Facial Pain: Causes, Treatment & Help

Facial pain has various forms and causes. If causal control of facial pain is not possible, symptom control can be used.

What is facial pain?

Various forms of facial pain are distinguished in medicine; the most common facial pain includes so-called trigeminal neuralgia (affecting the facial nerves) or idiopathic facial pain. Facial pain is a painful sensation that can affect different parts of the face. For example, facial pain can occur in the jaw, cheeks, temples, and the areas of the nose, mouth, and ears. Muscles and facial skin can also be affected by facial pain. In medicine, different forms of facial pain are distinguished; among the most common facial pain is the so-called trigeminal neuralgia (affecting the facial nerves) or idiopathic facial pain. Facial pain associated with trigeminal neuralgia is usually described by sufferers as flashing and cutting. Facial pain is further categorized by the regions of the face in which it occurs and whether it is chronic (i.e., long-lasting) or acute. With regard to the cause of facial pain, a distinction can be made between symptomatic pain (with known causes) or idiopathic pain (without known causes).

Causes

Just as varied as the forms of facial pain are possible underlying causes. For example, facial pain in trigeminal neuralgia originates from the so-called trigeminal nerve (also known as the triplet nerve). Usually, facial pain in such trigeminal neuralgia is caused by damage to the corresponding nerve. Facial pain from neuralgia may be caused by other physical conditions; however, a cause cannot always be determined. Other causes that may account for various facial pains include diseases such as facial or shingles, or impairments of the jaw and/or masticatory muscles. In addition, facial pain can be caused by sinus disorders or impairments of the neck and shoulder. Furthermore, causes of facial pain are often found in the head area of an affected person; for example, brain tumors or strokes can lead to facial pain.

Diseases with this symptom

  • Shingles
  • Trigeminal neuralgia
  • Sinus mucocele
  • Brain tumor
  • Atypical facial pain
  • Sinusitis
  • Stroke
  • Eyeball contusion
  • Tooth root inflammation

Diagnosis and course

The nature of facial pain is diagnosed by a treating physician usually initially based on symptom descriptions of the patient. Diagnostically important information about occurring facial pain concerns a patient’s medical history and an accurate account of the timing and severity of existing facial pain. For example, facial pain may present as episodic reactions to various stimuli or as persistent pain. Depending on the nature of facial pain, a diagnosis may require consultation with various specialists; however, it is not always possible to accurately diagnose the cause of facial pain. The course of facial pain depends primarily on the underlying causes of the pain. If causes of facial pain can be diagnosed and corrected, the associated pain usually subsides.

Complications

The possible complications of facial pain are many. The pain can develop into chronic discomfort and, as it progresses, place a great deal of stress on the nerves in the affected area. In addition to the pain itself, patients then experience tension and often numbness in the chin and cheeks. Pain patients often have a long path of suffering behind them, which is accompanied by a decline in quality of life. Misdiagnoses are just as problematic: in the search for the cause, healthy tooth roots may be treated or the sinuses operated on, accompanied by further therapeutic measures, which can lead to an intensification of the complaints due to the misdiagnosis.Chronic facial pain often develops into depressive moods and even full-blown depression as a result. Taking painkillers can damage the organs and lead to some further complications depending on the medication. Facial pain occurs predominantly during the day and thus places a burden on those affected, especially in their daily lives. Stress, listlessness and fear of further pain attacks are the result. Other complications: Hyperthermia, numbness and an unpleasant tingling sensation in the painful area. Intensity and occurrence complications depend on the causes of facial pain, medication and environment. For example, stress makes the condition progressively worse, and a change in the weather can also cause the problems to intensify. Early clarification by a physician is therefore advisable.

When should you go to the doctor?

Facial pain leads to a high level of suffering in those affected. They occur in many areas: temples, cheeks, jaw, mouth, nose and ears. With facial pain, there is hardly any question as to whether or not a visit to the doctor is in order. The pain is too agonizing. The first point of contact should be the family doctor. He may refer his patient to a neurologist, internist, ear, nose and throat specialist, orthopedist or orthodontist. Other options would be the dentist and a psychologist or psychotherapist. Well known for facial pain are trigeminal neuralgia and other neuralgias. Facial pain is also often caused by inadequate function of the masticatory muscles or jaw. Colds, including sinus disorders, are other common causes of facial pain. Occasionally, they are also due to radiating pain from the neck or shoulder area. Herpes zoster diseases such as shingles and facial erysipelas also often manifest themselves with pain in the affected areas. Particularly in older people, it is not uncommon for the unpleasant so-called post-herpetic zoster neuralgia to occur in the face following a herpes disease. When diagnosing facial pain, the possibility of a brain tumor, stroke or multiple sclerosis should always be considered. When diagnosing facial pain, it is important to differentiate it from headaches.

Treatment and therapy

Like the course of facial pain, successful treatment of pain is closely related to the causative factors of facial pain. When possible, therapeutic measures to combat facial pain first aim to correct the causes of pain. Depending on the cause, various specialists may be responsible for addressing the root cause of facial pain. Although in some cases it is also possible to counter facial pain through surgical intervention, experts recommend detailed consultations here first. If the causes of facial pain cannot be discovered and thus treated, or if the facial pain is based on chronic diseases that cannot be cured, possible treatment measures consist of symptomatic therapy (pain relief). Facial pain caused by impairment of facial nerves can often be reduced by the use of pain-relieving medications. If chronic facial pain is present, patients can learn to manage facial pain in special pain clinics, for example. Outpatient psychotherapy procedures can also provide patients with strategies to help them cope with facial pain; these strategies may include, for example, various relaxation techniques.

Outlook and prognosis

There is no universal way to predict whether facial pain will heal or whether it will present with certain complications. Treatment depends largely on the causes of facial pain. In general, facial pain can always be limited with the help of medication. However, the patient should not take painkillers for a prolonged period of time, as they can have a negative effect on the stomach. In a few cases, facial pain can also be treated with a surgical procedure. This is often the case when the jaw or the oral cavity causes pain, making ordinary daily life impossible. If facial pain is not treated, this pain significantly reduces the quality of life.The affected person can no longer lead a normal everyday life and is very limited in his activities. Therefore, sufferers should always try to reduce stress and relax a lot to prevent the facial pain.

Prevention

If facial pain first occurs, prompt diagnosis and subsequent therapy can first help prevent the pain from worsening. To prevent worsening of chronic facial pain, experts recommend such measures as a healthy lifestyle: Factors such as regular physical exercise, stress reduction, and moderate consumption of alcohol and nicotine are said to be able to help strengthen the psyche and body in facial pain.

Here’s what you can do yourself

Unfortunately, it cannot be universally predicted whether facial pain can be treated by self-help and therapy without a doctor. However, in many cases, treatment with medication or surgery is necessary to limit facial pain. In any case, a healthy lifestyle with a healthy diet and lots of sports activities has a positive effect on the health of the entire body. This can also have a positive effect on facial pain. However, the patient should keep in mind here that the success from changing the diet and taking up a sporting activity does not appear immediately, but requires several weeks or months until it can be recognized. Patience is therefore required here above all. Very often the facial pain arises due to stress and unnecessary physical and mental strain. The affected person should escape these in any case, as they only intensify the facial pain and thus delay the healing. In this case, the body needs a lot of relaxation and should not be unnecessarily strained. In acute cases, something as banal as cooling can already provide relief. However, if the facial pain persists for a long time and does not improve with these self-help methods, a doctor must be consulted.