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Suggest Treatment For Random Headaches And Bulging Veins
Question: I am having headaches in my left temple that come on randomly throughout the day and can feel my veins Pulsing and when it's really bad my veins are bulging out of my skin. After researching online my symptoms match TemporAl arthritis exactly The only symptoms I do not have yet is blindness. I'm wondering if that's what Is wrong and if so what type of Doctor do I see? Is there a way to treat it like a home remedy? I don't have money for a lot of doctor visits please help.
Brief Answer:
Temporal arteritis unlikely.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
If it was temporal arteritis it is a major medical emergency and waiting to treat it with home remedies could have major consequences. However I do not think it to be your case and that is for one simple reason which is your age. Temporal arteritis generally happens at a much more advanced age, most cases are after the age of 65, very very rare to encounter it before the age of 50.
So I believe the headache to be much more probably in the setting of other more benign causes such as migraine or tension type headache. However more info is necessary to judge such as time of onset, frequency, duration of the episodes, character of the headache (throbbing, pressing etc), triggering factors etc.
As for what type of doctor to see, the medical specialty dealing with headaches is neurology, so you should either start from your primary physician and let him guide you or if you want to go straight to a specialist definitively to a neurologist.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Temporal arteritis unlikely.
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
If it was temporal arteritis it is a major medical emergency and waiting to treat it with home remedies could have major consequences. However I do not think it to be your case and that is for one simple reason which is your age. Temporal arteritis generally happens at a much more advanced age, most cases are after the age of 65, very very rare to encounter it before the age of 50.
So I believe the headache to be much more probably in the setting of other more benign causes such as migraine or tension type headache. However more info is necessary to judge such as time of onset, frequency, duration of the episodes, character of the headache (throbbing, pressing etc), triggering factors etc.
As for what type of doctor to see, the medical specialty dealing with headaches is neurology, so you should either start from your primary physician and let him guide you or if you want to go straight to a specialist definitively to a neurologist.
I remain at your disposal for other questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Okay so it happens 3-4 times daily never at the same Time or place. It starts off slowly like throbbing pain in my left temple and slowly progresses until it feels like it travels back and forth between my temple and upper jaw. Today I've had one that occurred in a parking garage one in my house during the day with the blinds open another one in my house in the evening with the lights on. In the past I've gotten them inside several different projects were only daylight coming through the windows. As for the triggers I really don't know what triggers it otherwise I would avoid the triggers. They normally only last about 20 to 30 minutes if I am able to stay awake through them most of the time it gets so bad I have to lay down and go to sleep when I wake up no more headache. My temple where the brain swell up is always sensitive to the touch as well pain is so bad sometimes I end up tears. What type of headache would be in the same location? what would be possible triggers? Due to the pain traveling between mytemple and jaw could it be a dental issue?
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information.
The good thing about that description is that serious conditions such as a tumor or stroke are unlikely with that pattern of pain. Migraine is unlikely as well given the short duration of the episodes (by definition migraine attacks last more than 4 hours).
One possible diagnosis might be paroxysmal hemicrania, which does manifest with similar attacks. You do not describe one of its features though, eye redness and tearing. However not all forms are typical so if no other cause is found a trial of Indomethacine is advised, as it offers dramatic benefit (unlike with other painkillers) and would confirm the diagnosis.
Another possibility as you yourself suggest is an issue of the dental system, more specifically dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (the joint between the mandible and the skull). It can lead to pain in the area spreading also to the temples. The pain is relieved temporarily by over the counter painkillers like Ibuprofen.
So you should see your primary practitioner to check for other signs of temporomandibular joint dysfunction and also possibly some routine blood tests for inflammatory changes (which would also definitely exclude temporal arteritis).
I hope to have been of help.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for the additional information.
The good thing about that description is that serious conditions such as a tumor or stroke are unlikely with that pattern of pain. Migraine is unlikely as well given the short duration of the episodes (by definition migraine attacks last more than 4 hours).
One possible diagnosis might be paroxysmal hemicrania, which does manifest with similar attacks. You do not describe one of its features though, eye redness and tearing. However not all forms are typical so if no other cause is found a trial of Indomethacine is advised, as it offers dramatic benefit (unlike with other painkillers) and would confirm the diagnosis.
Another possibility as you yourself suggest is an issue of the dental system, more specifically dysfunction of the temporomandibular joint (the joint between the mandible and the skull). It can lead to pain in the area spreading also to the temples. The pain is relieved temporarily by over the counter painkillers like Ibuprofen.
So you should see your primary practitioner to check for other signs of temporomandibular joint dysfunction and also possibly some routine blood tests for inflammatory changes (which would also definitely exclude temporal arteritis).
I hope to have been of help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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