Better understanding of facial pain - whether it is a symptom of headache or a totally different syndrome - is needed. This will help in proper diagnosis and treatment of facial pain.
A new study finds that up to 10 percent of people with headaches also have facial pain. The study is published in the online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
Art Therapy can Reduce Headaches in Teenage Girls
Art therapy and mindfulness activities such as drawing, square breathing, and mindful eating can help teenage girls to get rid of headaches, which is a common side effect of stress.
Advertisement
‘Facial pain could be a symptom of headache, and is not uncommon. Many people experience pain in the face and not the head.’
Read More..
Tweet it Now
Read More..
"Facial pain has not been well recognized as a symptom of headache, and some people end up waiting a long time for a proper diagnosis and treatment," said study author Arne May, MD, PhD, of the University of Hamburg in Germany. "This study shows that facial pain is not uncommon, and for many people their pain occurs mainly in the face, not the head."
The study involved 2,912 people with primary headaches, which are headaches not due to another condition and include migraine and cluster headache. Participants were asked to fill out questionnaires about their headaches and any facial pain. People with dental problems that could explain the facial pain were not included in the study.
![Changes in Potassium Channels Regulating Pain in Facial Neurons Cause Headaches]( "Changes in Potassium Channels Regulating Pain in Facial Neurons Cause Headaches")
Defective potassium channels that play a role in pain identification increase the chance of developing headaches indicated in migraines, without causing body pain.
Of the study participants, 291 people, or 10 percent, had facial pain. Only 2 percent, or 44 of the 1,935 people with migraine had facial pain. Of those, 41 percent experienced pain predominantly in the face. Among people with cluster headache, 15 percent, or 42 of 283 people, had facial pain. Of those, 31 percent had pain mainly in the face.
Among the 20 people with paroxysmal hemicrania, a rare type of headache with severe, often short attacks on one side of the head, 45 percent had facial pain. Facial pain affected 21 percent of the 42 people with hemicrania continua, another rare type of headache with continuous pain that varies in severity.
In another rare type of headache, called short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache, 20 percent of the 15 people in the study had facial pain. This type of headache involves very frequent attacks on one side of the head.
The researchers also reported on six people who had constant facial pain on one side of the head only in addition to facial pain attacks lasting 10 to 30 minutes and occurring several times a day. May said this type of pain syndrome has not been described before and proposed calling it constant unilateral facial pain with added attacks.
"For a better understanding of these types of facial pain and ultimately for the development of treatments, it's crucial that we understand more about facial pain and whether it is the same disease as the headache, but showing up in a different place, or whether they are two different syndromes," May said.
A limitation of the study was that participants were asked about their headaches in the past and they may not remember all symptoms. Also, facial pain may not have been mentioned by participants to their doctors nor asked about by the doctors, so the percentage of people with facial pain may have been underestimated, May said.
Source: Eurekalert
Changes in Potassium Channels Regulating Pain in Facial Neurons Cause Headaches
Defective potassium channels that play a role in pain identification increase the chance of developing headaches indicated in migraines, without causing body pain.
Advertisement
Of the study participants, 291 people, or 10 percent, had facial pain. Only 2 percent, or 44 of the 1,935 people with migraine had facial pain. Of those, 41 percent experienced pain predominantly in the face. Among people with cluster headache, 15 percent, or 42 of 283 people, had facial pain. Of those, 31 percent had pain mainly in the face.
Among the 20 people with paroxysmal hemicrania, a rare type of headache with severe, often short attacks on one side of the head, 45 percent had facial pain. Facial pain affected 21 percent of the 42 people with hemicrania continua, another rare type of headache with continuous pain that varies in severity.
In another rare type of headache, called short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache, 20 percent of the 15 people in the study had facial pain. This type of headache involves very frequent attacks on one side of the head.
The researchers also reported on six people who had constant facial pain on one side of the head only in addition to facial pain attacks lasting 10 to 30 minutes and occurring several times a day. May said this type of pain syndrome has not been described before and proposed calling it constant unilateral facial pain with added attacks.
"For a better understanding of these types of facial pain and ultimately for the development of treatments, it's crucial that we understand more about facial pain and whether it is the same disease as the headache, but showing up in a different place, or whether they are two different syndromes," May said.
A limitation of the study was that participants were asked about their headaches in the past and they may not remember all symptoms. Also, facial pain may not have been mentioned by participants to their doctors nor asked about by the doctors, so the percentage of people with facial pain may have been underestimated, May said.
Source: Eurekalert
Early Puberty in Girls can Increase the Risk of Migraine Headaches
Teen girls who reach puberty at an earlier age may also have a higher chance of developing migraine headaches, finds a new study.
Advertisement
 Kids with Headache After Stroke may be at Risk for Another StrokeHigh incidence of headaches is seen in pediatric stroke survivors as there may be a possible association between post-stroke headache and stroke recurrence. | Advertisement
|
Advertisement
Recommended Reading
Latest Research News
Decoding the eight factors affecting Black adults' life expectancy.
Sobering truth about foot travel in the United States emerges from international statistics, highlighting the prevalence of walking on the Blacksburg campus.
Unveiling a hidden mechanism, proteins within brain cells exhibit newfound abilities at synapses, reinforcing Darwin's theory of adaptation and diversity in the natural world.
Combining micro-needling and cupping, two emerging and alternative techniques, in an experimental study reveals a potential synergy for skin rejuvenation.
Despite a decline in COVID-19 cases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) raises global concerns by warning of an "inevitable" next pandemic known as "Disease X".