Left side of face and head pain

[wdhwelch]

I am a 40 year old female.  I have always been very healthy.  About 5 months ago I suddenly had severe headaches on my left side and constant, severe pain in my teeth (upper and lower-never consistent and only upper or lower at one time).  My dentist ruled out dental causes.  I took ibuprofen and Tylenol every four hours for a few weeks and then the pain just tapered off.  A few weeks later, I got a chest cold that turned to a head cold and the head/teeth symptoms returned with the addition on face pain, also on the left side.  My doctor prescribed 2 weeks of heavy antibiotics to rule out a sinus infection.  The headaches and other pain lessened in severity but never went away so we did a ct scan, which came back clear.  The pain is not constant.  Usually a mild headache first thing in the morning ans sometimes a headache that will wake me at night.  Eating things that are hard to chew (meat, etc.) can set off a VERY severe headache with face pain and tooth pain.  ALWAYS on the left side.   Ibuprofen takes away the pain, but I really don't want to live on it for the rest of my life.  After the very severe episodes, my head and face can feel a slightly numb for a while.  I've had enough.  Any ideas?  Do I need to see a specialist and if so, which kind?

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

With the character of your pain, nerve related cause seems very likely.Lets wait for the CT Scan however for a more definite evaluation.

Keep us posted with the progress of your consultation and for any doubts also.

Good Luck!

[wdhwelch]

Thanks for responding!

I do not always get the tooth pain with the headache.  When this all started last August, the tooth pain was a constant ache.  Now it's the headaches that are worse.  If I get the tooth pain now, it is secondary to the headache.

I've analyzed my activities before the worst episodes and I haven't pinpointed any other triggers besides the chewing.

I have had no head trauma.

The numbness only comes after a very severe episode of headache, face pain and tooth pain.  The pain also leaves me feeling tired which I'm sure is normal.

Sometimes, I can feel the pain coming on and I can manage it with ibuprofen.  Applying pressure to my face and a cool hand feel good although neither really diminishes the pain.

Thanks again for responding.  I will be making yet another appointment with my doctor.  I was really hoping the CT scan would supply an answer...
which I guess it did : )

[Vanessa Lacuesta]

Hi,

Do your severe headaches appear by itself or is it always associated with your tooth ache?

What other activities aggaravate your condition ( aside from chewing food?)

Any head trauma?

You may seek consult with a neurologist to rule out nerve related causes. Do you have associated numbness over your face, a tingling sensation over the forehead and jawline?an acute burning sensation over the face? Any weakness in any parts of the body?

Conditions like trigeminal neuralgia may cause severe pain over the areas near the eyes, nose,ears and lips. These are areas supplied by the trigeminal nerve or cranial nerve 5.The pain of trigeminal neuralgia may be debilitating. Simple activities like putting on make up, brushing the teeth or chewing on food may aggravate the condition.

Keep me posted.Good luck!