, and cheeks. These germs cause your sinuses to swell up and your nose to fill with mucus. With a sinus infection, you’ll feel pressure in the upper part of your face, including behind your eyes.
Additional symptoms of sinusitis may include:
- pain behind your nose, eyes, and cheeks
- stuffed nose
- mucus, which might be thick, yellow, or green, draining from your nose
- cough
- bad breath
- headache
- ear pain or pressure
- fever
- fatigue
Headaches
Two types of headaches, tension and cluster headaches, can cause a feeling of pressure behind the eyes.
Tension headaches are the most common type of headache, affecting nearly 80 percent of people.
Cluster headaches are an extremely painful type of headache that comes and goes. You might get cluster headaches for a few days or weeks, and then not have any headaches for many months or years.
In addition to pressure behind the eye, symptoms of a headache may include:
- pain in your head that feels tight, aching, or intense
- soreness in your neck and shoulder muscles
- red, teary eyes
- redness or sweating of your face
- swelling on one side of your face
- drooping eyelid
Graves’ disease
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease that causes the immune system to mistakenly attack the thyroid gland. This makes the gland release too much of its hormone. Graves’ disease affects the eye muscles, causing the eyes to bulge. Many people with this disease also have a feeling of pressure behind their eyes, which gets worse when they move their eyes. Additional symptoms may include:
- bulging eyes
- eye pain
- feeling like there’s something in your eye
- puffy eyelids
- red eyes
- vision loss
Optic neuritis
Autoimmune diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) or lupus can cause swelling, or inflammation, behind the eye. This swelling can damage the optic nerve, which transmits visual information from your eyes to your brain. Optic neuritis can cause pain that might feel like pressure or an ache behind your eye. You may also experience:
- vision loss in one eye
- loss of side vision or color vision
- pain that gets worse when you move your eyes
- flashing lights when you move your eyes
Tooth pain
It might seem unlikely that your teeth could affect your eyes, but a problem with your bite or jaw alignment can make you tense the muscles of your face. This muscle tension can cause a headache, which may include a feeling of pain and pressure behind your eyes.
Call your doctor right away if you have any of these more serious symptoms:
- high fever
- vision loss
- severe headache
- loss of feeling or movement in any part of your body
Your family doctor should be able to determine what’s causing you to feel pressure behind your eyes. They may also refer you to one of these specialists:
- ear, nose, and throat (ENT) doctor, a doctor who treats sinus and allergy problems
- neurologist, a doctor who specializes in the brain and nervous system
- ophthalmologist, a doctor who specializes in the eyes
The doctor will start by asking about your symptoms, such as what the pressure feels like, how long you’ve had it, and what might have triggered it. You may also need tests, including:
- Endoscopy. During this procedure, your doctor will apply a numbing medicine to the inside of your nose and then insert a thin, lighted scope. The camera on the end of the scope allows your doctor to look for any swelling or growths in your sinuses.
- MRI. This test uses computers and radio waves to make pictures of your brain and other organs.
- CT scan. This test uses X-rays to create pictures of your brain and other organs.
- Ultrasound. High-frequency sound waves make pictures of your thyroid gland or other structures inside your body with an ultrasound test.
- Blood test. Your doctor may order blood tests to check your thyroid hormone level or look for the antibodies that are produced when you have an autoimmune disease.
- Radioactive iodine uptake. This test looks for thyroid disease, including Graves’ disease. Your thyroid gland uses iodine to make thyroid hormones. This test gives you a small amount of radioactive iodine and then scans your thyroid with a special camera to see how much iodine your thyroid pulls in.
If your doctor thinks the feeling of pressure stems from your eye, you’ll need an eye exam. The eye doctor might shine a bright light into your eye to check the health of your optic nerve and other structures inside your eye.
For a jaw or tooth problem, you’ll need to see a dentist. The dentist will examine your jaw and bite to see if a misalignment is causing muscle strain and the sensation of pressure behind your eye.
Your treatment will depend on the underlying cause of your symptoms.
For sinusitis, if bacteria caused the infection, your doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat it. For a chronic (long-term) sinus infection, you might need to take antibiotics for three to four weeks.
Antibiotics won’t kill viruses. You can treat a viral infection by rinsing your nose with a solution of salt and water. This solution is also known as a saline solution. Decongestants and pain relievers can also help relieve your discomfort until the infection goes away.
Talk to your doctor if the sinus pressure and other symptoms don’t go away. You might need sinus surgery to treat the problem.
