Pain in your face can be very uncomfortable, and you might wonder whether it’s sinus pain or facial pain brought on by another condition. This type of pain can have many causes, each requiring a different type of treatment.

“When you have persisting pain in your face, it’s a good idea to see your primary care provider,” says Jeff Mullins, MD, primary care physician at Methodist Medical Group in Cordova. “While most causes are not serious, getting a diagnosis can allow you to receive the right treatment and feel better faster. Without treatment, some types of facial pain can cause severe discomfort.”

Sinus Infection

One of the most common causes of facial pain is sinusitis, also known as a sinus infection. When your sinuses become inflamed, and fluid builds up, infection-causing germs can grow. Viruses trigger most sinus infections, but bacteria can also cause them.

A sinus infection can cause pressure that leads to facial pain and tenderness, as well as tooth pain or a headache behind your eyes. Other signs of a sinus infection include:

• Bad breath

• Cough

• Nasal congestion

• Post-nasal drip (mucus dripping down the back of the throat)

• Runny nose

• Sore throat

A common cold or seasonal allergies can sometimes lead to acute sinusitis, which lasts for four weeks or less. Sometimes, structural problems in the sinuses, such as nasal polyps or a deviated septum, can narrow nasal passages and cause sinusitis. When sinus infection symptoms last longer than three months, it is considered chronic sinusitis.

In this case, symptoms are often not as severe as acute sinusitis.

For sinus infections caused by viruses, antibiotics will not help. But if the infection is bacterial, your doctor may prescribe antibiotics. In many cases, doctors recommend waiting a few days to see whether symptoms improve before prescribing medication. In the meantime, you can try home remedies to feel better, such as:

• Applying a warm compress or washcloth to your forehead several times a day

• Breathing in steam from a hot shower or bowl of hot water

• Taking over-the-counter decongestants

• Using a neti pot or saline nasal spray to rinse the sinuses (use sterile water only as there have been rare cases of deadly infections caused by using tap water).

Temporomandibular Disorders (TMDs)

TMDs, a group of conditions related to dysfunction of the jaw joint and muscles, are the most common reason people experience facial pain. The temporomandibular joint (TMJ), located on each side of the jaw, allows for jaw movement. When the TMJ or the muscles that control chewing don’t function properly, pain can spread from the joint area into the face and neck. Other symptoms include:

• Clicking, popping or grating, accompanied by pain, in the TMJ when opening and closing your mouth

• Dizziness

• Limited jaw movement

• Ringing in your ears or hearing loss

• Stiffness of the jaw

If your doctor diagnoses you with a TMD, they may recommend trying at-home treatments, like:

• Applying hot or cold packs to the jaw area

• Avoiding chewing gum and clenching your jaw

• Doing exercises that can strengthen the jaw muscles

• Eating soft, easy-to-chew foods

• Taking over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines, like ibuprofen (check with your provider first if you have kidney disease or stomach issues before taking NSAIDs like ibuprofen).

In many cases, TMDs resolve with these treatments. But if symptoms persist or worsen, prescription medications, physical therapy or surgical treatments may be necessary.

Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN)

If you have severe facial pain, it could be caused by TN, a chronic pain disorder that triggers sudden attacks of pain in the face. Blood vessels can push against the trigeminal nerve, or fifth cranial nerve, which sends signals to nerves that provide feeling in parts of the face and head. When attacks of TN happen, they usually last just a few seconds, but they can continue for up to two minutes. They can also occur many times per day.

Pain from TN is often stabbing or shock-like on one side of the face. Between attacks, you might experience throbbing, numbness, burning, tingling or aching. Activities that cause vibration or require touching your cheek, such as shaving, applying makeup, brushing your teeth, eating and talking, can trigger attacks.

TN can become severe in some people and requires medical treatment, which could include anticonvulsant medications to block pain signals from the nerves and other types of medications. These complementary treatments can often help:

• Acupuncture

• Aromatherapy

• Chiropractic treatment

• Nutritional therapy

• Yoga

If these treatments don’t help, surgery is sometimes necessary.

Other Causes

Many other conditions, such as migraine headaches, dental problems and other health issues, can also cause facial pain. If the pain is severe or doesn’t go away on its own, see your doctor to determine the cause and find relief.

Are you experiencing facial pain? Find a primary care provider at Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare who can help.