Have you ever experienced pain specifically around or behind one or both eyebrows? This discomfort can stem from various underlying conditions, ranging from temporary issues like inflamed sinuses to more persistent problems such as migraines or glaucoma. Recognizing potential causes and appropriate treatments is essential for managing eyebrow pain effectively. Eyebrow pain or tension can be due to various causes, including headaches, infections, or conditions affecting the facial nerves. Some conditions may only affect one side of the face, such as above the left or right eyebrow, while others cause pain around the eyebrows.
Eyebrow pain can be caused by a variety of conditions, including sinus infections, different types of headaches, and glaucoma. The pain is usually not in your eyebrow itself but comes from areas under or near it. Pain near or behind your eyebrows may have a variety of causes. The pain may come and go, or last for longer periods of time, depending on the cause. Here’s the potential causes for eyebrow pain and what you can do: The causes range from conditions involving your eyes to various types of headaches.
Sinusitis, or sinus infection, is another possible cause for pain under or near your eyebrow. Sinusitis is the inflammation of the nasal cavities. It can create a lot of pressure in the face, and people may feel pain around the eyebrows, nose, forehead, and cheeks. Symptoms of sinusitis include:
Inflammation or infection of the sinuses, known as sinusitis, can cause swelling of the sinus membranes. This swelling can cause a buildup of pressure in the sinus cavities, including the frontal sinuses located behind your eyebrows. Even without an infection, sinus congestion caused by allergies, colds, or environmental factors can also lead to pressure and discomfort in the sinus cavities. Sinus pain will usually get worse when you bend over or move your head.
Acute sinusitis is usually caused by bacteria and lasts for about one month or less. Chronic sinusitis lasts longer than three months and can be caused by bacteria or fungus. If symptoms of sinusitis carry on longer than 10 days or do not improve with treatment, a doctor can help.
Read also: Diagnosing Left Hair Loss
A tension headache, or tension-type headache, is a common type of headache-more than 70% of people experience these occasionally. Tension headaches are usually caused be some type of stress and are incredibly common. They can feel like a band of pain across your forehead, including the eyebrows. Pain may spread to the eye, eyebrow, and temple. Symptoms of a tension headache include:
According to the American Migraine Foundation, tension headaches are one of the most common types of headache, and they can last anywhere from 30 minutes to 7 days. These types of headaches aren’t affected by physical activity. Your healthcare provider may recommend OTC pain medicines such as Tylenol or Motrin (ibuprofen) for occasional tension headaches.
Migraine headaches can cause intense throbbing or pulsating pain, which can be felt behind one or both eyes. Symptoms of a migraine episode can include:
People may experience a stabbing pain, often either behind the eyebrow or eye or around the temples. This pain and other symptoms usually affect one side of the head. Migraines are very severe headaches that include more symptoms than just pain. Symptoms can include:
You may also experience nausea or an aura. Migraines typically leave you unable to go to work or participate in other activities. Some individuals have migraine with aura, which often includes visual symptoms like flashes of light or bright spots, blurred vision, or vision loss. There are nonmedicinal methods that can also help with migraine, including stress management and trigger avoidance, which keeping a headache diary can aid with.
Read also: Comprehensive Eyebrow Piercing Guide
Cluster headaches are a type of migraine that’s clustered into multiple attacks that happen in a row. Cluster headaches, which are often confused with other types of headaches, are not very common. These types of headaches occur in clusters, happening every day or almost every day (for up to three hours each time) for weeks or even months. These headaches generally happen at the same time of day. They often occur a few hours after you fall asleep but can also occur when you are awake. Attacks last from 15 minutes to 3 hours, occur daily or almost daily for weeks or months. The hypothalamus is a highly complex structure in the brain that regulates many important brain chemicals. Cluster headaches may be caused by blood vessel dilation in the eye area. Inflammation of nearby nerves may give rise to the distinctive stabbing, throbbing pain usually felt in one eye. The symptoms of a cluster headache include stabbing severe pain behind or above one eye or in the temple. Doctors do not know exactly what causes cluster headaches. They seem to be related to the body's sudden release of histamine (chemical in the body released during an allergic response) or serotonin (chemical made by nerve cells) in the area of a nerve in the face called the trigeminal nerve. A problem in a small area at the base of the brain called the hypothalamus may be involved. More men than women are affected. The headaches can occur at any age, but are most common in the 20s through middle age. A cluster headache begins as a severe, sudden headache. The headache commonly strikes 2 to 3 hours after you fall asleep. But it can also occur when you are awake. The headache tends to happen daily at the same time of day. Attacks can last for months.
Symptoms of a cluster headache include:
Your healthcare provider may also recommend avoiding smoking and alcohol, certain foods, and other triggers-as well as keeping a headache diary.
