Every person has pain in their left ear, temple, back of the head or another part of the head at least once in their life. Periodic attacks of pain are an extremely unpleasant sensation, especially if the pain is severe. This involuntarily makes you wonder: what is the cause of the syndrome, how can you cope with it? Some people know for sure: you get a headache if you are very tired. For others, it is much more difficult to determine the prerequisites for its occurrence, and the sensations themselves are chronic and constantly appear throughout life.
It hurts: how?
The head can hurt in different areas and zones. Features of localization depend on the underlying causes of pain, as well as a number of individual factors and characteristics. As a rule, at the appointment, the doctor first of all clarifies whether the pain is in the right half of the head or the left, then gradually determines the source of the most severe sensations. It is known from statistics that very often patients come to the clinic due to a headache in the left temple. Soreness can spread to the visual and auditory organs, covering the back of the head and crown.
Pain in the left side of the head is a common occurrence, but this does not mean that it is completely safe. It is known that most often the symptom occurs during night rest and early morning, but it may occur at an unpredictable moment. At the appointment, the doctor will ask you to characterize the syndrome, to clarify whether there is throbbing pain in the left temple, sharp, dull, aching, pressing, bursting, stabbing. The most accurate description will help the doctor make a correct preliminary diagnosis.
Preventive measures
The main prevention of any diseases that provoke headaches in the temple area are generally accepted rules:
- adhere to a healthy lifestyle;
- eliminate bad habits;
- pay attention to physical activity;
- diversify your diet with fresh vegetables and fruits;
- walk in the fresh air more often;
If you follow your doctor's recommendations and monitor your health, you can eliminate the occurrence of various diseases that are accompanied by headaches. And in case of stable discomfort, it is necessary to consult a specialist for advice as early as possible.
Causes and consequences
Why can a dull, sharp pain appear in the left temple, coming in attacks or tormenting constantly? The symptom indicates some pathology, and what kind of pathology will have to be found out by taking tests and undergoing instrumental studies chosen by the doctor. Often, pain in the temple indicates caries or breathing problems, nasal congestion. There are no less frequent cases when the root cause of the patient’s complaints is vegetative-vascular dystonia.
Elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) is a pathological condition that is very widespread among ordinary people. Often it is this that causes pain in the left temple. Due to intracranial pressure that exceeds the norm, headaches more often occur in adolescents, young people, and adults who are very tired due to school and work. The higher the intensity of mental activity, the more severe the manifestations of VSD. Everyday stress also plays a role. The attack can be activated by bending over, sudden physical activity, or rising from a horizontal position.
If a headache radiating to the left temple is caused by VSD, the sensations will be dull and pressing. The visual system may be affected: the eye twitches from above. For some, the soreness extends to the jaw.
Why does my left temple hurt?
The use of analgesics, antispasmodics, and NSAIDs turns out to be useless against the background of a number of physiological and pathological conditions. Pain in the left temple may be a consequence of stress, vasospasm due to hypothermia or an unsuccessful hairstyle, eating unhealthy foods or staying on a strict diet for a long time.
The main causes of pain of a pathological nature are associated with the condition of blood vessels or nerve endings.
Its cause may be congenital or acquired pathological changes in blood vessels, traumatic brain injury, stroke, or systematic hypothermia of the head. In this case, there is severe and constant pain in the left temple. The skin in the area swells and begins to pulsate.
Migraine
With this neurological disease, in almost 99% of cases, cephalgia affects only half of the skull; sometimes the hemispheres can change. Initially, the patient has pain in part of the head - the forehead, temple, crown or back of the head. The sensation gradually spreads throughout the entire hemisphere and affects the eye. It is characterized by pulsation, constant character and increasing intensity.
Additional characteristic signs of migraine:
- fear of light, smells, sounds;
- nausea, which at the peak of pain turns into vomiting - this brings relief to the patient and allows him to fall asleep;
- weakness, decreased performance;
- lethargy and drowsiness, but the patient experiences problems sleeping.
The appearance of a headache in the left temple may be associated with pinched nerve endings located on this side of the head. The sensations are sharp, intense, and occur suddenly. They are characterized by lumbago in the temporal zone with echoes in the cheek, mouth, jaw, ear or eye. The pain is so intense that the person freezes, afraid of provoking an increase in the symptom. Sometimes patients begin to involuntarily massage the affected side, but this does not bring relief.
Bursting or pressing cephalalgia can be caused by intracranial hypertension. Depending on the causes and location of the source of the problem, the patient has pain in the left temple of the head or another area. The symptom occurs due to impaired absorption of cerebrospinal fluid and an increase in its volume. This condition is provoked by injuries, infectious diseases, and problems with the spine.
