Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsCausesWounds and Skin ConditionsShinglesHeart AttackStrokeAt-Home ReliefMedicationSeeing a ProviderChronic Management
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Causes
Wounds and Skin Conditions
Shingles
Heart Attack
Stroke
At-Home Relief
Medication
Seeing a Provider
Chronic Management
Not only is facial pain uncomfortable, but it can interfere with daily tasks such as talking, eating, and brushing your teeth. Facial pain can cause aching, pressure, burning, shooting, or electrical sensations. Because there are many structures in and around the face, there are many different causes of facial pain.
This article will review various facial pain causes, treatment options, and when to see a healthcare provider.
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Causes of Facial Pain
There are many different structures in and around the face, including the skin, eyes, nose, mouth, sinuses, muscles, and nerves. Facial pain can result from a variety of different conditions that affect any of these structures.
A Word From VerywellFacial pain can be troubling for some, but with patience and guidance from your healthcare provider, you will be able to receive proper treatment and hopefully improve your symptoms.—MICHAEL MENNA, DO, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
A Word From Verywell
Facial pain can be troubling for some, but with patience and guidance from your healthcare provider, you will be able to receive proper treatment and hopefully improve your symptoms.—MICHAEL MENNA, DO, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Facial pain can be troubling for some, but with patience and guidance from your healthcare provider, you will be able to receive proper treatment and hopefully improve your symptoms.
—MICHAEL MENNA, DO, MEDICAL EXPERT BOARD
Sinus Infection
The sinuses are empty cavities within the nose and middle of the face. They transport air and help drain mucus. Sinusitis, or asinus infection, results from respiratory infections, including thecommon cold. This causes pressure to build up within the inflamed sinuses, causing facial pain.
Facial pain from sinus pressure has the following features:
Bell’s Palsy
Symptoms of Bell’s palsy include:
Trigeminal Neuralgia
Symptoms of trigeminal neuralgia include:
Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) Disorders
Thetemporomandibular joint (TMJ)is a small joint that connects your lower jaw (mandible) to the side of your skull (temporal bone). This joint controls motion of the jaw opening, closing, and moving side to side needed for talking and eating.
The TMJ is used 1,500–2,000 times a day, and can cause significant pain if there is an issue with the joint. Facial pain from TMJ disorders can spread to the jaw, ears, temples, forehead, and neck. Tightness in the muscles that control the jaw may also become tight and tender.
The TMJ can become irritated and inflamed from poor alignment of the jaw, or poor habits like teeth grinding. Facial pain from TMJ disorders is typically:
8 Things That Make TMJ Worse
Headaches
Headaches, in addition to causing head pain, can also affect different parts of the face.Migrainesare throbbing or pounding headaches that can spread pain to the neck and face. They can also cause symptoms similar to sinus infections, including pressure in the middle of the face and nasal congestion.
Cluster headacheis a type of severe headache that comes on suddenly and occurs in clusters of time. It causes pain on one side of the head, forehead, and around the eye. The causes of migraine and cluster headaches are not fully understood, but certain triggers can bring them on.
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Direct injury to the face can result in wounds like cuts, sores, burns, and bruises. Skin conditions, like acne,eczema,psoriasis, and allergic reactions can cause skin lesions like pimples, rashes, patches, and hives. These injuries and skin conditions can result in various uncomfortable sensations, such as facial pain, stinging, burning, or itching.
Wounds, sores, and infections affecting teeth, mouth, or gums can also cause facial pain.
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Symptoms ofshingles on the faceinclude:
Shingles can also cause a complication called postherpetic neuralgia. This condition causes nerve pain and burning in the skin that continues even after the shingles rash goes away.
Aheart attackis a serious condition in which blood flow to the heart is blocked. The most common symptom is severe chest pain, but pain can also be felt in the left arm, neck, or jaw. A heart attack is a medical emergency and requires immediate medical treatment.
A stroke is a medical emergency in which blood flow to the brain is stopped, usually from a blood clot. Strokes usually affect one side of the body, and one of the first signs of a stroke is facial drooping and weakness. Strokes can cause permanent nerve damage and can result in pain in affected areas of the body, including the face.
How to Relieve Facial Pain at Home
Relieving facial pain requires treating the underlying condition causing it. While medical management is key, at home treatment methods can help alleviate discomfort. Applying ice or a cool compress to the affected part of your face can help reduce pain intensity. Over-the-counter (nonprescription) medications to reduce pain and inflammation can also be used to help with your symptoms.
Avoiding triggers for certain types of facial pain can prevent symptoms from occurring. If you frequently have migraine or cluster headaches, avoiding triggers like bright lights, loud noises, lack of sleep, and stress can help.
If you experience facial pain from a TMJ disorder, wearing a night guard to prevent teeth grinding as you sleep can ease discomfort. You may also benefit from jaw exercises and physical therapy.