For headaches, you can take an over-the-counter pain reliever, such as aspirin (Bufferin, Bayer Advanced Aspirin), acetaminophen (Tylenol), or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil). Some headache medicines combine aspirin or acetaminophen with caffeine or a sedative. For example, Excedrin Migraine combines aspirin, acetaminophen, and caffeine.
Your doctor may prescribe a stronger pain reliever such as a narcotic, a muscle relaxer, or a triptan drug like sumatriptan (Imitrex) or zolmitriptan (Zomig) to help prevent or treat headaches.
If you have Graves’ disease, your doctor can prescribe a medication that blocks your thyroid gland’s ability to make hormones. Your doctor may also recommend radioactive iodine treatment or surgery to destroy or remove your thyroid gland. After this treatment, you’ll need to take medicine to replace the hormone that’s no longer produced by your thyroid gland.
For optic neuritis, your doctor might give you steroid medications to bring down the swelling in your optic nerve. If MS is causing the optic neuritis, your doctor may prescribe drugs like interferon-beta-1a (Avonex, Rebif, Rebif Rebidose) to prevent more nerve damage.
If you have a bite or jaw alignment issue, your dentist can do a procedure to correct your alignment.
Your outlook depends on which condition’s causing the pressure behind your eye. You’ll have the best chance of relieving the pressure if you follow your doctor’s instructions carefully and take any medications you’re prescribed.
ophthalmology // Top-level vision care
Sometimes we feel a special kind of discomfort – it seems that either the head or the eyes hurt. This pain occurs in the sinus region or at the back of the eyes. Sometimes the pain is throbbing, sometimes it is constant. This condition frightens us very much and we want to know what caused this pain? What can be done to ease it? Maybe something is wrong with the vision?
Let’s answer the last question first.
Scientists at the American Academy of Ophthalmology have defined “eye pain” as “physical discomfort caused by an eye or other disease. ” But scientists emphasize at the same time that “the place of pain does not necessarily indicate the cause of pain.”
In most cases, the cause of a headache that is felt in the eyes may lie elsewhere. We feel pain in this exact location through networks of interconnected sensory nerves that permeate every tissue in the body.
“ Nearly all pain-sensing structures in the head transmit pain sensation to the eyes,” says Dr. Mark W. Green, MD, professor of neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York. – ” The fact that the eye hurts does not mean that the problem is in the eye itself. In fact, it happens quite rarely .”
Green advises to remember one useful rule: if the white part of the eye (sclera) is not reddened and there are no complaints about vision – a fuzzy or distorted picture, it is very unlikely that the headache is related to the eyes themselves.
Common causes of eye pain
- Migraine
Migraine is the most common type of headache that robs us of the joy of life. This is a flushing-like headache that can last up to 72 hours and is often characterized by severe throbbing pain on one side of the head and behind the eyes. Pain can also be felt in the back of the head. Other classic migraine symptoms are nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light, smell, and sound.
There are many triggers that can trigger a migraine. These include fatigue, emotional stress, lack of or excessive sleep, skipping meals, bright or flickering lights, strong odors, loud noises, certain foods, and changes in temperature and humidity. There is also a genetic predisposition to migraine: 70% of patients report at least one close relative who also suffered from migraine.
Early-stage migraines can be successfully treated with over-the-counter pain relievers, but there are several prescription medications that can be used both preventively and to reduce the number of attacks and pain symptom.
Chronic migraine and eye pain may require daily medication.
- Cluster headaches
Cluster headache is a condition characterized by multiple and frequent attacks of headache. These cluster periods can last weeks or months, and then there is a remission period when headaches do not occur for several months or years.
Cluster headache usually occurs quickly, sometimes the pain has precursors, pain can last up to three hours. Symptoms include pain (often a headache behind one eye) that radiates to other parts of the face, head and neck, red and swollen eyes, and excessive watering.
Cluster headaches are thought to be caused by abnormalities in the hypothalamus (the part of the brain that controls many important bodily functions). True, there is no cure for cluster headaches associated with the eyes.
Treatment of cluster headaches is aimed at reducing the severity of symptoms, reducing the period of cluster headaches and preventing future attacks. Treatment options include oxygen therapy, triptan injections, and local anesthetics.
- Sinus infections
The sinuses are the air-filled spaces of the skull. They are located behind the nose, forehead and cheeks, as well as behind the eyes. A sinus infection (sinusitis) is a common cause of pain, including headaches in the eyes.
Migraine is often mistaken for the pain of a sinus infection. Treatment for sinus headaches includes treating the underlying infection with prescription medications and decongestants.
- Glaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disease in which the optic nerve is affected, causing loss of peripheral vision, blurred vision, difficulty adapting to darkness, and halos around light sources.
