Whats Causing Pain Near or Behind My Eyebrows?

Overview

Pain near or behind your eyebrows may have a variety of causes. The pain is usually not in your eyebrow itself but coming from areas under or near it. The pain may come and go, or last for longer periods of time, depending on the cause.

Here’s the potential causes for eyebrow pain and what you can do:

Eyebrow pain causes

The causes range from conditions involving your eyes to various types of headaches.

Tension headache, migraine, and cluster headache

Tension headaches, migraine headaches, and cluster headaches can all include pain that’s located at, near, or around your eyebrows.

Tension headaches

Tension headaches are usually caused be some type of stress and are incredibly common. They can feel like a band of pain across your forehead, including the eyebrows. You may also feel pain or stiffness in your neck muscles.

These types of headaches aren’t affected by physical activity.

Migraines

Migraines are very severe headaches that include more symptoms than just pain. Symptoms can include:

  • sensitivity to light and sound
  • pain that’s hard to bear
  • pain that gets worse with movement

You may also experience nausea or an aura. Migraines typically leave you unable to go to work or participate in other activities.

Cluster headaches

Cluster headaches are a type of migraine that’s clustered into multiple attacks that happen in a row. They can happen over the span of a day, or a week, with pain lasting from 15 minutes up to 3 hours.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is an eye condition caused by an increase in eye fluid, which creates pressure. The pressure can cause damage to the optic nerve. Glaucoma in people over the age of 60 is a leading cause of blindness. Symptoms of glaucoma may include:

  • headache
  • blurry vision
  • severe eye pain
  • seeing halos in your vision
  • nausea
  • vomiting

Seeking treatment early for glaucoma can prevent blindness.

Sinusitis

Sinusitis, or sinus infection, is another possible cause for pain under or near your eyebrow. Sinusitis causes your sinus cavities to swell, making it difficult to breathe, and your nose may become stopped up from mucus. The swelling and pressure can cause pain around your nose and your eyes, where your nasal cavities are located. Sinus pain will usually get worse when you bend over or move your head.

Sinusitis or sinus infections may be caused by bacteria, allergies, or the common cold. Your doctor will be able to determine the cause and put you on a treatment plan.

Temporal arteritis

Temporal arteritis is a condition where the lining of your arteries become inflamed. It’s also called giant cell arteritis. It’s most common in the arteries in your head.

The headache pain is often near or around your temples, which may feel like a pain in or under your eyebrows. Other possible symptoms of temporal arteritis include:

  • pain in your jaw
  • vision problems
  • a tender scalp

If you have symptoms of temporal arteritis, you should seek medical attention right away. Temporal arteritis can be successfully treated with corticosteroids. But if left untreated, temporal arteritis can lead to stroke or a loss of vision.

Shingles

Shingles is a viral infection caused by the same virus as chickenpox. In some cases, shingles can cause headache pain that may be located near your eyebrows. But the most common symptoms of shingles are a painful rash and blisters on your skin.

Treating eyebrow pain

Treatment depends on the cause of the pain. In many cases, you’ll need to be prescribed medications by a doctor. Many long-term effects of some conditions, especially glaucoma, can be prevented by seeking medical attention early, when you first notice your symptoms.

If you’re diagnosed with a common headache, tension headache, or a migraine, home remedies may help. If you’re taking medications for your pain, you should talk to your doctor before trying any alternative and home remedies. Ways to manage head pain include:

    rest
  • relaxation or meditation
  • going to a dark room with little or no sound
  • placing a cold compress on your head or eyes
  • over-the-counter or prescription medications
  • avoiding allergens
  • reducing stress

When to see a doctor

Any time your pain limits your activities or makes it difficult to work, you should see your doctor. Your doctor will be able to give you a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

If you experience vision problems along with the pain around your eyebrows, you should seek medical attention and treatment. Early diagnosis and treatment of eye problems can increase the success of treatment and possibly prevent blindness.

Takeaway

An occasional headache or pain behind your eyebrows shouldn’t be cause for concern and may not require treatment. But if your pain persists or is accompanied by other symptoms, you should seek medical attention.

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