Throbbing pain in the left temple causes. What to do if the left temple of the head hurts? Arteritis of the temporal artery

Every person experiences headaches from time to time. The reasons are many factors. They can be distributed throughout the head or affect a specific area. Pain in the temple on the left is a common discomfort that brings a lot of inconvenience.

Experiencing pain in the left temple, a person cannot concentrate, mental activity and memory work poorly. It can spread to the eye, ear or back of the head. It can be pulsating, aching, sharp, pressing or sharp. The duration varies from 2–3 minutes to several hours; the duration of common attacks can be single or chronic.

If the pain is caused by serious disorders, the person may experience insomnia, poor coordination, forgetfulness, and hearing and vision impairment. In case of such symptoms, it is necessary to urgently seek advice from a neurologist in order to identify the root cause and prescribe a course of therapy.

Reasons for violation

With rare manifestations of pain, the causes may be some external factors:

  • prolonged stress;
  • magnetic storms;
  • lack of sleep;
  • overwork;
  • bad habits;
  • inflammatory processes (ARVI, acute respiratory infections, tonsillitis);
  • changes in weather conditions;
  • poor nutrition;
  • head injuries (concussion, bruise);
  • neuralgic diseases of the spine.

If the pain is constant, you should pay attention to diseases that can cause such discomfort.

Migraine

The main cause of constant headaches is migraine. Severe pain usually affects one side of the head, affecting the back of the head, temple and frontal part. It is long-lasting and does not go away after taking painkillers. A feature of the disease is throbbing pain in the temple. Accompanied by an unpleasant reaction to light, fear of loud sounds and strong odors. May cause nausea or vomiting. Also observed are “goosebumps” in the eyes, weakness and fatigue. It can last 2-3 days without stopping.

Intracranial pressure

If the readings are higher than normal, the person feels squeezing pain. Worries about dizziness, especially with sudden movements, blurred vision and nausea. External symptoms include bruises or bags around the eyes and general muscle weakness. Most often, the headache occurs in the evenings and this continues for a long time.

Stroke

Due to injury to blood vessels and hemorrhage in the brain, a person feels a sharp pain in the temple, ear, which radiates to the back. Accompanied by loss of coordination, slurred speech, hyperemia of the eyes, and sometimes loss of consciousness or paralysis.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system

Due to the unstable functioning of the heart and blood vessels, pressure is susceptible to constant jumps to abnormal levels. If blood pressure is high, the pain is stabbing or throbbing. If it is low, a nagging discomfort appears, which is complemented by dizziness. At critically low numbers, fainting is possible. Caused by a congenital pathology, a reaction to the weather, overwork or stress.

Local diseases

A headache in the left temple can be caused by inflammatory processes (ARVI, influenza, sore throat, otitis, rhinitis), infectious diseases (meningitis, sinusitis). This is due to an increase in temperature and the accumulation of mucus in certain parts, which with its volume puts pressure on the tissues of the skull. Pain can be caused by a sore tooth or gumboil. This symptomatology is characteristic of neoplasms in the brain. As the volume of the tumor increases, it puts pressure on the brain and blood vessels, causing pain.

Hormonal disorders

Women are more susceptible to this cause of pain in the temple on the left side. This can happen during pregnancy, before menstruation, during adolescence, when sex hormones are active, or during menopause. Increased secretion of the hormone prostaglandin causes an increase in the vascular walls, which can cause headaches in the temple, back of the head or forehead.

Osteochondrosis

Pain may be caused by pinching of the main artery in the cervical spine, which carries blood to the brain.

Salts in this section impede the flow of cerebrospinal fluid to the brain, as a result of which it suffers from a lack of oxygen and an imbalance of ICP, which provokes headaches of various types.

Intoxication

If the night before a person drank too much alcohol, he will suffer from a severe headache in the morning. This reaction can be caused by food poisoning or a side effect from taking medications. Due to prolonged exposure to close contact with household chemicals (paint, varnish, glue, industrial smoke, household chemicals or gasoline), the left temple may hurt.

Joint dysfunction

When a disc is injured or displaced in the temporomandibular joint, muscle tissue becomes tense, which causes severe pain in the temple, ear, back of the head, neck, and even radiates to the shoulder. In character, it resembles migraine attacks, but is accompanied by jaw spasms or teeth grinding.

Although the disease is quite rare, it should not be excluded from possible causes. Due to inflammation of the artery that runs near the temple, a person feels constant pain in this area. It gets worse when pressed and can cause blurred vision. Sometimes the attacks are very strong. The left temple begins to pulsate. People over 50 years of age are susceptible.

Food

Frequent use of ready-made meals, which only need to be poured with boiling water, and other junk food (crackers, chips, canned food, ready-made sauces and seasonings) can trigger a pressing headache. This is due to the fact that they contain a harmful additive – monosodium glutamate. The risk factor includes a variety of smoked meats and prepared meat products (sausage, ham, bacon), as well as sweeteners that are found in some pharmacy syrups and "harmful" sweets (soda, chewing gum, sweets). Attacks begin 20-30 minutes after eating such food, accompanied by profuse sweating and abdominal discomfort.