A special type of glaucoma is acute glaucoma, which can cause nausea and severe headache behind the eyes. If you feel these symptoms, you should contact your optometrist immediately.
- Sclerite
Scleritis is a severe inflammation of the sclera, or outer covering of the eyeball. It is most often caused by autoimmune diseases. Symptoms include headache behind the eye, red or pink eyes, tearing and blurred vision, and photosensitivity.
- Optic neuritis
Optic neuritis, or inflammation of the optic nerve, is accompanied by eye pain or headache behind the eyes, blurred vision, loss of color vision, floaters, nausea, and loss of vision.
- Graves’ disease or Graves’ disease
Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disease associated with malfunctions of the thyroid gland. Basedow’s disease affects the eyes, they become very bulging, redden, the eyelids retract, the ability to move the eyes is limited in patients, the image doubles, sometimes there may be loss of vision. In some cases, Graves’ disease can also cause eye pain.
If you experience unusual pain behind your eyes, contact your optometrist immediately. If the whites of your eyes change color, or if you feel nauseous or have vision problems associated with a headache, these are signs and symptoms of an acute attack of glaucoma, which can cause permanent vision loss. Find out what causes eye pain.
Make an appointment with an ophthalmologist at the AILAZ clinic and be sure to get a consultation. Our clinic is located in the same room as the CITY DOCTOR medical center. Thanks to multidisciplinary specialists, we can immediately provide you with all the help you need, even if it turns out that the pain in the eyes is not caused by the eyes and is not related to ophthalmology. We care about your health at 100%!
Headache in the projection of the nose and paranasal sinuses can be due to various reasons.
What to do with a headache in the projection of the nose and paranasal sinuses?
Try to identify your illness from the following material. Go to the page describing our approaches to its treatment.
Why can a headache occur in the projection of the nose and paranasal sinuses?
Constant difficulty in nasal breathing, caused by various reasons, causes insufficient oxygen supply to the body (hypoxia). Against this background, in the evening, after physical exertion, a diffuse headache may occur, often localized in the forehead.
What diseases are possible with this symptom?
Headache in the projection of the nose and paranasal sinuses often occurs due to diseases of the nose and sinuses. At the same time, it is accompanied by difficulty in nasal breathing, decreased sense of smell, mucous or mucopurulent discharge from the nose.
Pain syndrome in acute sinusitis or exacerbation of chronic sinusitis has features depending on which of the sinuses it occurs.
So, with inflammation of the mucous membrane of the cells of the ethmoid labyrinth (ethmoiditis), pain appears in the region of the root of the nose (nose bridge) and the inner corner of the eye, aggravated by palpation.
In case of maxillary sinusitis (sinusitis), patients are worried about headache in the projection of the maxillary sinuses. It may spread to the forehead, zygomatic bone, temple, upper teeth, i. e. the pain can be covered by the entire half of the face.
Inflammation of the mucous membrane of the frontal sinus (frontitis) is characterized by severe, sometimes acute headache in the projection of the affected sinus.
In acute sphenoiditis (inflammation of the mucous membrane of the sphenoid sinus), patients complain of an intense “split” headache radiating to the back of the head and orbit.
There are features of headaches in chronic sphenoiditis. There is a feeling of squeezing the head with a “hoop” or finding it, as it were, in a “vice”, it gives back to the eyeball. The headache is persistent, aggravated by exposure to the sun or in a hot room, impairs sleep, memory, and reduces performance.
Important!
I would like to draw attention to the ability of chronic sinusitis to proceed secretly. For example, manifesting only excruciating headache. Such patients undergo long-term and unsuccessful treatment by a neurologist. Therefore, with a headache of any localization, an examination by an ENT doctor is required, even if nasal breathing is free.
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Hello! Ber 21 weeks. Rhinitis of pregnant women began (1 nostril is constantly blocked). Terrible condition, 2 times a day I have to drip snoop…
After drops from a runny nose in this case, Xelenometanasol compresses the sinuses of the nose, sometimes it just compresses and I can’t breathe normally through my nose more often…
Hello! Ber 21 weeks. Rhinitis of pregnant women began (1 nostril is constantly blocked). Terrible condition, 2 times a day you have to drip snoop …
Hello. 75 years old, sphenoiditis on the left. I had surgery in December 2022. Conclusion: foreign body, mycetoma. Bakposev was not done. Wound canal…
Hello, I did a CT scan of the sinuses, as a result it is written: a picture of cysts / polyps of the maxillary sinuses and deviation of the nasal septum… was to look at the endoscope?
Good evening! A runny nose worries me, it lasts about the third week, at first it just ran out of my nose, I was treated with dezrinitis, it seems to have begun to pass .