Signs of a disease of unknown etiology often occur in men. Persons of mature age and strong physique are predisposed to the pathology. Smoking increases the risk of developing the disease. It is characterized by sudden, intense pain in the left temple (or right), which has a burning, increasing character and can last from 5 minutes to 1.5 hours.
It occurs behind the eye, then the pain spreads to the temple, accompanied by nasal congestion, sweating, redness of the face, and lacrimation. Attacks can occur in clusters (series) - up to 8-10 per day. Their duration sometimes reaches several weeks, after which a prolonged remission begins.
Most often, an increase in blood pressure is accompanied by cephalgia of the occipital localization. In this case, the head hurts on the left side, right, or along the entire back surface. The sensations can spread to the crown and temples. They have a bursting character, sometimes supplemented by pulsation. The pain is accompanied by dizziness, weakness, anxiety, deterioration in the quality of vision, loss of coordination, nausea and vomiting.
Brain tumor
The sensations are predominantly pulsating, radiating to nearby tissues. Depending on the type and size of the tumor, the characteristics of the brain damage, they may be accompanied by nausea and vomiting, dizziness, and sleep disturbances. Patients often experience a decrease in the quality of vision and hearing, and hallucinations appear. The patient may lose consciousness, sometimes his psyche changes, and frequent mood swings occur.
Glaucoma
This diagnosis includes a whole list of eye diseases. They are accompanied by a constant or periodic increase in intraocular pressure. During an acute attack, the patient experiences sharp pain in the back of the head or temple and eye, which is often mistaken for a migraine. The eyelids swell, the mucous membrane turns red, the cornea becomes cloudy, and the pupil dilates and becomes irregular in shape.
If the patient is not given medical assistance in time, he may go blind. The chronic type of pathology is characterized by slower development. It is also characterized by a headache that radiates to the eye. As the disease progresses, a person’s quality of vision decreases, defects in visual perception appear, and optic nerve atrophy develops.
A pathologically violent reaction of the body to changes in atmospheric pressure is accompanied by spasms or a feeling of strong pressure. In this case, the patient has pain on the left side of the head, and not just the temple. Cephalgia can radiate to the jaws and facial bones of the skull. It is accompanied by a deterioration in general condition, redness of the eyes, weakness, and mood swings.
Migraine
This reason most often provokes pain in the left temple of the head in young and adult people. According to statistics, people over 25 years of age are most susceptible to migraines. A high percentage of patients are young women who have recently given birth to a child. In addition, migraine is observed against the background of hormonal imbalance. The blood vessels dilate, which causes pain.
A migraine attack provokes pain in the temples. It can appear on the left, on the right, or on both sides at the same time. When you press on the sore area, the person’s condition worsens. Accompanying phenomena are fear of light, nausea.
Migraine is a pathological condition that requires correction and treatment. Pain in the left temple is relieved with analgesics. The medications must be selected by a doctor. They are considering drugs that relieve vascular spasms. It is impossible to completely cure migraine, so the main course is aimed at eliminating the symptoms.
Related factors
Exogenous factors:
- Prolonged stress or overwork;
In this case, the pain is squeezing or aching in nature;
- Prolonged hunger or strict diet;
- Sleep disturbance;
- Excessive consumption of foods containing monosodium glutamate (chips, sauces, spices) or nitrites (chocolate, fast food, smoked meats);
This chemical, accumulating in the body, causes pain in the frontal and temporal region;
- Poisoning by chemical compounds. Pain in the temples occurs on both sides and is accompanied by pressure in the back of the head and forehead. Severe poisoning can cause chronic pain;
- Reaction to new climatic conditions or weather changes, weather dependence;
- Climbing to great heights. This causes an increase in blood pressure. Normally, when the exogenous factor is eliminated, the pain stops.
In addition to the main causes of the attack and the syndrome that accompanies headache spasms in the left temple, experts also identify associated factors. Against the background of these factors, the pathological condition progresses:
- sudden changes in weather conditions, especially for weather-sensitive people;
- nervous overstrain and psycho-emotional stress;
- addiction to alcohol and smoking tobacco;
- consumption of nitrites with low-quality food;
- regular intake of phenylethylamine when consuming sweeteners and chemical sweeteners in food;
- ingestion of monosodium glutamate into the body with fast food products.
Given the existing constitutional predisposition to frequent headaches against the background of provoking causes, concomitant factors act as a “war elephant”, pushing painful spasms forward.