Alarming symptoms

In a single case, you can take a pill and not worry, but if the symptom occurs constantly, you need to pay attention to the general condition of the body. The following indicators are cause for concern:

  • constant pain in the left temple, radiating to other parts of the head;
  • increased pain during physical activity;
  • memory loss, impaired motor coordination;
  • fear of bright light;
  • frequent dizziness, accompanied by nausea;
  • periodic noise or ringing in the ears.

If such a situation is observed, it is necessary to consult a specialist in order to make an accurate diagnosis.

Diagnosis and treatment

Due to the extensive list of possible causes of pain in the temporal part of the head, it is necessary to responsibly approach the diagnosis in order to correctly diagnose. 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.

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;
  • 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.

You may also be interested

Many people do not know the exact reason that causes severe pain in a certain part of the head. Why does my left temple hurt and how to get rid of the discomfort? Before talking about treatment, you need to understand the cause of the painful condition.

When a headache occurs, a person experiences constant discomfort that disrupts the usual daily routine, which becomes a real problem. Moreover, pain in the temple is considered a common problem, the percentage of complaints about which reaches 80%. These ailments put pressure on the eye and temporal region. Having experienced such symptoms at least once, with repeated symptoms, a person automatically reaches for his temples in order to get rid of discomfort with the help of massage movements.

The pain can spread to different parts of the head. Often the center of negative impact is the frontal, occipital or mixed part. If the area of ​​influence is in the temples (right or left), additional pressure is created on the eye, where most of the unpleasant sensations are concentrated.

Painful conditions are characterized by rare manifestations of throbbing pain or bring suffering to a person over a long period.

Therefore, even the most patient people have to use medicines to relieve these symptoms. However, it is important to understand that headaches (however, like any) pain cannot appear without a reason. Painkillers have only a temporary effect and after some time the headache returns. Therefore, you should find out the true reason for their occurrence.

Pain in the left temple - most often it is with this complaint that they seek medical help from a neurologist. Chronic or episodic pain in this temple, with spread to the eye, affects approximately 70% of the population in many countries. However, not everyone attaches importance to temporal pain and prefer to be treated with drugs that relieve these signs only for a while. Sometimes such improper therapy causes complications, and even, in rare cases, can be fatal. It is important to realize that the throbbing pain that appears in the temporal part can be caused by completely different factors. And to get rid of the true cause, a correct diagnosis and competent therapy will be required.

Characteristic signs for left-sided temporal pain:

  1. A sharp pain is localized in the temples and gives to the eye of that side of the head, which suffers from pulsating pressure. It can be very strong, occurring regularly or recurring occasionally.
  2. Sometimes there is pressure in the temples due to bending and turning, which leads to increased symptoms.
  3. Memory deterioration and coordination problems are observed.
  4. In rare cases, nausea and tinnitus occur.

Migraine is the main and most common factor explaining why the temple hurts. This condition is characterized by pressure on the eye and temporal region, and the spread of unpleasant symptoms to the upper jaw (its left part). When a person has an attack, pain pounding in the temples, flashing “spots” are observed, intolerance to sunny or bright colors and loud sounds. By the way, when the left temple hurts, the duration of such an attack lasts from 30 minutes to 2 hours. After this, the patient feels lethargic, drowsy and quickly gets tired.

Osteochondrosis is one of the causes of left-sided pain in the temples due to compression of the cervical artery, which serves the function of supplying the brain with blood. This occurs due to the deposition of a large amount of salts in the spine. As a result, there is a lack of nutrients and a lack of oxygen. A nagging, aching pain appears and intracranial pressure is disrupted, which provokes a painful pulsation in the left side of the head.

Weather sensitivity is a painful sensation in the temples, accompanied by sharp spasms and pressure surges caused by meteorological changes. In this case, irritability of the eyes is observed, the bones of the skull and teeth begin to ache. There is mild but persistent pain in the temporal part.

For various infections, dental diseases or colds. Temporal pain (pulling or boring) is observed when it just begins to progress. In this case, inflamed and cold muscles in the temple area begin to bother you especially when turning and moving your head.

Injuries and curvature of the spine - due to improper distribution of the load on the musculoskeletal system. There is excessive tension in the muscles of the neck and shoulders, which leads to constant pressure in the eye area and headaches.

A brain tumor is a very serious disease, the signs of which are pulsation in the temples, the general condition is complicated by deterioration of memory, vision, and hearing. The patient's sleep is disturbed and his appetite disappears. All these symptoms appear in the morning.

Stroke is a dangerous disease in which the headache is so severe and burning that the person urgently requires medical attention followed by hospitalization. Often during a stroke, it is the left hemisphere that takes the blow, as a result of which pain radiates to the ear or back, and the sensitivity of the eyes increases. Sometimes fainting occurs, speech is impaired and orientation in space is lost.

The reasons are psychological. Stress and depression, high emotional stress at work, constant tension - all this causes unpleasant sensations in the left side of the head.

