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

Pain that originates 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.

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

Follow prescribed therapy for treating the underlying cause.

Painkillers may provide temporary relief, but if the pain is severe or persistent, consult your primary health care provider or dentist.

• Face pain is accompanied by chest, shoulder, neck, or arm pain. This could mean a heart attack. Call your local emergency number (such as 911).
• Pain is throbbing, worse on one side of the face, and aggravated by eating. Call a dentist.
• Pain is persistent, unexplained, or accompanied by other unexplained symptoms. Call your primary health care provider.

In emergency situations (such as a possible heart attack), the patient will be stabilized first. Then, a medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed. For tooth problems, expect a referral to a dentist or an orthodontist.

Medical history questions documenting face pain in detail may include the following:

• What part of the face is in pain?
• Is it on both sides?
• If only one side, which one?
• Is the pain over a sinus (forehead, cheekbones, etc.)?
• Did the pain begin suddenly?
• Is face pain occurring repeatedly (recurrent)?
• How long have the episodes of face pain lasted (for how many months)?
• How long does each episode of pain last (how many seconds)?
• Is the pain worse when speaking, chewing, swallowing?
• Does the pain develop when touching a specific part of the face (trigger point)?
• Did face pain occur prior to developing a brain or nervous system loss (weakness, speech loss, etc.)?
• What other symptoms are also present?

• ECG (if heart problems are suspected)
• Tonometry (if glaucoma is suspected)
• X-rays of the sinuses
• Dental x-rays (if a tooth problem is suspected)