Pain in the forehead is observed with sinusitis, inflammation of cerebral structures, increased blood pressure, intracranial hypertension, vertebrobasilar insufficiency, eye diseases, neuralgia, tumors. Often spreads to the temple, eye socket. It can be pressing, arching, twitching, pulsating, sharp, dull, prolonged, short-term. Diagnosed according to the survey, otolaryngological, ophthalmological, neurological examination, additional studies. Treatment is carried out using antimicrobial, analgesic, antihypertensive, antihistamines. Sometimes surgery is indicated.
Sinusitis is a common cause of forehead pain. Pain syndrome occurs as a result of the inflammatory process, the accumulation of discharge in the paranasal sinuses. The symptom is more disturbing in the morning, because a lot of fluid accumulates in the sinuses during the night. It is observed in the following diseases:
The cause of pain in the forehead in inflammatory diseases of cerebral structures is intracranial hypertension due to increased production of cerebrospinal fluid. With meningitis, severe pain in the back of the head prevails, which can spread to the forehead or the entire head. Severe intoxication, increased tone of the occipital muscles, positive meningeal symptoms are noted.
Painful sensations of similar localization also occur with various types of encephalitis. Significant hyperthermia, weakness, nausea, vomiting, dizziness are observed. Possible muscle weakness, impaired salivation, signs of damage to the cranial nerves. In some forms of encephalitis, convulsions occur, sometimes hallucinations, and other mental disorders.
Arterial hypertension can be primary (essential hypertension) or provoked by other diseases (symptomatic hypertension). Secondary forms are caused by pathologies of the central nervous system, endocrine organs, kidneys, renal and extrarenal vessels. The characteristic features of the pain syndrome are symmetry, the occurrence in the forehead or nape. The pains are throbbing, bursting, aggravated by sudden movements, loud sounds.
In patients with spondylogenic vertebrobasilar insufficiency, pain appears suddenly against the background of awkward movements. Covers half of the head. It spreads from the back of the head to the forehead, temple, orbit, sometimes extends to the upper limb. At the time of the attack, a fall occurs without loss of consciousness or syncope. The skin of the neck becomes pale, with a marble pattern, a veil, “flies” appear before the eyes.
Pain in the forehead
Pain is the main symptom, localized in the region of the crown and forehead. Symmetric, accompanied by pressure on the eyes from the inside, increases with a change in the direction of gaze. In some cases, nausea, vomiting are observed. In the acute course, the pain syndrome is pronounced, rapidly intensifies, in the chronic course it is moderate, disturbs constantly or proceeds with periodic fluctuations. Intracranial hypertension is accompanied by the following pathological conditions:
The cause of pain in the eye sockets, the forehead area becomes a constant overstrain of the organ of vision. The symptom is observed in such pathologies as:
Characterized by an increase in discomfort by the end of the day, after prolonged work at the computer, reading books, performing small actions that require good visual control (for example, embroidery). Complaints are determined by the type and severity of the ophthalmic disease, there is an inability to clearly recognize distant objects or an inability to read finely written text.
The patient complains of unilateral throbbing or pressing pains with an epicenter in the eye, forehead, temple. Some patients have weakness, absent-mindedness, visual phenomena before the onset of a migraine attack. Painful sensations are combined with light and sound fear, nausea, vomiting, depression or excessive irritability. As provoking factors are stress, physical activity, alcohol intake, certain products. Sometimes paroxysms develop for no apparent reason.
Intense pain impulses, resembling an electric shock, passing from the lateral surface to the center of the forehead and orbit, are characteristic of neuralgia of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve. The disease develops as a result of injury or inflammation of the nerve trunk, its compression by a neoplasm or an altered vessel. The duration of the paroxysm can reach 2 minutes, the attacks are repeatedly repeated. The pain is so sharp that patients freeze in place, afraid to move.
For ganglionitis of the pterygopalatine node, pain in the orbit, frontal region, upper jaw, hard palate is typical, sometimes spreading to the teeth, gums of the lower jaw, occiput, neck, ear, temple. Painful sensations are sharp, intense, unilateral. Occur spontaneously, more often at night. Accompanied by vivid vegetative reactions: redness, swelling of half of the face, profuse salivation, lacrimation, nasal discharge. They are provoked by inflammatory diseases of neighboring organs.
Pain in the forehead is sometimes accompanied by allergic pathologies: angioedema, rhinitis, urticaria. The appearance of painful sensations is possible during an attack of bronchial asthma. The cause of the symptom is swelling of the mucous membranes, respiratory disorders, hypoxia. The pain may be dull or migraine-like. Disappears along with other manifestations of allergy after the termination of contact with the allergen, taking an antihistamine.
Headache is a constant companion of fever, spreads throughout the head or is localized mainly in the frontal region. Observed with influenza, SARS. It is found in patients with bronchitis and pneumonia. It is noted in acute pyelonephritis, other diseases accompanied by febrile syndrome. Complemented by malaise, weakness, loss of appetite, myalgia, arthralgia.
Sometimes pain in the forehead becomes the result of a long stay in a room with too high a temperature, or, on the contrary, being in the cold without a hat. The symptom is detected in some diseases of the cardiovascular system, blood diseases, metabolic, endocrine disorders. Patients with neurotic disorders often complain of headaches: neurosis, neurasthenia, anxiety, hypochondriacal disorder. In hysteria, complaints can acquire an unusual, pretentious character.
The neurologist is engaged in establishing the cause of the pain syndrome. According to the indications, the patient is referred for consultations to an otolaryngologist, ophthalmologist, and other specialists. The doctor finds out when the symptom first appeared, how often it appeared, how it changed over time, what manifestations it accompanied. Collects an anamnesis of life, clarifies the presence of chronic diseases that could cause pain.
During the examination, it is sometimes possible to detect external changes, such as tearing, redness, and swelling of the face, but in most cases, a physical examination is of little information. For the final diagnosis are assigned:
In some cases special tests are required. For example, ganglionitis of the pterygopalatine ganglion is confirmed if the symptoms disappear after lubrication of the nasal cavity with a solution of dicaine and adrenaline. With a number of pathologies, laboratory tests are necessary to confirm the inflammatory process, to determine the pathogen.
Neurological examination
Therapeutic tactics is determined by the nature of the pathology:
Patients with ophthalmic pathologies are corrected with glasses and contact lenses. In glaucoma, medications are prescribed to lower intraocular pressure. Treatment of diseases with intoxication syndrome involves the intake of large amounts of liquid or intravenous infusions, therapy with drugs with symptomatic and etiopathogenetic effects.
The following surgeries may be recommended for patients: