The temples are sensitive anatomical regions on the side of the head. Important nerve pathways and blood vessels run here. Discomfort and discomfort, especially related to headaches and tension in local muscle areas, are relatively common in the temporal region.
What is the temple?
The term “temple” (pl. temples; Latin tempus/ pl. tempora) is used to describe the area of the head that extends slightly pit-like on both sides, above the cheek, between the eye and the ear. Commonly, the term “temple” is associated with the fact that the head of a sleeping person rests on this part of the body in the lateral position. However, there are also alternative etymological interpretations of the word, which see the origin of the term “temple” in conceptual similarities to earlier words of Slavic and Romance languages for “thin/ thin-skinned/ thin place”. This interpretation refers to the thin layer of skull bone in the temporal region.
Anatomy and structure
By anatomical definition, the temples encompass a larger area than is commonly believed. The visible and palpable depressions to the side of the eyes, often colloquially referred to as “temples,” comprise only a portion of the temporal region. The temporal fossa is bounded in the lower region by the zygomatic bone (cheekbone, lat. Os zygomaticum), in the upper region by the frontal bone (lat. Os frontale). Towards the back of the head, the temporal region extends above the ears above the underlying sphenoid bone (lat. Os sphenoidale) and the temporal bone (Os temporale). Between the externally palpable skull bones lies the temporal fossa. Here, nerve tracts and large blood vessels run embedded in a (fat) tissue cushion relatively unprotected directly under the skin. This location makes the temples an easily and sometimes dangerously vulnerable part of the body to external impact. The meeting of several central cranial bone elements also contributes to the temple’s susceptibility to disruption.
Function and tasks
The “temple” is merely a defined anatomical region and, as such, serves no specific task. However, important blood vessels and nerves run through the temporal region and are involved in the control and blood flow to the eyes and ear areas, among other functions. The nerves are ramifications and branches of central lower and upper nerves. The auricular nerve (lat. Nervus auriculotemporalis) innervates the temporal skin as well as parts of the auditory tract, the auricle and the eardrum. The zygomatic nerve also innervates parts of the temporal skin, as well as the zygomatic arch and the eyelids. The temporal region is supplied with blood by two important blood vessels. The artery that supplies blood to the superficial temporal areas and other areas of the upper head is a branch of the carotid artery, the so-called superficial temporal artery (lat. Arteria temporalis superficialis). This blood vessel makes the pulse in the temporal region palpable. The deep temporal artery (lat. Arteria temporalis profunda), on the other hand, supplies blood to deeper structures of the temples. These include the “temporal muscle” (lat. Musculus temporalis), which, as a component of the upper chewing muscles, makes an important contribution to the chewing process.
Diseases and complaints
In the sensitive area of the temples, there is often discomfort and insensitivity. Obvious causes are first external impacts such as pressure and shocks on the temporal region, which can easily lead to bruises and sometimes dangerous injuries to the unprotected tissue. Tissue swelling obstructs blood flow or puts pressure on the temporal nerves, which can cause pain. Often, headaches – especially migraine, cluster and tension headaches – are also localized in the temporal region, or may radiate there. Causes and triggers of these types of headaches are not yet precisely understood and can vary from person to person. The associated temporal pains are felt very differently in type and intensity. They range from mild pressure pain to aggressive, severe pain (usually associated with cluster headaches). They may be unilateral or bilateral, perceived as pulsating, dull or stabbing. Often, pain in the temporal region radiates to adjacent parts of the body (eyes, ears, jaw, back of the head), or is in turn based on radiating pain from these areas.Pain caused by overstrained eye or jaw muscles can also manifest itself as temporal pain. In the so-called “Costen syndrome”, for example, there is an incorrect posture of the temporomandibular joint. This in turn often results from uncorrected or poorly corrected bite anomalies, nocturnal teeth grinding or inflammatory joint diseases. Muscular tension caused by poor posture or mental tension can also lead to nodule formation in fibers of the temporalis muscle, which can act as painful sensations. Light, circular pressure massages and acupuncture treatments can provide relief for these complaints. Finally, especially in older people, rheumatic inflammation of the temporal arteries can also hide behind complaints in the temporal region. These are then often accompanied by further symptoms such as visual disturbances and numbness and require immediate surgical treatment to prevent lasting visual disturbances or strokes.