Headache in the temples and subsequent nausea are provoked by nociceptors located in the head and neck. The nerve tissues of the brain themselves do not hurt because they do not have pain receptors.
Under the influence of a stimulus, the nociceptor sends a signal through nerve fibers to the nerve cells of the brain, as a result, pain appears in the temples.
The mechanisms of headaches are divided into 6 types:
- Vascular headache (VSD). Occurs when venous tone is weakened, dilation and spasm of the arteries, impaired blood supply, accompanied by a delay in blood flow and oxygen starvation.
- Liquorodynamic headache. It occurs due to changes in intracranial pressure, displacement of brain structures against the background of normal ICP.
- Muscle tension headache. It begins with the activation of impulse transmission in the neuromuscular synapse and is caused by muscle tension due to the irritating effect of various factors.
- Neuralgic headache. It is provoked by stimulation of nerves by extraneural and endoneural disorders, pathologies in the parts of the central nervous system responsible for pain relief.
- Mixed headache. It is a combination of the above mechanisms, operating simultaneously or alternately.
- Psychology, or central headache, is caused by disruptions in the metabolism of serotonin, catecholamines and endogenous opiates with subsequent dysfunction of the antinociceptive (pain-relieving) system.
Each factor is accompanied by a reason that answers the question of why a headache occurs; it can be a serious illness, including a life-threatening one.
Hormonal reasons
Sometimes throbbing pain in the left temple indicates hormonal imbalances. Jumps in the concentration of various active compounds in the blood can affect the functioning of various systems and organs, worsen health, and trigger headaches. Often, problems with hormonal balance provoke pain, described by patients as “shooting.” Identification of symptoms requires clarification of the diagnosis by an endocrinologist.
Migraine attacks
The classic description for migraines is a unilateral headache accompanied by nausea and incoordination. The symptoms increase over the course of an hour, reaching a peak. Possible flashing of “flies” before the eyes, photophobia, sensitivity to smells. Symptoms are directly related to irritation of the first four pairs of cranial nerves, which control vision, hearing and smell. Usually, people with asymmetry of the frontal and sphenoid bones are prone to migraines, which is corrected by manipulations by osteopaths and lifestyle changes: abandoning factors that enhance the pathology.
Allergic and infectious causes
Sometimes the left temple not only hurts, but it seems to be bursting, and it seems as if the head is swollen. Similar sensations can bother the eye. Symptoms may indicate immune problems. Secondary manifestations usually include nasal congestion and pulsation inside this respiratory organ.
With a weak immune system, there is a high probability of infection by bacteria, viruses, and the start of an infectious process. Head pain often accompanies sinusitis and allergies. To determine the root cause, it is necessary to donate blood and samples of other tissues and fluids for laboratory testing. Based on the results of the tests, the optimal course of treatment is selected.
Shooting sharp pain in the left side of the head
Often this phenomenon accompanies various infectious diseases, for example, flu, sore throat.
A developing infection is often accompanied by:
- drilling;
- pulling;
- shooting;
- bursting pain.
A tooth affected by caries can cause discomfort when the infection reaches the nerve; strained, cold, inflamed muscles of the neck, lower jaw, upper shoulder. Unpleasant sensations may intensify when moving, turning, or bending.
This phenomenon occurs with otitis media, sore throat, and sinusitis.
The symptom appears quite mild at first, but as the disease progresses it intensifies. The pain is usually shooting, stabbing. In addition, there are other symptoms of the disease. The person’s condition worsens, the pain does not go away even in a lying position. However, painkillers are ineffective.
A sharp spasm, pressing and shooting pain can be triggered by a change in weather conditions. It is usually localized in the temple, closer to the ear, parietal and frontal parts. A few hours before precipitation or increased wind, the atmospheric pressure changes. This leads to changes in intracranial and blood pressure. Teeth and skull bones may ache. Usually the discomfort is mild and can be observed intermittently. It is often accompanied by heaviness in the head and body, and drowsiness.
Poisoning
When figuring out why the left temple hurts, you should analyze the last few days: how the diet changed, what drugs were taken, what harmful conditions the person was in. Perhaps soreness indicates poisoning. Intoxication often causes pain in the temple on the left and cheekbone on the same side of the head. If you have acute and strong sensations that do not go away for hours, you should consult a doctor.
An additional symptom of acute intoxication is a feeling of fullness in the head. When you touch the sore area, it feels as if a bruise has formed there. The patient feels slightly nauseous and sometimes vomits. The head is dizzy, the person feels weak. In some cases, this indicates influenza and other diseases, sometimes – to poisoning of a different nature.
