Pain in temple and behind eye

Headaches in the temple area of the head come in different forms. These headaches can affect the left or right the temple, or both sides at once. The pain you experience can be sharp or dull, as well as of short duration or lasting for hours. The causes of headaches are plentiful, and it is important to know the cause of your headaches in order to choose an adequate treatment.

What causes headaches?

Headaches have so many different possible causes that it's almost impossible to list them all. In some cases, the reason behind your headache might be obvious to you — if you just sustained an an injury to the head, or you are fighting off a virus, you may know exactly why your head is hurting. In other cases, you won't know at all.

There are tension headaches, with symptoms like pain surrounding the whole head like a headband placed around it. Pain accompanied by sensitivity to light or sound and nausea indicate a migraine headache. Congestion and mild fever are symptoms of a cold or another upper respiratory infection, in which case the pain can be coming from the sinuses.

Some headaches go away by themselves, usually after a nap. Relaxation is very important for treating a headache and massages to the temporal area and the neck are usually helpful to get rid of headaches.

If the pain of a headache persists, there is a choice of over-the-counter drugs that one can take, and the most recommended medictaions to treat headaches are ibuprofen or Tylenol (acetaminophen).

A headache behind the right eye and temple, or a headache in the left eye and temple behind the eyes, is usually different. Suffering a headache with pain around the eye socket and temple is a very uncomfortable feeling that sometimes requires medical attention. The most common causes of this kind of pain are dry eyes and sinusitis, but there are other causes, like orbital inflammatory syndrome, scleritis, cranial nerve palsy and optic neuritis.

What other symptoms may accompany your headache, depending on the underlying cause?

Dry eyes are a very common problem. In this condition, the eyes will feel itchy, you will often suffer a burning sensation in your eyes, and the pain is sharp and stabbing. Artificial tears, or eye drops, are the general treatment for dry eyes. They can be found in any drug store or grocery store and do not require a prescription. Some patients, however, require a medical procedure to block the tear duct openings, so the liquid stays in the eye longer. If you often have dry eyes, be sure to see a doctor.

Sinusitis is an uncomfortable inflammation of the sinuses. The pain people with sinusitis experience is sharp and severe and gets worse with movements of the head. You will also experience cold-like symptoms. The best diagnosis is done by a CT scan, but a doctor can usually diagnose sinusitis with a thorough physical exam. The treatment includes antibiotics.

Orbital inflammatory syndrome is a condition which affects the muscles of the eye socket. It is diagnosed with a CT scan and cured with steroids. Scleritis is usually associated with another condition, like rheumatoid arthritis, gout, or shingles. The symptoms include red eyes and pain.

Optic neuritis affects the nerve and the muscles in the eye and is characterized by blurred vision and problems in color perception. Cranial nerve palsies are more present in patients with diabetes and high blood pressure. In addition to headache and eye pain, the symptoms include double vision.

If any kind of headache or pain behind the eyes persists, a neurologist or ophthalmologist should be consulted.

In the meantime, you can try to stay well hydrated, relax, rest for a while, and refrain from drinking alcohol. You can turn to over the counter pain relievers as well, but make sure not to exceed the recommended dose.