If pain in the temples appears once, you can try to relieve these symptoms at home as follows:

  1. Antispasmodic drugs provide timely first aid; to improve your condition, you need to take several tablets.
  2. Using a massage of the head, neck, and back relieves pain from the eyes and relieves pain that presses and interferes with normal life.
  3. You can put a cold compress on your forehead or cover the painful area of ​​your head with citrus peels. White cabbage leaves have an analgesic effect.
  4. Sound, restful sleep and walks in the fresh air are important.
  5. When pain in the temple is caused by low blood pressure, drinking strong tea or coffee is recommended.
  6. A well-heated towel wrapped around the head helps to reduce the unpleasant sensation in the temple on the left.

Frequently recurring unpleasant and severe headaches are characteristic of some serious disorders in the body. In these cases, the use of painkillers alone does not bring the expected effect. Therefore, to solve this problem, accurate diagnosis and the correct course of treatment are necessary.

For colds or infectious diseases, you need to consult an ENT specialist. After special procedures and proper therapy (taking antiviral and antipyretic drugs, antibiotics), it is possible to defeat the disease and get rid of headaches in the temples.

When the cause of recurring pain is cold muscles of the neck or back, you can use special ointments with a warming effect, as well as mustard plasters. These methods help with the initial manifestations of painful symptoms. But if they do not provide relief, you should consult a therapist. He will prescribe injections that stop the inflammatory process and special physical procedures.

Particular attention should be paid to the condition of your teeth. When caries begins to develop in the oral cavity and gumboils become inflamed, a visit to the dentist should not be postponed. Unfortunately, many people relieve pain only by using painkillers, avoiding visiting a doctor. The danger is that pus from the inflamed gums can enter the general bloodstream of a person and provoke the development of blood poisoning. In addition, the nerve from a damaged tooth sometimes causes bacterial destruction in the tissue or bones of the skull.

If you have back pain or have recently suffered an injury, you should consult an osteopath. With its help, blood circulation improves, which alleviates headaches. To do this, you should regularly use massage, acupuncture and perform special physical exercises.

If the cause of the disease is migraine, painkillers are not helpful; a visit to a neurologist is necessary. He will prescribe special medications that normalize the tone of the brain vessels and normalize the metabolic process.

To treat a tumor or stroke, immediate consultation with specialized specialists (neurosurgeon, neurologist, or neuropathologist) is required. The doctor will definitely issue a referral for diagnosis using ultrasound, MRI.

Sometimes, after examination and tests, no abnormalities are observed, but unpleasant symptoms return regularly. In this case, consultation with a psychotherapist or psychologist is recommended. You should get rid of stress, depression, get more rest and try to avoid overwork at work.

So, if a person is bothered by pain in the left temple, it should under no circumstances be ignored. After all, such symptoms are a signal from the body warning of some kind of violation. Therefore, it is important to prevent the development of the disease, and for this you need to pay more attention to your health.

Unpleasant sensations in the head area when pressed are a common symptom in many serious diseases. This is not an ordinary headache if your temple hurts when you press it. Therefore, it is worth paying close attention to the state of your health and undergoing a full examination of the body.

Clinical picture of the condition

It is worth distinguishing a simple headache from sensations when pain occurs when pressure is applied. These symptoms signal different diseases; they are not equivalent to each other. If the cause of a migraine most often lies in impaired blood circulation in the brain and organic causes, then if the temple hurts when pressed, it is most likely due to problems with blood vessels, osteochondrosis, and heart pathologies.

Often pressure on the temple, accompanied by pain, is typical for older people and neurotic individuals. At the same time, symptoms such as increased anxiety, insomnia, sleep problems, irritability, unmotivated aggression, fixation on certain events, and difficulties in communication develop.

With such symptoms, it is highly recommended not to self-medicate. These may be manifestations of early dementia or neuropathy, encephalopathy. Drug treatment and competent selection of pharmacological agents will help stop the inevitable progression of the disease. And if the patient tries to self-medicate at home, the symptoms will increase, and after a few years the person may become incapacitated.

Possible causes of this symptom

Why do my temples hurt when pressed? This is not a separate disease, but often signals serious health problems: cerebral vessels, blood pressure, vestibular system, cervical spine.

The most common diseases in which when pressed:

  • cervical osteochondrosis;
  • hypertension;
  • vegetative-vascular dystonia;
  • arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy;
  • increased intracranial pressure;
  • withdrawal syndrome;
  • magnetic storms and increased atmospheric pressure;
  • chronic stress and overwork;
  • excessive physical activity (leads to overload of blood vessels and thinning of their walls).

Migraine, which every person has experienced at least once in their life, is also manifested by pain when pressing on the temple. Chronic migraine and vegetative-vascular dystonia have a lot in common, and only an experienced neurologist can distinguish one diagnosis from another based on the combination of a number of symptoms.

Intracranial pressure

If intracranial pressure readings are significantly higher than normal, the patient feels a dull, prolonged pain in the back of the head and temples, which intensifies with strong pressure. People with increased intracranial pressure describe this condition as “as if water has accumulated in the skull and the head is about to burst.” This condition sometimes occurs immediately after waking up. In some patients, on the contrary, the exacerbation of symptoms occurs in the late evening.

In some cases, changes in atmospheric pressure can provoke surges in intracranial pressure. This can cause the patient to wake up at night from a severe migraine, while pressure on the temples and back of the head will cause acute pain. Chronic stress and overwork can also cause increased intracranial pressure.

In the absence of drug treatment and lifestyle changes, intracranial pressure can lead to organic changes that cause permanent chronic ailments. In the future, this may threaten the patient with the possible development of encephalopathy, various neuropathies, and a decrease in cognitive functions.

Diseases of the cardiovascular system

Unstable functioning of the heart and blood vessels is a common cause of headache when pressed. These are serious conditions in which self-medication is unacceptable and consultation with a cardiologist is necessary. Does your temple hurt when pressed and do you feel pulsation of the veins? Most likely the cause is arrhythmia. This condition also often causes dizziness, darkening of the eyes, and short-term fainting. The patient feels weak and nauseated. Does your temple on the left side hurt when you press? Perhaps the reason is surges in blood pressure. It must be measured regularly to rule out hypertension.

With the combination of all these symptoms, we can talk not only about arrhythmia, but also about angina pectoris and cardiomyopathy. When blood pressure rises, the nature of the pain in the temple area is stabbing or throbbing. If the indicators are lowered, then nagging discomfort, dizziness appears, and a short-term loss of consciousness may occur.

In some cases, problems with the functioning of the cardiovascular system are caused by changes in atmospheric pressure, weather changes, and chronic stress. This condition cannot be left to chance. It can lead to chronic diseases of the heart and blood vessels.

Hormonal disorders

If it hurts near the temple when pressed on a woman, then perhaps it is due to diseases of the hormonal system. With thyrotoxicosis, the symptoms are varied - migraines and pain in the back of the head and temples when pressed may occur. If there is a deviation in TSH levels, hair loss (alopecia), asthenia, dysphoria, irritability, and anxiety are also possible.

Another reason why temples hurt when pressed is premenstrual syndrome. This condition is not a disease and occurs in approximately 30% of women aged 16 to 43 years. To avoid it, before the onset of menstruation, you should rest more, avoid physical activity, hypothermia, and stress. In some cases, a course of vasodilator drugs will help. A prescription for such medications can be obtained from a neurologist.

Local diseases

If it hurts just below the temple when pressed (the sensation is not located in the temple itself, but next to it), then most likely the cause is local diseases. These are meningitis, sinusitis, inflammation of the nasopharynx and sinuses, ARVI, and other infectious diseases. This is due to an increase in temperature and the accumulation of mucus in certain parts, which with its volume puts pressure on the tissues of the skull.

To treat such conditions, antiviral and immunomodulatory drugs should be used. These are "Kagocel", "Sinupret", "Arbidol" and others. An immunologist can prescribe a medicine that would be ideal for a particular patient and does not cause side effects.

If the temple on the right side hurts when pressed (at the same time there is nasal congestion, sore throat, swollen lymph nodes and other symptoms of ARVI and influenza), then the inflammatory process occurs on the right side of the nasopharynx, tonsils and sinuses. It is necessary to more actively use medicinal aerosols and sprays specifically for the treatment of the right nostril and the side of the throat. Does your temple on the left side hurt when you press? Accordingly, the inflammatory process is more active on the left.

Vegetovascular dystonia

This disease is a complex of functional disorders, which is based on a violation of the regulation of vascular tone of the autonomic nervous system. This is a common reason why the right temple hurts when pressed. Vegetative-vascular dystonia is characterized by pain in the temples and without pressure. In the early stages, it is simply an unpleasant squeezing sensation, as if the head is in a vice. In parallel with this, the patient often experiences anxiety, unmotivated fear, phobias, and depressive disorders.

There is an opinion among patients that a neuropathologist diagnoses "vegetovascular dystonia" in the event that he cannot correctly diagnose. Allegedly, the symptoms of VVD are so extensive that they can be attributed to every second inhabitant of our country. A competent neuropathologist will only laugh at such a statement: the diagnosis of "vegetovascular dystonia" has clear symptoms and really exists, although it is difficult to treat with drug therapy. The patient's condition with this disease can be significantly alleviated not with pills and injections, but with a change in lifestyle and giving up bad habits (in particular, smoking cigarettes).

Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine

Has several stages. At the initial stage of development, this disease makes itself felt only by mild dizziness. In some cases, vision decreases (because the optic nerve is pinched). At the second stage, the patient begins to experience headaches, and short-term loss of consciousness is possible. The main difference between osteochondrosis and increased intracranial pressure is that the neck and shoulders hurt, and the cartilage crunches when you rotate your head.

If, in parallel with these symptoms, the patient’s temple hurts when pressed, then we can confidently say that the problem is precisely osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. The treatment of this pathology is carried out by an orthopedist and a neurologist. The following medications are prescribed:

  • Intramuscular injections of drugs that include cyanocobalamin, pyridoxine, thiamine, riboflavin, nicotinic acid.
  • Over-the-counter mild nootropics.
  • Vasodilators.
  • Medicines designed to compensate for the deficiency of collagen and elastin in the body.

