Temple Ache: Root Causes, Associated Symptoms, and Remedies
Temple pain can be a common complaint, but it can also be a symptom of serious or life-threatening conditions. Here are some key causes of temple pain that require immediate medical attention.
**1. Thunderclap Headaches and Sudden Severe Pain** - Description: Sudden onset of the "worst headache of your life" with peak intensity within seconds to minutes (thunderclap headache). - Potential Causes: Indicates possible subarachnoid hemorrhage (bleeding in the brain), brain aneurysm rupture, or other vascular emergencies. - Why Emergency Care: Up to 25% of patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage may die before reaching care, and untreated cases often result in severe disability.
**2. Headache After Head Injury** - Description: Pain in the temples or other head areas following trauma. - Potential Causes: Concussion, brain contusion, or intracranial hemorrhage. - Why Emergency Care: Immediate evaluation is needed to rule out life-threatening brain injury or bleeding.
**3. Associated Neurological Symptoms** - Symptoms: Vision changes (including loss of vision), drooping eyelid, confusion, slurred speech, weakness in one side of the body, altered mental state, or loss of consciousness. - Potential Causes: Stroke, carotid artery dissection, meningitis, or brain tumour. - Why Emergency Care: These are classic signs of stroke or serious brain pathology and require urgent care to limit permanent damage or death.
**4. Signs of Infection or Inflammation** - Symptoms: Fever, stiff neck, rash, or headache with eye watering. - Potential Causes: Meningitis, encephalitis, or other central nervous system infections. - Why Emergency Care: Bacterial meningitis has a high mortality rate (around 15%) even with treatment, making early recognition and treatment critical.
**5. Persistent or Non-Resolving Pain** - Symptoms: Pain lasting more than three days, or pain that is unresponsive to typical treatments. - Potential Causes: Underlying structural problems, chronic inflammation, or rare systemic diseases. - Why Emergency Care: Persistent pain may indicate a chronic or evolving serious cause requiring medical evaluation and imaging.
In cases where temple pain is not associated with any of these symptoms, it may be due to a tension headache, cervicogenic headache, migraine, or a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). Treatment for these conditions varies, with over-the-counter medication, lifestyle changes, and preventive treatments such as amitriptyline often being recommended.
For instance, a migraine headache can start as a dull ache that develops into a pulsing pain. Some people feel pain or pressure in their temples. When a person is experiencing a migraine episode, the following treatments can help: analgesics and antiemetics, triptans, sleep, and medication to prevent migraine episodes.
In the case of a TBI, diagnosis may involve MRI or CT scans to detect any blood clots or bruising to the brain. Treatment for a mild TBI includes rest and over-the-counter pain relievers.
If you experience any of these symptoms, seek emergency medical attention immediately. Most temple pain is not dangerous, but recognising these warning signs can prevent severe outcomes.
[1] Mayo Clinic. (2021). Headache: Symptoms and causes. [online] Available at: https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/headache/symptoms-causes/syc-20355653 [2] NHS. (2021). Headaches. [online] Available at: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/headache/ [3] American Migraine Foundation. (2021). Migraine. [online] Available at: https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/migraine-overview/
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