Medicated Facial Pain Treatment
Various medications are used to treat facial pain depending on the underlying cause. These include:
For many cases of trigeminal neuralgia, medication provides only short-term relief, and surgery is often needed to reduce compression of the trigeminal nerve. Several surgical procedures can be performed to treat trigeminal neuralgia. These include:
Seeing a Provider to Diagnose Facial Pain
Facial pain usually isn’t a medical emergency, but it still requires attention from a healthcare provider to address your symptoms. See your healthcare provider if you experience facial pain that does not improve after one week.
If you have any signs of infection, skin irritation, or loss of sensation, see your healthcare provider sooner. These symptoms require more urgent treatment.
Heart attacks and strokes are medical emergencies and require immediate medical attention. Call911if you experience severe chest pain, pain radiating down the arm, upper back, or jaw, shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, headache, confusion, difficulty speaking, or sudden numbness or weakness.
Managing Chronic Facial Pain
It can be difficult to find relief from chronic facial pain. While there is not strong evidence for the effectiveness of complementary treatments for treating facial pain, some options may provide you pain relief. Complementary treatment options include:
Summary
Facial pain can result from a variety of different conditions that affect the various structures of the face. Causes include sinus infections, wounds and skin conditions, headaches, temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders, shingles, Bell’s palsy, trigeminal neuralgia, heart attack, and stroke.
Medications to treat these conditions include pain medication, medication to decrease nerve activity, medication to treat infections, and medication that control the activity of your heart and blood vessels.
While medication is used to manage most of these conditions, surgery may be needed if you have trigeminal neuralgia to relieve nerve compression causing unpleasant facial pain. If your facial pain lasts more than one week, talk with your healthcare provider to determine what may be causing it and what treatment options are available.
13 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.De Corso E, Kar M, Cantone E, Lucidi D, Settimi S, Mele D, Salvati A, Muluk NB, Paludetti G, Cingi C.Facial pain: Sinus or not?Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital.2018 Dec;38(6):485-496. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-1721.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and stroke.Bell’s palsy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and stroke.Trigeminal neuralgia.Gerwin R.Chronic facial pain: Trigeminal neuralgia, persistent idiopathic facial pain, and myofascial pain syndrome-an evidence-based narrative review and etiological hypothesis.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2020 Sep 25;17(19):7012. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17197012.Van Deun L, de Witte M, Goessens T, Halewyck S, Ketelaer MC, Matic M, Moens M, Vaes P, Van Lint M, Versijpt J.Facial pain: A comprehensive review and proposal for a pragmatic diagnostic approach.Eur Neurol. 2020;83(1):5-16. doi: 10.1159/000505727.Wieckiewicz M, Boening K, Wiland P, Shiau YY, Paradowska-Stolarz A.Reported concepts for the treatment modalities and pain management of temporomandibular disorders.J Headache Pain.2015;16:106. doi: 10.1186/s10194-015-0586-5.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Migraine headaches.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Cluster headaches.Centers for Disease Control And Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster) causes and transmission.Centers for Disease Control And Prevention.Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Signs and SymptomsSaguil A, Kane S, Mercado M, Lauters R.Herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia: Prevention and management.Am Fam Physician.2017 Nov 15;96(10):656-663.Bayat M, Bayat A, Blauenfeldt RA.Atypical painful stroke presentations: A review.Acta Neurol Scand.2022 Nov;146(5):465-474. doi: 10.1111/ane.13666.Badel T, Zadravec D, Bašić Kes V, Smoljan M, Kocijan Lovko S, Zavoreo I, Krapac L, Anić Milošević S.Orofacial pain-diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.Acta Clin Croat.2019 Jun;58(Suppl 1):82-89. doi: 10.20471/acc.2019.58.s1.12
13 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.De Corso E, Kar M, Cantone E, Lucidi D, Settimi S, Mele D, Salvati A, Muluk NB, Paludetti G, Cingi C.Facial pain: Sinus or not?Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital.2018 Dec;38(6):485-496. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-1721.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and stroke.Bell’s palsy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and stroke.Trigeminal neuralgia.Gerwin R.Chronic facial pain: Trigeminal neuralgia, persistent idiopathic facial pain, and myofascial pain syndrome-an evidence-based narrative review and etiological hypothesis.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2020 Sep 25;17(19):7012. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17197012.Van Deun L, de Witte M, Goessens T, Halewyck S, Ketelaer MC, Matic M, Moens M, Vaes P, Van Lint M, Versijpt J.Facial pain: A comprehensive review and proposal for a pragmatic diagnostic approach.Eur Neurol. 