Arteritis of the temporal region

Arteritis is an inflammatory disease of the arteries.

A rather rare disease in which a slight pain occurs when pressed and pulsates. It occurs most often in people over fifty years of age. The appearance of arteritis in young people is possible in isolated cases only in the presence of a genetic predisposition.

Arteritis is treated by a neurologist, surgeon, and therapist. At the same time, the patient may suffer from migraines, a feeling of fluid accumulation in the brain, and surges in blood pressure.

Hangover and withdrawal symptoms

The morning after a stormy party brings not only headaches and nausea, but also serious stress on the arteries and blood vessels. The body struggles with the consequences of severe ethanol intoxication. Due to the suppression of the tone of the vascular walls, people often complain that it hurts near the temple when pressed. Depending on the individual characteristics of a sick person, pain can be deployed in the back of the head or forehead. In some cases, the left temple hurts when pressed, but the right one does not.

In this case, there is only one treatment - to try to remove toxic products from the body as soon as possible. To do this, you can use "Enterosgel", preparations with activated carbon in the composition. After severe intoxication, it is necessary to drink a course of vitamins with magnesium, selenium, iodine.

Often such patients complain: “I press on my temple and it hurts.” They often exaggerate the scale of the problem. If pain in the back of the head and temple occurs after alcohol abuse, you should not run to the doctor and look for serious pathologies. It’s enough to simply eliminate ethanol-containing drinks from your diet once and for all.

Which doctor should I consult if my temple hurts when pressed?

First you need to get a voucher to see a therapist. He will prescribe the standard necessary tests - a biochemical blood test, a general urine test. After receiving the results, the overall clinical picture will become clearer. If leukocytes are elevated, then the cause of pain in the temple is most likely caused by inflammatory processes in the sinuses, lymph nodes, and nasopharynx. This condition is easily treatable.

If the tests are normal, the therapist will give you a coupon for a consultation with an endocrinologist and a neurologist. For patients who find it unpleasant to be in a public clinic and do not have time to wait their turn, there are paid diagnostic centers. There you can make an appointment directly with an endocrinologist, surgeon and neurologist. In this case, tests and procedures will also be paid.

How is diagnosis carried out and possible treatment options?

To find out the exact pressure above the temple, you will have to undergo a series of studies. If a patient goes to a clinic at his place of residence, he is required to provide all procedures free of charge (everything will be paid for by the insurance company with which the sick person is registered under the medical policy). As mentioned above, if the patient does not have time to wait for an appointment with a coupon in public medical institutions, he can go to private diagnostic centers and undergo diagnostics for a fee.

To diagnose the severity of osteochondrosis of the cervical spine, MRI and CT are prescribed. After determining the stage, the neurologist prescribes treatment. These can be either ordinary vitamin-mineral complexes, physiotherapy and exercise therapy, or serious prescription anesthetic drugs. It all depends on how far the pathological condition has gone.

To diagnose vegetative-vascular dystonia, it is enough for a neurologist to compare a number of symptoms. There is no research that could help accurately identify this disease. In some cases, it makes sense to undergo an MRI of the brain vessels. The cost of such a study is about seven thousand rubles in paid diagnostic centers. MRI of cerebral vessels is informative and will help establish an accurate diagnosis not only for VSD, but also for organic brain disorders, intracranial pressure, and encephalopathy.

Preventive measures. How to avoid recurrence of pain in the temple when pressing

Below are some simple tips that, if followed, can forever forget about acute migraine attacks and pain in the temporal region upon palpation.

You should stop smoking. Ingestion of nicotine and tar has a devastating effect on the blood vessels of the brain, causing them to spasm. This is why novice smokers often feel dizzy, have headaches, and get dark vision. As you get used to cigarettes, the obvious discomfort goes away, but the negative effect on blood vessels remains. Many heavy smokers suffer from chronic migraine attacks.

You should include proteins, fats and carbohydrates in your daily diet. With a deficiency of carbohydrate foods and glucose, the brain suffers, cognitive processes are disrupted, and memory deteriorates. Also, malnutrition often contributes (if there is a predisposition to these diseases) to the development of encephalopathy, dementia, and palimpsests.

If the patient wishes to engage in powerlifting or weightlifting, this should be done under the supervision of an experienced trainer. Incorrect position of the barbell on the shoulders often pinches the arteries and contributes to the development of spinal diseases. Many athletes place the bar directly on their neck - this is unacceptable! This is a direct path to osteochondrosis, injuries, and circulatory disorders. This inevitably leads to headache, throbbing in the temples, pain when pressed in the occipital and temporal regions.

Doctors recommend giving preference to swimming. It has a beneficial effect on the spine and nervous system. If migraine and pain in the temples with pressure have been tormenting the patient for a long time, then it is worth practicing swimming in an amateur style on a regular basis.

It is very important to avoid deficiency of B vitamins. These substances have a positive effect on the nervous system in case of vegetative-vascular dystonia, osteochondrosis, and scoliosis. A ten-day course of Milgamma or Neuromultivit is enough to forget about pain in your temples when pressed for years. The final result of treatment largely depends on the correct diagnosis and severity of the disease.