Tension headaches
Usually they involve half of the head and appear against the background of muscle spasm in the neck, back, and shoulders. A person complains of insomnia, a feeling of compression of the head, pain in the left temple or right one is of a shooting nature. It is necessary to be attentive to the factors that cause exacerbation and relief of symptoms. Some people find that massage of the neck and temples brings relief. Doctors prescribe muscle relaxants and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
Cervicogenic pain
Caused by damage to the joints of the cervical spine, but extending to the area above the eyes, below or behind the ear. A ring of pain surrounds the head and extends sharply to the temple. The manifestations are not associated with nausea and light intolerance and often appear after sleep. They usually develop in people who have hernias in the cervical spine or arthrosis of the joints. At night, swelling of the inflamed tissues occurs, so in the morning the symptoms intensify and resemble the feeling when the head was lying uncomfortably on the pillow while sleeping on the left or right side. It is necessary to do special exercises to restore the neck muscles.
Cluster pain
Most often it shoots in the temple, but the reason lies in the eye area, provoked by overwork of the visual center. Complemented by lacrimation and redness of the face. Young men are susceptible to cluster pain syndrome. Triggering factors can be alcohol, stress, physical activity and lack of sleep. The attack lasts up to two hours. Periods of exacerbation can drag on for weeks or up to several months and disappear spontaneously.
Coin headache
The temporal artery pulse is felt in the ear. Pain occurs after 50 years of age due to temporal arteritis - inflammation of blood vessels. Some people lose their appetite and feel severely unwell. A blood test shows an inflammatory process. Treatment includes corticosteroids to suppress abnormal immune responses where immune cells attack vascular tissue. The most severe temporal pain. Along with pain, the patient complains of sweating, loss of appetite, muscle aches, fever, blurred vision, weakness of the hip and shoulder muscles, and stiffness in the neck. Prolonged disruption of blood flow damages tissue. Therefore, it is necessary to consult a doctor and take prescribed systemic medications that reduce the inflammatory process.
Paroxysmal hemicrania
In addition to the temple, it affects the eyes and face. The burning, sharp, stabbing pain is a short-lived attack that goes away in 5 to 30 minutes, but can occur up to five times a day. Pain of moderate intensity is not associated with relapses and deterioration of general condition.
Pain in the neck, temple and orbit, accompanied by collapse of the upper eyelid. Other neurological symptoms appear: blurred or loss of vision, weakness, difficulty speaking. The symptoms resemble a stroke due to decreased blood supply to the brain. The pain begins abruptly, which serves as the main diagnostic sign. As a rule, it is observed only on one side.
Trigeminal neuralgia
A disorder that is accompanied by intermittent and shooting pain in the right temple more often than in the left. Inflammation of the trigeminal nerve occurs against the background of malocclusion, inflammation after dental treatment, and bacterial infections. A rare cause is compression of the nerve by blood vessels, destruction of the protective myelin sheath. A sharp pain, reminiscent of an electric discharge, occurs along the course and exit points of the nerve: the hole on the chin, under the orbit, the notch above the orbits. Symptoms may recur several times throughout the day. The pain lasts up to two minutes and paralyzes part of the face. Provoking factors may be chewing, brushing teeth, or a gust of cold wind. Doctors prescribe anticonvulsants and antidepressants. Alternative treatment methods are used, such as osteopathy and acupuncture.
Pathologies of the temporomandibular joint
Dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint, which is located at the front of the ear, between the lower jaw and the skull, can be structural or functional. Symptoms of the pathology include frequent headaches, especially when chewing, stiffness in the neck and jaw muscles, and the inability to fully open the mouth. The causes of the disease are inflammation of the cartilage, compensatory muscle spasm in response to weakness in the muscles of the neck, shoulders or feet. In severe cases, surgery is performed to correct the pathology. Ice compresses relieve local symptoms.
Tumors of the temporal lobe of the brain
Sometimes neoplasms are localized directly in the temple. The pain appears in the morning and increases throughout the day, sometimes accompanied by vomiting. Magnetic resonance imaging and treatment of the underlying disease are necessary.
Arteritis
The term usually refers to inflammatory processes localized in the cerebral arteries. Finding out why the left temple hurts, the doctor may suspect just such a pathological condition. It is quite dangerous, without adequate qualified help there is a possibility of death. In areas of inflammation, the arterial walls become thinner and weaken. As the disease progresses, the likelihood of disruption of the integrity of the arterial walls increases, which will cause cerebral hemorrhage.
