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Face pain - Overview

Definition of Face pain:

Face pain may be dull and throbbing or an intense, stabbing discomfort in one or both sides of the face or forehead.

Considerations:

Pain that starts in the face may be caused by a nerve disorder, an injury, or an infection in a structure of the face. Face pain may also begin elsewhere in the body.

Sometimes face pain occurs for no known reason.

Common Causes:

Abscessed tooth (continuous throbbing pain on one side of the lower face aggravated by eating or touching)
Cluster headache
Herpes zoster (shingles) or herpes simplex (cold sores) infection
Injury to the face
Migraine
Myofascial pain syndrome
Sinusitis or sinus infection (dull pain and tenderness around the eyes and cheekbones that worsens when bending forward)
Tic douloureux
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction syndrome

Reviewed last on: 11/10/2008
Linda Vorvick, MD, Family Physician, Seattle Site Coordinator, Lecturer, Pathophysiology, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Siccoli MM, Bassetti CL, Sándor PS. Facial pain: clinical differential diagnosis. The Lancet Neurol. 2006;5:257-267.

Silberstein SD, Young WB. Headache and facial pain. In: Goetz CG, ed. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 53.

Cutrer FM, Moskowitz MA. Headaches and other head pain. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 421.

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