Sharp Headaches on the Left Side: When to Worry and What to Do

It’s not for nothing that headaches rank high in the list of probable excuses we come up with for bunking work. Headaches are very common, although their reasons may vary widely.

We have all, at some point in time, experienced headaches on both sides of our heads. Usually, if we experience pain in the left temple, it’s caused by sinus issues, stress, tension, and even eating ice cream quickly.

There can be more serious issues too, but before we delve into finding treatments and solutions, let’s discuss all probable causes and any other symptoms you might have too.

Causes for Left Temple Pain

As the intensity and duration of headaches range from stabbing pain to a mild throbbing, their causes vary widely, too; and so do their treatments.

Tension

This is the most common cause of headaches. Our intense lifestyle has made stress our daily companion. Add to that lack of food or sleep, muscle tension and poor posture, and extra pressure gets applied to the temple.

The medication available over-the-counter, massage and yoga are good enough to treat such headaches. To make sure they don’t happen again, it’s best to drink plenty of water, maintain proper posture and have a diet consisting of omega-3 fatty acids.

Temporal Arteritis

This is mostly caused due to inflammation in the temporal arteries that originate in the carotid artery of our neck. While there’s no particular reason behind this inflammation, certain researchers believe that the low immunity of a person may be a cause.

If the left temple pain is accompanied by sweating, fever, muscle aches, fatigue, and loss of appetite, this is the possible reason. Treatment involves steroids which a medical practitioner should prescribe.

Sinus

Such pains are accompanied by pain in your forehead, cheeks, and eyes and are caused due to inflammation in the membranes surrounding the sinus cavity. Treatment involves over-the-counter medications.

Temporomandibular Joint Syndrome

If the joint connecting your skull to your jaw gets injured or damaged somehow, this is caused. This is further classified by internal joint derangement, inflammatory joint issues and myofascial pain. Ice packs and massages certainly help in relieving the pain, in addition to prescribed pain relievers. In some cases, botox injections and dental splints also help.

Stroke

Strokes are characterized by a sharp pain in the temple along with slurring of speech and muscle weakness. Whenever this happens, the person should be immediately rushed to a medical centre and required treatment as soon as possible. Strokes can be prevented from occurring by leading a healthy lifestyle.

Brain Tumors

It’s quite normal to think that you have one whenever you get headaches on the left side, but in reality, headaches caused by tumours are accompanied by vision, hearing and speech difficulties. Some people also develop vomiting, nausea and behavioural changes. Treatments are varied and mostly involve radiation, surgery, drug and chemotherapy.

Migraine

Such pains can get so severe that a person experiencing one may find it difficult to stand or move properly. Light, sounds and movement often worsen the pain, accompanied by vision issues like lightning flashes, vomiting and nausea. Treatment includes meditation, rest and prescribed pain relievers. It can be cured permanently by having botox treatments.

Cluster headaches

This is more common among men than women and is characterized by regular occurrences daily for several weeks. Red eyes and a runny nose accompany throbbing pain in the left temple. Although very rare, the condition is treatable by oxygen and prescribed pain relievers, among other medications.

Cervicogenic headaches

Maintaining an odd posture of your head and neck for a long time can give rise to such headaches. The pain is constant and may last for a few days. Pain relievers help maintain good posture and provide heat packs to relieve muscle tension in the region.

Ice-pick Headaches

The name is such because it feels like an ice-pick has been struck in the eye and temple region; the pain’s that overwhelming! There’s no particular reason behind why they occur, and they are normally temporary. The best option is to visit a doctor if one lasts for a while.

Giant cell Arteritis

This is also known as temporal arteritis, cranial arteritis and Horton disease. This is the inflammation of the blood vessels in the region, which causes the blood flow to get restricted. Your neck and shoulder may also become stiff, and you may develop some difficulty in chewing food, along with a mild fever.

Headaches due to Food

For some people, certain ingredients like nitrates, monosodium glutamate and sulfites present in Chinese foods, canned and processed meat, wine, seasonings, chocolate and certain spices may give rise to headaches in the left temple. Other symptoms are difficulty in breathing, muscle tension and sweating profusely. Normally this occurs within an hour of consuming such food articles.

If you are above 50years of age, headaches become a cause for concern. Getting medical advice is the best option in that case, as cerebral aneurysm is pretty common at that age, especially among women.

Some Common Treatments

Normal headaches are common for most people. So before you think the worse and rush to the medical store to get some pain relievers, try some of these home remedies. If they don’t work, you can always consult a doctor.

• Cold compress
• A quiet rest in a preferably dark room
• Take a quiet walk and breathe in some fresh air
• A hot shower often works wonders
• Some moderate exercises
• Light massage of the area affected
• A diet consisting of foods rich in protein, fiber and vitamins
• Take long, deep breaths of fresh oxygen

If your headaches keep coming back, you should get yourself checked by a doctor. The severity, timing and other symptoms all indicate whether the pain is chronic or acute.