Patients are often lukewarm about prescribed physiotherapeutic procedures and exercise therapy. This attitude is unacceptable. A ten-day course of magnetic therapy has a beneficial effect on intracranial pressure, problems with blood circulation, and osteochondrosis of the cervical and thoracic spine. If a neurologist has prescribed these procedures, under no circumstances should they be neglected. Several courses of magnetic therapy will help you forget about pain in your temples when pressed for many months, and maybe even years.

Headache is considered the most common complaint, second in frequency only to toothache and joint pain. Almost every person has had to face this problem in their life. And pain in the temple area is not uncommon. There are cases when it cannot be eliminated even with potent antispasmodics. The pain subsides a little, becomes dull, less pronounced, but does not go away completely. Why does the temple on the left side hurt and how to deal with this symptom?

A sharp throbbing pain that occurs in the left temple area not only causes discomfort, but is also considered life-threatening. In addition to the main symptom, accompanying symptoms may also appear. These include:

Causes of pain syndrome

Pain in the left temple of the head can be caused by various reasons. Psychotherapists focus on the fact that the main factors provoking a sharp pain syndrome are considered to be psycho-emotional stress and nervous stress.

The causes of pain in the left temple are often: migraine, osteochondrosis, cluster headaches, vascular problems, disorders of the spinal column, hormonal fluctuations, pain of nervous tension, infections, weather sensitivity, food, increased intracranial pressure, intoxication of the body, trauma, pathology of the temporomandibular joints, brain tumor, arteritis, stroke, allergic reaction. Let us consider each of the indicated provoking factors of temporal pain (with and without pressure) in more detail.

Migraine

This condition occupies a leading place among the causes of pain in the temples. The duration of the attack varies (30 minutes, several days). With a migraine, a pulsation occurs that radiates to the eyes, ears, and jaw bones. It becomes difficult to tolerate loud sounds, bright light, spots appear before the eyes, glare, and strong odors irritate. Migraines are often observed during premenstrual syndrome and pregnancy. According to statistics, every 5th woman carrying a child suffers from this pathology.

Doctors sometimes perceive it as a type of migraine, but the nature and symptoms of this condition are different. The pain in the temple is fascicular, it occurs with the same frequency as on the right. The pain is excruciating, burning, sharp, felt in the eye area, redness of the mucous membrane, tearing, swelling occurs, and the eyelid may even droop.

There is also nasal sinus congestion (on one side), and the release of clear secretory fluid. The pain is characterized by suddenness and manifests itself at almost the same time of day. The person becomes irritable, agitated, and the attack lasts at least 15 minutes. The maximum duration of a cluster headache is 2–3 hours.

Pain of nervous tension

Overstrain of the muscles, tendons of the cervical spine, and head can be caused by prolonged exertion or stress. This may cause pain in the left temple. Associated symptoms include pressure in the back of the head, eye area, temples, a feeling of compression of the skull, and a painful pulse.

Osteochondrosis

Compression of the cervical artery can provoke pain in the temple. Due to the deposition of salts in the spine, the blood supply to the brain is disrupted, which suffers from a lack of nutrients and oxygen. In this case, an aching, throbbing pain in the left temple appears, which covers the frontal part and eyes. This condition is dangerous due to increased intracranial pressure and stroke.

Vascular problems

Brain nutrition becomes insufficient due to impaired tone of the vascular walls. The movement of nutrients is also hampered by sticky, thick blood. Over time, the patient develops atherosclerosis and arterial hypertension. He is worried about a throbbing pain in his temple, a bursting pressure inside his head.

Hormonal fluctuations

Pain syndrome in the left temple can occur when a woman’s hormonal levels change (puberty, menstruation, pregnancy, menopause).

Spinal column disorders

With any curvature of the spine, the distribution of load on the musculoskeletal system is disrupted. The muscles of the shoulders and neck are constantly under uneven load, causing pain in the temple area. Spasms in the head intensify when bending or turning.

Meteosensitivity

Some people are strongly negatively affected by changes in atmospheric pressure. Changes in the weather can trigger surges in blood pressure, toothache, headache, and broken bones. A person often feels a pounding in his temples.

Infections

Spasms in the temples of various types can occur with infectious diseases of the upper respiratory tract, oral cavity, colds, and inflammatory processes that are accompanied by an increase in body temperature. The pain can be dull, pressing, or sharp, boring, which is simply impossible to endure.

Food

Pain in the left temple can be triggered by eating food containing a flavoring agent such as monosodium glutamate. It is an indispensable ingredient in instant foods, seasonings, chips, snacks, and convenience foods.

Monosodium glutamate is also present in Chinese dishes. After consuming such products, pain occurs within 15 minutes. A similar effect occurs when consuming nitrites. This harmful substance is found in most meat that is prepared for storage and consumption (salami, hot dogs, smoked fish, bacon, bologna sausages, canned ham).

Cephalgia can also appear after eating chocolate. Experts explain this by constriction of blood vessels due to the presence of large amounts of caffeine, sugar, and phenylethylamine in chocolate.