If you have persistently disturbing pain in your left temple, you should consult a doctor. Additional phenomena indicate arteritis: the spread of sensation to the forehead, to the cheekbone on the left, their activation when pressing on the temple. If arteritis is confirmed, treatment begins immediately.
Causes of discomfort in the left temple
There are many causes of cephalgia with severe pain in the left side. Each is characterized by certain clinical manifestations. After studying the symptoms below, do not rush to conclusions. The diagnosis can only be made by a doctor, based on the examination results.
Typical reasons why a headache occurs in the left temple:
- migraine;
- increased intracranial pressure;
- allergic reactions and infectious processes;
- pathological changes in blood vessels;
- hormonal disorders;
- poisoning or intoxication of the body;
- jaw injury received at birth or during life;
- arteritis;
- osteochondrosis of the cervical spine;
- diets and nutritional errors;
- stress and overexertion;
- tumor processes in the brain;
- cerebral hemorrhage.
Each pathological process has its own characteristics of the course and nature of pain. Let's consider each problem individually.
Migraine
Cluster pain, a characteristic feature of which is unilateral localization. It can hurt not only on the left, but also on the right, radiating into the eye socket or ear.
Teenagers often suffer from hereditary pathology. Upon reaching adulthood, the problem resolves itself. The pain can be so severe that symptoms such as:
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Reaction to bright light and loud sound.
- Severe dizziness.
Migraines should be treated by a neurologist. After the diagnosis is confirmed, the patient is prescribed:
- antispasmodics;
- vascular agents;
- sedatives;
- nootropics.
A migraine attack ends after vomiting. Having emptied the stomach, the patient falls asleep.
Increased intracranial pressure
The left temple of the head hurts with increased intracranial pressure. The pain is bursting and squeezing in nature. A characteristic symptom is ripples in the eyes and nausea. Unpleasant manifestations in the head are more noticeable at night. Patients complain of muscle weakness.
To normalize intracranial pressure, neurologists recommend:
- Diuretics.
- Antispasmodics.
- Physiotherapy.
If the patient has a history of increased ICP, it is worth protecting yourself from stress and fatigue, and also limiting your intake of salty foods.
Allergic reactions and infectious processes
When the body is exposed to an allergen or in the presence of infectious diseases of the teeth and ENT organs, a person describes his sensations as the presence of aching pain in the temporal region. With infections, the temperature rises and the temples ache.
Severe pain in the head, radiating to the right or left temple, is characterized by frontal sinusitis. Inflammation of the frontal sinuses and the development of a purulent process are accompanied by unbearable pain, pressing and aching in nature. Only painkillers help.
Treatment is aimed at eliminating the symptoms of the underlying disease. Once the infection is suppressed, the pain will subside.
Pathological changes in blood vessels
Problems with blood vessels cause the heart to suffer from increased stress. As a result, blood pressure rises or, on the contrary, falls. Any changes affect the brain. The brain responds to a lack of oxygen with pain. Headaches in the left temple are usually a manifestation of hypertension.
What the doctor will prescribe:
- regular use of medications that normalize blood pressure and diuretics;
- clear planning of work and rest schedules;
- walks in the open air;
- avoid stressful situations.
Hypertensive patients react especially sharply to changing weather conditions. Changes in atmospheric pressure affect blood pressure. Try to protect yourself from exhausting work during magnetic storms or windy weather. Do something you love that brings you pleasure. This will help you unwind and relax.
Hormonal disbalance
The most common problem among the fairer sex. The action of the hormone prostaglandin causes the walls of blood vessels to swell, blood pressure is disturbed and spasm occurs. The pain is reminiscent of a condition in which a tight helmet was put on you.
Only a doctor can help in this situation. The level of hormones in the blood is determined by taking a test, after which therapy is prescribed aimed at correcting the patient’s hormonal levels.
Acute poisoning and intoxication
Occurs when poisoned by poor-quality food, alcohol or drugs. Some herbs, used on the advice of traditional healers, contribute to the development of cephalgia on the left, radiating to the eye socket or ear.
Intoxication can be associated not only with poisoning, but also with ARVI. It all starts with unpleasant sensations in the head, followed by fever, weakness and muscle pain.
If intoxication is associated with poisoning, the following must be indicated:
- Gastric lavage or taking activated charcoal.
- Drink plenty of salted drinks (little and often).
- Antipyretics, at temperatures above 38.5 * C.
If pain occurs in the left temple due to a viral disease, the patient must be prescribed antiviral medications, vitamins, and warm drinks.
