Pain on the eyebrow when touched

Pain on the eyebrow when touched can be caused by, for example, sinusitis. In case of an inflammation many mechanisms take place in the body. One of them causes the nerve fibres that transmit pain stimuli to become more sensitive.

So it is possible that one feels pain even with a light touch. In another clinical picture, such as trigeminal neuralgia, a severe nerve pain can be triggered by a touch. Although trigeminal neuralgia is more often located in the lower half of the face, there are also forms in which the eye and forehead areas are affected.

Typical for this nerve pain is a sudden shooting for a few seconds. Afterwards the pain subsides quickly. However, such attacks can occur up to 100 times a day. The causes of trigeminal neuralgia can be compression of the trigeminal nerve. It is initially treated with medication and, in cases of frustration, with surgery.

Pain in the eyebrow when you have a cold

In the case of a cold, the sinuses are often inflamed by pathogens. If the infection affects the paranasal sinuses (sinusitis), it is anatomically located in the immediate vicinity of the eyebrows. If the mucous membrane swells in the sinuses, this causes a feeling of pressure on the facial bones and both the structures above and below them. One structure can be the end branches of the facial nerve, which can react to the irritation with pain in the area of the eyebrow. Another cause can be the irritation of the facial nerve in the area of the middle ear, which is less well ventilated due to a swelling of the mucous membrane in the context of a cold.

Pain in the eyebrow during aircraft landing

A painful eyebrow on landing can be explained by an irritated facial nerve in the middle ear area. When an airplane is on landing approach, the pressure inside the cabin rises, creating a negative pressure in the middle ear. This negative pressure irritates the facial nerve because it is located in the petrous bone, just like the inner and middle ear. In response, it can project pain onto its end branches in the eyebrow area. The pain is therefore not explained by a localized pain in the area of the eyebrow, but as a projection for the irritation of the nerve in its course through the skull.

Associated symptoms

The accompanying symptoms can be manifold. In the case of a sinusitis, purulent discharge from the nose is typical, as is a blocked nose and a feeling of tightness. Fever and a general feeling of illness can also occur.

Headaches can either be the trigger for the eyebrow pain or an accompanying symptom. In migraines, nausea and photophobia can accompany the pain. Fractures in the facial area can have a variety of other symptoms in addition to the pain, depending on where the bone is broken.

Near the eye, visual disturbances and nerve entrapments can occur. In complicated cases of fractures in the area of the nose, cerebral fluid may leak from the nose and bleed. Conjunctivitis is characterized by a reddened eye.

Furthermore, patients report a foreign body sensation and they are also photophobic. In glaucoma, on the other hand, severe pain in the area of the eyes is typical, as well as nausea and even vomiting. In addition, visual disturbances can occur and abnormalities in the pupil reaction can be seen.

Headache can occur in isolation or as an accompanying symptom of another disorder or trauma. In the case of sinusitis, the mucosa swells due to the inflammatory reaction. This results in increased pressure there, as the skull bones cannot give way to the swelling. This increased pressure can in turn lead to headaches. Headaches can also be a concomitant symptom in the context of head trauma, e.g. a fall.