Intoxication of the body

This condition can be provoked by excessive intake of medications, stale food, alcohol, and traditional medicine. The pain syndrome is characterized by an aching character, it also shoots into the left temple, the pain can radiate to the ear and eye.

Trauma, pathology of the temporomandibular joint (congenital)

With such disorders, the pain in the area of ​​the left temple is very strong. It occurs quite often. The pain radiates to the eye, ear, neck, shoulder, shoulder blade. Spasms of muscle tissue may occur due to incorrect position of the joint, and pain appears when chewing.

A brain tumor

With this disease, there is a pulsation of the temple (on the left), hearing and vision may decrease, and memory may deteriorate. The pain may radiate to the left or right temple, depending on the location of the neoplasm. It is difficult for the patient to sleep, which negatively affects his emotional and psychological state.

Stroke

Brain hemorrhage is considered an extremely dangerous condition. It causes a burning, severe headache. It may be accompanied by numbness on one side of the body and loss of speech.

Diagnosis and treatment

In case of pain in the temples, it is necessary to contact a specialist who will give a referral for diagnosis. With prolonged headaches, the patient is sent for a comprehensive examination of the cardiovascular, nervous system, head, spine, blood vessels. Thanks to this approach, doctors discover the underlying disease that provokes an unpleasant symptom.

What to do with temporal pain? Treatment depends on the cause of the pain. Correct diagnosis and following the recommendations of a specialist will help cope with the disease. If the doctor approves, you can add aromatherapy, massages, taking herbal infusions, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and relaxing baths with decoctions of medicinal plants to the therapeutic course.


Important: Treatment will be effective only after the doctor accurately determines the cause of the headache in the area of ​​the left temple.

You can try to eliminate temporal pain using traditional methods. These can be decoctions, herbal infusions, medicinal teas, contrast showers, compresses, a brewed cup of black coffee, freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice, baths with the addition of aromatic oils, acupressure self-massage.

Prevention

Head pain on the left side often recurs, complemented by new symptoms, which causes even greater discomfort and worsens well-being. Pain syndrome can be prevented. It is enough to follow the recommendations of experts:

  1. Walk outdoors more often.
  2. Eat properly.
  3. Do not get carried away with the use of medications.
  4. Treat colds and infectious diseases in a timely manner.
  5. If you have a head injury, consult a doctor immediately.
  6. Establish a work and rest schedule.
  7. Do physical activity daily.

As a preventative measure, you can drink decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs instead of regular tea.

Often the headache extends to almost the entire skull, but sometimes the left temple hurts and that's it. In this case, a person may be confused, since he cannot even imagine what this means. Naturally, then the patient prefers to simply take the pill. However, not all so simple. The causes of pathology are different. In addition, pain can radiate to the eye, a person feels that he is shooting in his ear. Moreover, he is in this state almost constantly.

In order to solve the problem, you must definitely consult a doctor. He will help to identify the causes of pain in the left temple area, as well as prescribe adequate treatment. It will not be possible to eliminate the pathology with analgesics alone.

Pain in the left temple is a problem with which you need to run for a consultation with a neurologist. Such pain syndromes may recur infrequently or be chronic. Moreover, the pain spreads not only in the temporal part of the head, but also radiates to the eye and ear. The presented pathological condition recurs periodically in almost 60% of the population of our planet.

The problem is that not every person with such symptoms seeks medical help, which can lead to the development of diseases that are difficult to treat. In addition, serious complications can result from improper treatment of the disease. Therefore, if a person has severe acute pain in the left temple area, then he should contact a neurologist and undergo a thorough examination.

Why does the left temple of my head hurt?

There are many reasons that can cause discomfort in the temporal part of the head. Determining them as accurately as possible will allow you to deal with the problem faster and more effectively. The following causes of headache in the left temple can be identified:

  • Migraine. It is characterized by the presence of cluster pain. In this case, the pain spreads only to one half of the head. Not only the left temple can become the place of their localization. Unpleasant sensations can radiate to the left eye and ear. In addition to pain, a person also has other symptoms: fear of light, loud sounds, nausea, vomiting, dizziness.
  • Increased intracranial pressure. The pain seems to press or burst into the skull. At the same time, it is accompanied by nausea and the presence of “ripples” before the eyes. A person may feel muscle weakness on one side of the body. The pain may intensify throughout the night.
  • Pathologies of blood vessels. If the heart is not working well enough or is too active, the patient may experience excessively high or low blood pressure. At the same time, pain appears in the left temple. The pain is sharp, pulsations are felt in the head, or dull and aching. Sometimes a person faints.