Jaw injuries
The most common causes of unpleasant pain in the temples are abnormalities in the development of the jaws or injuries to them. The pain may radiate to the arm, shoulder and neck. Some note irradiation into the eye socket or ear.
Treatment often involves surgery. Therapy is prescribed by an oral and maxillofacial surgeon.
Arteritis
Arteritis is an inflammatory process in the vessels in the temple area. The disease is rare, but the pain experienced by the patient is very severe.
Reasons for the development of the pathological process: hypothermia, congenital vascular anomalies, previous strokes and head injuries.
Help is provided by an angiosurgeon; self-medication, in this case, is unacceptable.
Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine
Compression of the roots of the spinal nerve endings is the cause of pain, radiating to both the right and left temple. Motor activity is impaired, the patient cannot turn his head. A characteristic crunch is heard in the neck. Many people confuse osteochondrosis with migraine; the nature of the pain is similar in clinical manifestations. To establish a diagnosis, you need to visit a neurologist and undergo an X-ray examination of the cervical spine.
For the treatment of osteochondrosis the following is used:
- pain-relieving ointments;
- physiotherapy;
- orthopedic cervical collar;
- physical therapy.
Exacerbation of osteochondrosis can occur with a sudden change in weather and with excessive physical exertion. Stress plays an important role in the occurrence of pinching.
Diets
A diet, especially a low-carbohydrate diet, causes the brain to suffer. Glucose is a building material necessary for brain activity. If not enough glucose reaches the brain, cells begin to die. Areas of necrosis are not supplied with blood. Nutritional deficiency is one of the main reasons why the left temple hurts.
Not only diets, but also a violation of the diet leads to the development of cephalgia. Adjusting the diet and frequency of meals will solve the problem.
Stress
Stressful situations, even when a person experiences euphoria, cause pain in the head, radiating to the temple on the left or right. The release of large amounts of adrenaline or endorphin into the blood causes a sharp increase in blood flow to the brain. The body responds to vascular spasm with severe pain.
To protect yourself from this kind of problem, learn to control your emotions. Perceive the information adequately, do not become hysterical, take sedatives if necessary.
Tumor processes
A tumor formed in the brain or its membranes puts pressure on nearby tissues, which leads to pinching of nerve endings. At the same time, my head hurts very badly. Depending on the location of the formation, it may hurt on both the right and left, radiating to the temporal region.
Diagnosis of tumors involves undergoing magnetic resonance imaging and vascular duplex scanning. The doctor selects rational treatment tactics.
Hemorrhage (hemorrhagic stroke)
Acute disruption of the blood supply to the brain leads to the development of ischemic areas or rupture of the vessel. The condition in which a stroke occurs can threaten the patient's life. What to do if you have a severe headache on the left or right, with nausea, lips numb, and speech impaired - urgently call an ambulance. The count can go on for minutes. Many people try to provide first aid on their own, not realizing that they are wasting precious minutes.
A person with a cerebrovascular accident is urgently admitted to the hospital. Only strict bed rest and qualified assistance from specialists will help you recover from a dangerous illness.
Stroke
Perhaps this reason is one of the most terrible, dangerous, frightening. It’s not surprising: if the left temple hurts due to a stroke, the condition has gone quite far. People often call a stroke an apoplexy. This condition is significantly more dangerous than all those described above, and it develops very, very quickly. There are also known cases in medical statistics when the ambulance did not have time to reach the patient, despite timely treatment and departure - the progress of the pathology can be so active.
Pain in the temporal region on the left side may indicate a stroke if other accompanying signs of this pathological condition are observed. Some people have slurred speech, others lose consciousness. During a stroke, the skin burns, you feel dizzy, your vision blurs, this condition is activated if you turn around or try to bend over. The toes go numb, the face becomes asymmetrical, the patient cannot smile, is unable to pronounce his name or raise his arms. If you have any of these symptoms or several, you should immediately contact an ambulance.
Why it shoots in the left temple: 18 common reasons
If the left temple hurts and throbs, this may be a concomitant sign of a number of disorders. As a rule, trouble occurs under the following conditions:
Many people make the mistake of not paying attention to unpleasant sensations and not turning to doctors, but trying to treat the ailment with folk remedies or pills. This should not be done, since pain in the left temple area may be a sign of the development of serious diseases, and delay in this case will lead to catastrophic consequences.
Osteochondrosis
Sometimes for this reason the left temple hurts, sometimes the right one, but pain is also possible in any other part of the head. The pain becomes most severe if you put pressure on the neck and move this part of the spine. Often the symptoms are especially severe if you have a cold in the neck.