Glaucoma occurs when excess fluid builds up in the front of the eye and damages the optic nerve. It can cause severe pain around the eyebrow and eye. Glaucomaheadacheblurry visionsevere eye painseeing halos in your visionnauseavomiting Seeking treatment early for glaucoma can prevent blindness. The most common form of glaucoma is called primary open-angle glaucoma. With this type of glaucoma, there is increased fluid pressure in the eye, which can damage the optic nerve over time and may progress to vision loss or blindness. Primary open-angle glaucoma usually develops slowly, and most of the time, there are no symptoms. However, there is another type of glaucoma called acute angle-closure glaucoma, which is a medical emergency. It occurs abruptly and is caused by a rapid increase of pressure in the eye. Acute angle-closure glaucoma is an emergency, and severe vision loss can happen quickly. All individuals at risk of glaucoma should have regular eye exams.
Other symptoms of glaucoma include:
Read also: Causes and Relief for Eyebrow Pain
It is vital to receive treatment for glaucoma. Without treatment, it can cause permanent vision loss. Treatment of primary open-angle glaucoma includes prescription eye drops-some people require multiple types of eye drops. For acute angle-closure glaucoma, medication may be used to quickly reduce eye pressure.
Shingles is a viral infection caused by the same virus as chickenpox. Shingles, or herpes zoster, is caused by a reactivation of varicella-zoster virus (VZV). VZV is the same virus that causes varicella, or chickenpox. Shingles causes a painful rash with blisters. In some cases, shingles can cause headache pain that may be located near your eyebrows. But the most common symptoms of shingles are a painful rash and blisters on your skin. Shingles is a condition that affects the nerves. It occurs in localized areas, usually on one side of the body. These areas can include the face and neck.
The symptoms of shingles include:
Shingles around the eye is a medical emergency. It is best to contact a doctor immediately if someone has blisters on their face, especially if they are close to the eyes. This is because if the virus affects nerves in the eye, it means that a person has herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO). This can cause vision loss and will require antiviral medication. Treatment for shingles may include oral antiviral medication as well as comfort measures like a moist, cold compress over the eyes. It is best for adults over the age of 50 years to get a shingles vaccine.
Temporal arteritis is a condition where the lining of your arteries become inflamed. It’s also called giant cell arteritis. Giant cell arteritis (GCA), also called temporal arteritis, is an inflammatory condition that affects large blood vessels of the scalp, neck, and arms. It’s most common in the arteries in your head. The headache pain is often near or around your temples, which may feel like a pain in or under your eyebrows. According to the Arthritis Foundation, people over the age of 50 years, particularly Caucasian women, are more likely to develop giant cell arteritis. Early GCA symptoms such as appetite loss, fever, and fatigue may feel like the flu.
Inflammation of these blood vessels can cause pain in the face and other symptoms around the head and neck, such as:
If you have symptoms of temporal arteritis, you should seek medical attention right away. Temporal arteritis can be successfully treated with corticosteroids. But if left untreated, temporal arteritis can lead to stroke or a loss of vision. High doses of steroids are usually given to lower the chance of blindness. Steroids may be needed for months or even years to keep the inflammation at bay.
Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic pain condition that involves sudden and severe facial pain. It is also known as tic douloureux. Trigeminal neuralgia is a condition that causes sharp, intense pain in areas of the face. The trigeminal nerve connects the brain to the face, allowing a person to sense touch and changes in temperature. TN affects the trigeminal nerve (fifth cranial nerve), which is associated with feeling and nerve signaling to the head and face. TN is a type of nerve pain that is often caused by a nerve injury or lesion.
Trigeminal neuralgia usually affects just one side of the face, but in rare cases, it can affect both sides. Some people with this condition may experience a stabbing pain or pain that feels like an electric shock. Others may have a constant aching or burning sensation in the face.
The cause of eyebrow pain may resolve on its own without treatment-for example, if you have a headache. However, if eyebrow pain continues, worsens, or is severe, it could be a sign of various conditions that require treatment. Only your healthcare provider can rule out infection or other serious health conditions. An occasional headache or pain behind your eyebrows shouldn’t be cause for concern and may not require treatment. Any time your pain limits your activities or makes it difficult to work, you should see your doctor. Your doctor will be able to give you a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. If you experience vision problems along with the pain around your eyebrows, you should seek medical attention and treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment of eye problems can increase the success of treatment and possibly prevent blindness.
People with eyebrow pain should seek medical care straight away if they also have the following symptoms:
People should contact a doctor if they have symptoms of any of the following conditions:
If symptoms of sinusitis carry on longer than 10 days or do not improve with treatment, a doctor can help. Call 911 or the local emergency number if:
Schedule an appointment or contact your provider if:
Treatment for eyebrow pain depends on the underlying cause:
If you’re diagnosed with a common headache, tension headache, or a migraine, home remedies may help. If you’re taking medications for your pain, you should talk to your doctor before trying any alternative and home remedies.
Ways to manage head pain include:
Treatment options for pain near and behind the eyebrows may vary depending on the underlying cause.
tags: #left #eyebrow #pain #causes