2020;83(1):5-16. doi: 10.1159/000505727.Wieckiewicz M, Boening K, Wiland P, Shiau YY, Paradowska-Stolarz A.Reported concepts for the treatment modalities and pain management of temporomandibular disorders.J Headache Pain.2015;16:106. doi: 10.1186/s10194-015-0586-5.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Migraine headaches.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Cluster headaches.Centers for Disease Control And Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster) causes and transmission.Centers for Disease Control And Prevention.Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Signs and SymptomsSaguil A, Kane S, Mercado M, Lauters R.Herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia: Prevention and management.Am Fam Physician.2017 Nov 15;96(10):656-663.Bayat M, Bayat A, Blauenfeldt RA.Atypical painful stroke presentations: A review.Acta Neurol Scand.2022 Nov;146(5):465-474. doi: 10.1111/ane.13666.Badel T, Zadravec D, Bašić Kes V, Smoljan M, Kocijan Lovko S, Zavoreo I, Krapac L, Anić Milošević S.Orofacial pain-diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.Acta Clin Croat.2019 Jun;58(Suppl 1):82-89. doi: 10.20471/acc.2019.58.s1.12
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
De Corso E, Kar M, Cantone E, Lucidi D, Settimi S, Mele D, Salvati A, Muluk NB, Paludetti G, Cingi C.Facial pain: Sinus or not?Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital.2018 Dec;38(6):485-496. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-1721.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and stroke.Bell’s palsy.National Institute of Neurological Disorders and stroke.Trigeminal neuralgia.Gerwin R.Chronic facial pain: Trigeminal neuralgia, persistent idiopathic facial pain, and myofascial pain syndrome-an evidence-based narrative review and etiological hypothesis.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2020 Sep 25;17(19):7012. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17197012.Van Deun L, de Witte M, Goessens T, Halewyck S, Ketelaer MC, Matic M, Moens M, Vaes P, Van Lint M, Versijpt J.Facial pain: A comprehensive review and proposal for a pragmatic diagnostic approach.Eur Neurol. 2020;83(1):5-16. doi: 10.1159/000505727.Wieckiewicz M, Boening K, Wiland P, Shiau YY, Paradowska-Stolarz A.Reported concepts for the treatment modalities and pain management of temporomandibular disorders.J Headache Pain.2015;16:106. doi: 10.1186/s10194-015-0586-5.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Migraine headaches.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Cluster headaches.Centers for Disease Control And Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster) causes and transmission.Centers for Disease Control And Prevention.Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Signs and SymptomsSaguil A, Kane S, Mercado M, Lauters R.Herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia: Prevention and management.Am Fam Physician.2017 Nov 15;96(10):656-663.Bayat M, Bayat A, Blauenfeldt RA.Atypical painful stroke presentations: A review.Acta Neurol Scand.2022 Nov;146(5):465-474. doi: 10.1111/ane.13666.Badel T, Zadravec D, Bašić Kes V, Smoljan M, Kocijan Lovko S, Zavoreo I, Krapac L, Anić Milošević S.Orofacial pain-diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.Acta Clin Croat.2019 Jun;58(Suppl 1):82-89. doi: 10.20471/acc.2019.58.s1.12
De Corso E, Kar M, Cantone E, Lucidi D, Settimi S, Mele D, Salvati A, Muluk NB, Paludetti G, Cingi C.Facial pain: Sinus or not?Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital.2018 Dec;38(6):485-496. doi: 10.14639/0392-100X-1721.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and stroke.Bell’s palsy.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and stroke.Trigeminal neuralgia.
Gerwin R.Chronic facial pain: Trigeminal neuralgia, persistent idiopathic facial pain, and myofascial pain syndrome-an evidence-based narrative review and etiological hypothesis.Int J Environ Res Public Health.2020 Sep 25;17(19):7012. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17197012.
Van Deun L, de Witte M, Goessens T, Halewyck S, Ketelaer MC, Matic M, Moens M, Vaes P, Van Lint M, Versijpt J.Facial pain: A comprehensive review and proposal for a pragmatic diagnostic approach.Eur Neurol. 2020;83(1):5-16. doi: 10.1159/000505727.
Wieckiewicz M, Boening K, Wiland P, Shiau YY, Paradowska-Stolarz A.Reported concepts for the treatment modalities and pain management of temporomandibular disorders.J Headache Pain.2015;16:106. doi: 10.1186/s10194-015-0586-5.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Migraine headaches.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Cluster headaches.
Centers for Disease Control And Prevention.Shingles (herpes zoster) causes and transmission.
Centers for Disease Control And Prevention.Shingles (Herpes Zoster) Signs and Symptoms
Saguil A, Kane S, Mercado M, Lauters R.Herpes zoster and postherpetic neuralgia: Prevention and management.Am Fam Physician.2017 Nov 15;96(10):656-663.
Bayat M, Bayat A, Blauenfeldt RA.Atypical painful stroke presentations: A review.Acta Neurol Scand.2022 Nov;146(5):465-474. doi: 10.1111/ane.13666.
Badel T, Zadravec D, Bašić Kes V, Smoljan M, Kocijan Lovko S, Zavoreo I, Krapac L, Anić Milošević S.Orofacial pain-diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.Acta Clin Croat.2019 Jun;58(Suppl 1):82-89. doi: 10.20471/acc.2019.58.s1.12
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