Although headaches can be common, it can be worrying when you feel pain on left side of head near temple. The causes of this type of pain can range from tension headaches to more serious conditions like temporal arteritis or cervicogenic headaches. You can find relief and deal with any underlying problems by being aware of the causes, symptoms, and available treatments for pain on the left side of your head, close to the temple.
Common Causes of Left Temple Headaches
Left temple headaches can be attributed to several factors. The following are some common causes:
Tension headaches: These are the most prevalent type of headaches and often manifest as a constant, dull pain on both sides of the head, including the temples.
Migraines: Migraines are characterized by severe, throbbing pain, often accompanied by other symptoms such as sensitivity to light and sound, nausea, and visual disturbances.
Cluster headaches: Cluster headaches are intense, debilitating headaches that occur in cyclical patterns. They typically cause severe pain around one eye, but it can radiate to the temple as well.
Sinusitis: Inflammation or infection of the sinuses can lead to pain and pressure in the temple region.
Managing and Preventing Left Temple Headaches
Lifestyle adjustments: Including exercise in your day, eating well, getting enough rest, and keeping on top of your stress can help lessen how often and how bad your headaches are.
Pain management techniques: If you’re dealing with a mild to moderate headache, popping some OTC pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen can help. Just make sure to stick to the recommended dosage and if the headaches keep coming back, it’s time to give your doc a call.
Relaxation techniques: Trying out relaxation methods like taking deep breaths, meditating, and doing progressive muscle relaxation can help you feel better and take care of headaches caused by stress.
Trigger identification and avoidance: Identifying triggers specific to each individual, such as certain foods, environmental factors, or hormonal changes, can be helpful in preventing future headaches. Keeping a headache diary can assist in identifying patterns.
Maintaining good posture: Poor posture, especially when using electronic devices or sitting for prolonged periods, can contribute to muscle tension and headaches. Maintaining proper posture and taking breaks to stretch can help reduce the occurrence of headaches.
Applying heat or cold packs: Applying a cold pack or a warm compress to the painful area can provide temporary relief from headaches. Experimenting with both methods can help determine which works best for an individual.
Tension Headaches: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Many times, pain on the left side of the head near the temple is caused by tension headaches. These headaches feel like pressure or tightness in the head, scalp, or neck. Stress, exhaustion, bad posture, and muscle tension can all be reasons that someone gets a tension headache.
Symptoms of tension headaches may include:
- Mild to moderate pain in the temples
- Pain radiating to the shoulders and back of the neck
- Tightness around the head
- Loss of balance
- Vomiting
- Speech and vision issues
Related: Why do I eat more when I have a migraine?
To manage tension headaches, several treatment options are available:
Identify and Avoid Triggers:
Keeping a headache diary can help you identify triggers such as stress, certain foods, or environmental factors. Avoiding these triggers can reduce the frequency and intensity of tension headaches.
Lifestyle Changes:
Incorporating relaxation techniques, stress management, and regular exercise into your routine can help alleviate tension headaches.
Over-the-Counter Medications:
You can take over-the-counter medications like acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin to give yourself some relief from tension headaches.
Alternative Therapies:
Massage, acupuncture, and hot or cold packs can help relax muscles and alleviate pain.
Prescription Medications:
In severe cases, your doctor may prescribe muscle relaxants or tricyclic antidepressants to manage chronic tension headaches.
Temporal Arteritis: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Temporar arteritis, also known as giant cell arteritis, is a condition characterized by inflammation and damage to the medium to large arteries supplying the head, neck, upper body, and arms. While it primarily affects individuals over the age of 50, it can occur in younger individuals as well. Temporal arteritis requires immediate medical attention due to the associated risks of permanent vision loss, stroke, aneurysm, and even death.
Causes of temporal arteritis are still unknown, but it is believed to be an immune-mediated condition involving inflammation in the arterial walls. Some infections and genetic factors may contribute to the development of this condition.
Common symptoms of temporal arteritis include:
- Severe headache on the left side of the head near the temple
- Scalp tenderness
- Jaw pain or difficulty chewing
- Visual disturbances
- Fever and sweats
- Anorexia (loss of appetite)
Prompt treatment is crucial for temporal arteritis to prevent complications. Treatment typically involves the use of corticosteroids, with higher doses for individuals experiencing vision loss or ischemic symptoms. Regular monitoring and follow-up with a rheumatologist are essential to manage the condition effectively.
Cervicogenic Headaches: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment
Cervicogenic headaches are a type of secondary headache that originates in the neck. While the source of pain is in the cervical spine, the pain can be felt in the neck, head, or face. This type of headache is often characterized by a steady ache or dull sensation, which can worsen over time.
Causes of cervicogenic headaches include underlying physical or neurological conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, cervical spine injury, or infections. Identifying the specific cause of cervicogenic headaches can be challenging as the pain may not always be felt in the neck.
Symptoms of cervicogenic headaches may include:
- Dull pain in the neck and head
- Reduced neck flexibility
- Blurred vision in one eye
- Pain in multiple areas on the left side of the head near the temple
Treatment options for cervicogenic headaches include:
Physical Therapy:
Massages, physical therapy, and exercises can help improve neck mobility and reduce pain.
Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS):
TENS is a device that produces a low-voltage electric current to stimulate nerves and alleviate pain.
Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization:
This technique involves assessing deep tissues in the cervical region to identify and address restrictions within the tissues.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy:
CBT can help individuals manage pain and develop coping strategies.
Medications:
Muscle relaxants, tricyclic antidepressants, botulinum toxin injections, and analgesics may be prescribed to alleviate pain.
Identifying When to Seek Medical Attention
While some instances of pain on the left side of the head near the temple may not be cause for concern, certain symptoms warrant immediate medical attention. These include frequent headaches with no apparent cause, weakness in a specific area of the body, seizures, fainting, vision loss (even if temporary), double vision, a history of cancer, headaches that worsen over time, and headaches that worsen with lying down or coughing. Additionally, waking up at night from headaches should be addressed by a medical professional.
In such cases, diagnostic tests such as MRIs or CT scans may be ordered to rule out serious conditions like brain tumors. Treatment will depend on the underlying cause and may involve surgical interventions, chemotherapy, medications, or other appropriate interventions.
Conclusion:
Headaches on the left side of your head near your temple can be caused by a lot of things, like tension headaches, migraines, cluster headaches, and sinusitis. Usually, you can manage them with a few lifestyle changes, some pain management tools, and relaxation. But, if your headache is really bad, lasts a long time, or comes with other worrying symptoms, get yourself to the doctor right away. This article has some good tips for busting headaches and improving your life overall.
If you’re getting regular headaches with no apparent cause, feeling weak in specific parts of your body, having seizures, or having vision problems, go see a doctor. They’ll do tests to make sure it’s not something serious, like a brain tumor. Left-side head pain near your temple can come from tension headaches, temporal arteritis, or cervicogenic headaches. Understanding the causes, symptoms, and treatment options for these can help you get relief and deal with the underlying problem. If you’re having persistent or severe pain, it’s important to talk to a healthcare professional to get an accurate diagnosis and the right treatment plan.