The most modern medications and hardware help get rid of osteochondrosis. True, you will have to strictly follow all the doctor’s recommendations, switch to proper nutrition and practice neck exercises. You will have to give up salt, protect your neck from drafts and take a number of other measures to maintain health.
Preventing headaches: 7 simple rules for staying healthy
As you know, it is easier to prevent any problem than to waste time and effort on solving it. To avoid the appearance of shooting pains in the temple and other unpleasant symptoms that accompany them, it is important to follow the following preventive measures:
- Sleep at least 8 hours a day and adhere to a work-rest schedule to avoid overwork.
- Be outdoors more often.
- Do gymnastics regularly to strengthen your muscles and avoid spinal curvature.
- Eat right and do not abuse fatty, smoked, spicy foods and sweets.
- To refuse from bad habits.
- Use caution when taking medications.
- Treat emerging diseases in a timely manner.
Causes and phenomena
In some cases, pain in the left half of the head, especially pronounced in the temporal region, can be explained by cerebral atherosclerosis. The disease is quite serious and dangerous and requires the immediate administration of an adequate therapeutic course.
Alcohol poisoning can cause headaches. After a stormy evening or night, many suffer in the morning from what has become a familiar hangover. Sometimes such pain is strong enough to reduce a person’s ability to work for the entire day to zero. More severe cases are also known in medicine, when alcohol poisoning caused coma and even death.
Pain in the left temple may be due to high blood pressure. Hypertension is a dangerous chronic pathological condition that requires medication correction and lifestyle changes. In some cases, headaches are associated with psychogenic causes. Pain in the temple can be caused by fasciculata or problems with the functionality of the nerve endings of the spinal cord.
Diagnosis and treatment
Due to the extensive list of possible causes of pain in the temporal part of the head, it is necessary to take a responsible approach to diagnosis in order to make a correct diagnosis. The main procedure is a tactile examination to determine the condition of the muscles, joints and lymph nodes. An examination of the fundus of the eye, oral cavity and reactions of the nerve endings of the head is also carried out. If necessary, the doctor will prescribe an MRI. It is recommended to consult with the following specialists:
- neurologist;
- infectious disease specialist;
- surgeon;
- oncologist;
- neurologist;
- psychotherapist.
For complete treatment, it is necessary to eliminate the root cause of the discomfort. If the violation is caused by external factors, it is necessary to completely exclude contact with them. If the cause is a pathological health disorder, experts recommend several treatment principles:
- with the help of medications;
- physiotherapy;
- surgical method;
- use of folk recipes.
Therapy is selected for each patient individually, depending on the characteristics of the disease and the person’s personal characteristics.
How to get rid of it?
To choose the right remedy or method for getting rid of headaches, you should consult a qualified doctor. Only by determining the exact root cause of the phenomenon can you successfully find a remedy for pain. Self-treatment or ignoring a symptom will not lead to anything good, just like using painkillers without the supervision of a doctor - this will negatively affect the functioning of internal systems and organs, and sooner or later will provoke additional negative consequences.
A responsible approach to your health involves starting treatment for headaches by contacting a therapist. The doctor will collect the patient’s complaints, make a presumptive diagnosis and refer him for tests and examination to a more specialized specialist. The therapist knows that sometimes pain indicates serious illnesses, and can suspect which of them is characteristic of the case (if there are such risks). You should not neglect to consult a doctor in a timely manner, especially in case of severe and sharp pain: perhaps the sensations signal a mortal danger.
Summarizing
Temporal headaches can have a different nature. Such manifestations are treatable and the prognosis is positive.
Whenever possible, try to use medications as little as possible. This approach to treatment will help you avoid side effects. When taking medications, follow the dosage and all doctor's recommendations.
The selection of such methods must be done individually and not all methods may be suitable for you. Rest, sleep, healthy food, sports are components of a healthy lifestyle.
Alcohol, nicotine, drugs, excess weight are negative elements that you may encounter in life. It will depend only on you what you choose and what attention you will pay to your health.
When relieving headaches, preference should be given to non-medicinal methods. It is advisable to use medications when other measures do not help you.
Self-medication not only will not help you, but can also cause irreparable harm to your health. After which it will be difficult to treat a headache, or maybe an entire system or organ. Coordinate all your decisions and actions with your doctor.
Video: Headache associated with muscle tension
Probably almost everyone at times feels as if their head is being squeezed in a vice.
The pain in the temples presses
, prevents me from thinking, and simply drives me crazy. The only thought that never leaves me for a moment is how to get rid of this torment.
