Head pain in left temple/& sinus like pain in left side of nose & down cheek

I have a lot of headaches, trouble sleeping, sinus problems, sore throat, dry mouth, neck pain, pain at times in left temple, coughing at times, & some  tingling,& funny feeling in left cheek.  Have had allergy testing, no definite problem, & had sinues ex-rayed, but nothing there, so am concerned if problem in  head.  Head rings, buzzes, roars constantly.  Not just a little, but very distracting.  Have noticed for last 6 months that I have been very forgetful & brain not thinking as usual.  Am concerned that it may be a brain tumor or something in the head. woule like to make an appointment with someone to check this out.  I have an appointment with Dr. Kapadia in the heart department on April 23rd.Would like to make an appintment with someone to check this out.

[Neuro Forum]

Thanks for using the forum. I am happy to address your questions, and my answer will be based on the information you provided here. Please make sure you recognize that this forum is for educational purposes only, and it does not substitute for a formal office visit with your doctor.

Without the ability to examine you and obtain a history, I can not tell you what the exact cause of your symptoms is. However I will try to provide you with some useful information.

There are several causes of headaches. Headaches can be divided into primary and secondary. Primary headache disorders are headaches without a direct cause. These are diagnosed after secondary causes have been excluded. Secondary headache disorders are due to an underlying problem, there are many many causes but some include medication side effects, systemic illness, nervous system infection, tumors, bleeds in the brain or clots in the veins of the brain, and others. These are investigated for using imaging of the brain (such as CT scan or MRI) and in some cases additional testing depending on the suspicion.

In those older than the age of 55, one potential causes is called giant cell arteritis or temporal arteritis. This is due to an inflammation in the temporal artery and other arteries in the body. Symptoms include one sided headache pain in the temple and jaw that may be triggered by chewing. This condition can be diagnosed by a blood test called an ESR and a biopsy of the artery. It is important to rule this diagnosis out as it is highly treatable and if left untreated it can lead to vision loss.

Primary headache disorders are much more common than secondary ones. There are several primary headache disorders.  For example  migraines, which usually a pulsating throbbing one-sided pain with nausea and discomfort in bright lights that lasts several hours. Several other headache disorders exist.

Without further information about your headache, it is difficult to provide you with adequate information. However, it is important for you to understand that if you have not experienced headaches in the past and you are now having new head pains, seeing a neurologist is a good idea, just to make sure there is nothing serious causing this pain. Imaging of the brain and sometimes then neck may be indicated depending on your exact symptoms, your physical examination, and other factors.

This forum does not provide a means of obtaining headache clinic appointments, that would need to be arranged via the appointment line for the headache center.

Thank you for this opportunity to answer your questions, I hope you find the information I have provided useful, good luck.