Neurologist and immunologist Kirill Aleksandrovich Shlyapnikov will tell us more about the reasons:

  • Infectious pathologies or allergies. They contribute to the appearance of pressing pain, which, however, is not always dull. Unpleasant sensations appear not only in the left temple area, but also in the forehead and cheeks. If the pathological condition is accompanied by an increase in temperature, then the temporal part of the head begins to ache. Infection of the ear or eye also leads to temporal headaches. For example, it can be triggered by otitis media (ear inflammation), rhinitis, or dental disease. In this case, discomfort is felt even in the eye.
  • Intoxication of the body. It can be a consequence of excessive consumption of medications, alcoholic beverages, and stale food. Even folk remedies that the body does not accept can cause pain in the left temple. The sensations are aching in nature, as if there is a shooting in the temporal region of the head. The pain radiates to the eye and ear.
  • Hormonal imbalances. Headache caused by this cause is a common problem among women. It is provoked by swelling of the walls of blood vessels under the influence of prostaglandin hormones.
  • Trauma or congenital pathology of the temporomandibular joint. The pain in the left temple area is frequent and very severe. It radiates not only to the ear or eye, but also to the shoulder, neck and even shoulder blade. In addition, a spasm of muscle tissue appears, as the joint is in the wrong position.

Scheme of formation of temporal arteritis

  • Arteritis (inflammation of blood vessels) of the temporal part of the head. The presented pathology is not common, but is characterized by very strong pain.
  • Wrong diet. The presence of a large number of additives and preservatives can also cause discomfort and pain on the left side of the head. Moreover, pain is almost always felt in the eye and even ear.
  • Nervous tension, stress or other psychogenic causes. The pain syndrome is characterized by the fact that it is localized in the temporal region, causes a feeling of pressure in the skull, and radiates to the eye.
  • A brain tumor. Here the patient experiences a pulsation in the temple area on the left. In addition, his hearing, memory, and vision are deteriorating. He cannot sleep properly, which worsens his psychological and emotional state.
  • Reaction to weather changes.

  • Osteochondrosis of the cervical spine. Here pain can occur on both the left and right sides. Moreover, it is felt almost constantly, because the patient’s spinal nerve roots are pinched.
  • Stroke . Cerebral hemorrhage is an extremely dangerous condition for health and life, which is characterized by a severe and burning headache, accompanied by loss of speech and numbness on one side of the body.

These are the main causes of discomfort and pain. Now you need to figure out how to get rid of them.

First aid

Every person probably knows why self-medication should not be done. However, if it is not possible to see a doctor immediately, then you need to help yourself:

  1. You can use antispasmodic drugs that will help eliminate pain on the left side of the head. However, this is done if the patient knows his diagnosis accurately.
  2. Massage of the neck and head makes it possible to relieve pressure and pain that radiates to the eye.

  1. Pain in the left temple can be removed with a cold compress, lemon peels, cabbage leaves.
  2. If the patient experiences discomfort as a result of an excessive decrease in pressure, then simply drink a cup of coffee.

Such methods of eliminating pain syndromes are good if it appears once and does not recur often. If it is felt constantly, the patient has a shooting in the ear or temple, then you need to find out as quickly as possible why such a pathological condition appeared and begin its therapy.

Features of pathology treatment

If a person feels pain in the left temple, then the following treatment may be required:

  • If you have a hangover or a cold, you should use medications that relieve swelling from the blood vessels. Anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen), sorbents (activated carbon or Enterosgel) will be useful. Regular honey and Aspirin will also help.
  • Infectious diseases that cause pain and shooting in the ear should be treated only after a visit to an ENT specialist. The patient may be prescribed anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs, antibiotics.
  • If discomfort appears due to coldness in the muscle tissue of the neck or back, then to eliminate it you will need not only tablets, but also warming ointments: “Finalgon”, “Fastum-gel”.

Constant pain in the temples is an alarm signal, in which case you need to see a doctor

  • Migraine is best treated with specific drugs designed to combat this particular disease: triptans.
  • Treatment of a brain tumor, skull injury or stroke must be complex and requires consultation with several specialists.
  • Symptoms that arise due to the influence of psychogenic factors can be removed through psychotherapy and relaxation techniques.

Treatment for this condition is prescribed by a doctor, and only after diagnosis and diagnosis. Only isolated headaches can be eliminated on your own.

Prevention

Pain in the temple on the left is a very unpleasant sensation that can be periodically repeated and supplemented by other symptoms. However, the occurrence of such discomfort can be prevented. To do this you need to follow a few simple rules:

  1. Walk more in the fresh air, and also reconsider your diet.
  2. It is undesirable to get carried away with taking medications, especially if a person does not have severe symptoms of any disease. The use of medications should be supervised by a doctor.
  3. It is necessary to treat any colds or infectious diseases in a timely manner. It is also important to pay attention to the condition of the teeth and promptly heal foci of infection.

For any location of headache, a healthy lifestyle is the best prevention. It includes regular light physical activity, organizing your diet, planning your work and rest schedule, etc.

  1. If you have any head injury, you should consult a doctor immediately. The initial absence of symptoms does not mean anything.
  2. It is necessary to adjust your rest and work schedule. An important part of the regime is good, healthy sleep.
  3. Daily physical activity is mandatory, especially if the patient has problems with the back or cervical spine.

That's all the features of headaches that affect the left temple. In no case should one be negligent in treating such a condition, which may be a signal of a serious pathology.

CATEGORIES

POPULAR ARTICLES

2023 “kingad.ru” - ultrasound examination of human organs