The most popular prerequisites for the occurrence of pain in the temples are impaired tone of cerebral vessels (arterial or venous), disorders of the autonomic nervous system, osteochondrosis, increased intracranial pressure, migraine, “these days” in women, fluctuations in blood pressure, climate change, viral infection.
What to prepare for?
To clarify the diagnosis, you will probably have to undergo ultrasound, MRI and Doppleroscopy to clarify the condition of the heart and vascular system. Treatment will be entrusted to an endocrinologist, neurologist, cardiologist or other specialist, based on the information obtained during the tests. If the disease is severe, at an acute stage, hospitalization is possible. If the pathology is quite harmless, treatment falls on the therapist.
If the disease is relatively safe, treatment can be practiced at home, regularly visiting a specialist to monitor the success of the process. Analgesics are used to relieve attacks of pain. The doctor will tell you which ones are safe and effective in a particular case at your appointment.
Pain in the temples and vegetative-vascular dystonia
Often the cause of pain in the temples is vegetative-vascular dystonia
(VDS). Previously, this disease occurred mainly in older people, but now, in our age of technological progress, young people spend more and more time on the computer and TV, without paying due attention to their diet and healthy lifestyle. Gone are the days of fun, active outdoor entertainment. The result was not long in coming - the current generation is characterized by poorer health and suffers from many diseases characteristic of mature people. VSD is no exception. Now every second child who contacts a pediatric neurologist with complaints of headaches leaves his office with a diagnosis of “vegetative-vascular dystonia.” In addition to headaches, the patient may be worried about general weakness, sweating, chronic fatigue, heat intolerance, motion sickness in transport, sensitivity to cold (hands and feet are especially cold), dizziness, drowsiness during the day and insomnia at night, lack of air, palpitations. The “bouquet” of symptoms is impressive. Even more striking is the number of people suffering from this disease - about 70% of adults and up to 25% of children. True, there are mild forms when serious treatment is not required.
Vegetative-vascular dystonia (neurocirculatory dysfunction)
- disruption of the body’s vascular system, resulting in insufficient oxygen supply to the brain, other organs and tissues, and spasm of the arteries of the brain occurs. The causes may be stress, nervous overstrain, hormonal imbalance, sedentary lifestyle, diets, injuries, chronic diseases, bad habits.
Treatment of VDS
- a miracle cure that literally brings back to life those suffering from this disease. Moreover, it is safe; neurologists often recommend using it even for children of high school age. Different companies call it differently ( Escuvit,
etc.). This is
a drug based on horse chestnut fruit extract
, which has ventonizing, antithrombotic, and decongestant effects. - consultation with a neurologist;
- a visit to a good chiropractor;
- hydromassage;
- cold and hot shower;
- phytotherapy;
- active lifestyle. At first, you just need to overcome yourself and, despite weakness and fatigue, do physical exercise. Go to the pool, start doing exercises regularly, sign up for a sports club or dance class. Improved well-being and good mood will not take long to arrive!
Brain tumor
In this situation, the unpleasant sensations are pulsating, pulling, aching, often accompanied by nausea and vomiting. In addition, there may be a disorder of coordination of movements, hearing, vision, deterioration of sleep, memory, and appetite. Often discomfort occurs in the morning, after waking up, and in the first half of the day.
Severe headaches: other causes of headaches on the left side of the head
- Loss of tone. Headaches can occur due to a violation of the tone of the cerebral vessels of the venous and arterial beds;
- Young age. At a young age, the following factors most often become provocateurs: migraine, autonomic dysfunction, increased ICP;
- Intoxication (poisoning), including alcohol, is also very often accompanied by this kind of discomfort;
- The reasons may lie in nerve pathologies. This phenomenon may indicate dysfunction of the spinal and cranial nerves;
- Heat. In the summer heat, the frequency of attacks increases. Low air humidity and high temperature lead to dilation of blood vessels. As a result, cerebral circulation slows down, the body begins to feel a lack of oxygen, and an attack occurs. In hot weather, you should avoid prolonged exposure to the open sun, and while staying in the sun, you should wear a light hat made from natural fabrics. You should also drink more to avoid dehydration. It is not recommended to drink sweet carbonated drinks for these purposes;
- Gives to the eye. When this phenomenon is localized in the temporal region, one can suspect vascular spasm caused by overwork, excessively bright light, foreign body entering the eye, or eye disease;
- Stroke. A pathology such as a stroke develops precisely from painful sensations (increasing, spreading). The person requires emergency medical care. Along with this symptom, others are observed: fainting, confusion, impaired speech, memory, coordination, nausea and vomiting.