It is very common for people to experience pain in their left temple of the head and this ailment actually sends a good number of people to the emergency room every year. Sometimes the probable will not be serious at all and simply a headache that goes away with the use of pain medications. In other cases, however, the pain may be due to a more serious problem. At times the cause of the pain is obvious such as a head injury but in other cases it may be due to a virus or other unseen problem. It is important that anytime you experience an unusual headache or your current headache changes, you see a doctor to rule out any serious causes.

Causes of Pain in Left Temple of Head

1. Temporal Arteritis

Temporal arteritis is a problem that usually affects the temporal arteries in the head. These arteries branch out of the neck’s carotid artery. Experts are unsure about the cause of this problem but they feel that faulty immune responses may play a role in the development of the problem. Other symptoms of temporal arteritis include excessive sweating, fever, vision problems, fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite or anorexia, jaw discomfort or pain, muscle aches and throbbing headaches that occur on just one side of a person’s head.

2. Migraine Headaches

In many cases people who are suffering from a migraine will prefer to be in a location that is dark and quiet until their symptoms have gone. That is because migraines increase your sensitivity to both sound and light. In some cases a person experiencing a migraine will also have auras which are flashes of light or they may also experience blind spots or even tingling sensations in some of their extremities. Other common symptoms of migraine headaches include pain, nausea and vomiting that interfere with everyday activities as well as a pain that gets worse during physical exertion and a head pain that is throbbing and can be anywhere from moderate to severe and may occur on either one side of the head or both.

3. TMJ Disorders

There are three different types of TMJ conditions and these include inflammatory joint conditions, internal joint derangement and myofascial pain, all of which affect the TMJ. Some of the common symptoms associated with the various TMJ disorders include a change in the way that the lower and upper teeth fit together, a popping or clicking sound in a person’s jaw when they open or close their mouth, a reduced active range of motion for a person’s jaw joint, stiffness of the jaw muscles or a jaw pain that can radiate to other nearby locations such as the head, neck or face.

4. Occipital Neuralgia

Occipital neuralgia can be due to a variety of cause including a trauma that occurs to the relevant nerve area, Chiari I malformation (CMI), a mass lesion or the nerve root being compressed. There are several treatment options for pain in the left temple of the head that is caused by occipital neuralgia and they include anti-inflammatory medications, analgesics, cutaneous nerve stimulators, physical therapy and nerve blocks.

5. Sinus Headaches

A person will usually only experience a sinus headache if they are also suffering from sinusitis. Someone with sinusitis will experience swelling and inflammation of the membranes that line their sinuses. The main symptom that is associated with sinus headaches is a feeling of pressure around the forehead, cheeks or eyes. The best way to get relief from a sinus headache is to visit the doctor so that you can be properly diagnosed and receive the correct treatment.

6. Tension Headaches

Although tension headaches (also known as tension-type headaches) are one of the most common types of headaches that people get, experts still don’t completely understand their causes. These headaches can happen with varying frequency ranging from daily to only every once in a while. Most of the time the pain associated with the tension headache is mild to moderate and diffuse. People tend to describe it as a sensation similar to having a tight band wrapped around your head. The good news is that despite the lack of information concerning causes, there are several options of treatments for tension headaches. Most doctors will recommend using certain medications, finding other nondrug treatments that are effective and finding healthy habits for your daily lifestyle.

Treatment for Pain in Left Temple of Head

The important thing to remember is that the treatment for pain in left temple of head will depend on the type of pain as each one has a different cause and therefore a unique solution. Because of this, you should talk to your doctor right away so you can better determine the type of headache that you are suffering from. In addition to identifying the type of headache that you have, your doctor should be able to see whether the pain is due to an underlying cause that needs to be addressed. No matter what type of problem is causing your pain, there are some home treatments that are usually fairly effective and they include the following:

• In many cases someone who has a headache will experience relief over time. This is especially true if they simply take a nap or go to sleep for the night as it is possible to wake up feeling fine or with minimal pain.
• If you are not regularly taking ibuprofen or Tylenol, you can try taking one of these to take care of your headache but always make sure that they don’t interact with any of your other medications.
• Another idea is to try gently massaging the temples of your head or asking someone to massage your back and neck for general relaxation.

Watch a video for tips to release your headache by massage: