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What Causes Right-sided Headache, Discomfort In Nostril And Eye Twitches?
Question: I woke up yesterday morning with a right sided headache above ears and into temple and forehead - I also have discomfort next to my nose on right side. The pain went with paracetamol but came back after the dose had worn off. This morning the pain is less but when I stand up or move head I get pain in my temple region. The right side of face by nose feels blocked. I have clear discharge in nostril but not runny nose, just there if I put tissue in my nose. I have a twitch under right eye that has been there for 3 weeks before headaches. Also have had ears syringed recently - should I worry about brain tumour/ blood clot on brain?
Brief Answer:
Brain lesions unlikely
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Looking at that description of your symptoms I don't think either brain tumor or stroke is a likely diagnosis. In brain tumor the headache is usually a sign of the gradual development of raised of intracranial pressure and it is usually accompanied by other signs like nausea and vomiting. It is not that responsive to common pain killers like paracetamol. According to tumor location it has other accompanying signs as well. That applies to stroke (which at your age is very unlikely) in which while more acute than tumor, headache is also usually accompanied with some nausea and vomiting as well as other signs like weakness in the limbs, acute, balance and coordination issues, behavior changes etc. Neither's pain is typically of the character of the facial blocking you describe. The whole just is not typical for common tumor or stroke.
Looking at the description, your age and past queries you have made the most probable cause could be a mild case of sinusitis which corresponds to pain location, nasal discharge and that blocked feeling. In that case paracetamol is fine if it works for your pain (if not Ibuprofen) as well as some nasal decongestant to ease the elimination of secretion, antibiotics while commonly used are generally recommended to be reserved only in cases which don't respond in 7-10 days and where sinusitis has been confirmed by physical exam and/or imaging.
Another explanation could be also an abnormal sensation related to your ear problems, possibly enhanced a little by anxiety as well.
I remain at your disposal for further questions.
Brain lesions unlikely
Detailed Answer:
I read your question carefully and I understand your concern.
Looking at that description of your symptoms I don't think either brain tumor or stroke is a likely diagnosis. In brain tumor the headache is usually a sign of the gradual development of raised of intracranial pressure and it is usually accompanied by other signs like nausea and vomiting. It is not that responsive to common pain killers like paracetamol. According to tumor location it has other accompanying signs as well. That applies to stroke (which at your age is very unlikely) in which while more acute than tumor, headache is also usually accompanied with some nausea and vomiting as well as other signs like weakness in the limbs, acute, balance and coordination issues, behavior changes etc. Neither's pain is typically of the character of the facial blocking you describe. The whole just is not typical for common tumor or stroke.
Looking at the description, your age and past queries you have made the most probable cause could be a mild case of sinusitis which corresponds to pain location, nasal discharge and that blocked feeling. In that case paracetamol is fine if it works for your pain (if not Ibuprofen) as well as some nasal decongestant to ease the elimination of secretion, antibiotics while commonly used are generally recommended to be reserved only in cases which don't respond in 7-10 days and where sinusitis has been confirmed by physical exam and/or imaging.
Another explanation could be also an abnormal sensation related to your ear problems, possibly enhanced a little by anxiety as well.
I remain at your disposal for further questions.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
I did have nausea for several days but that has now gone. I do regularly get a dizzy/ fuzzy head feeling like my eyes take a while to catch up with my head when I look in different direction. When I'm bending forward my temple throbs for a couple of seconds and hats the same when standing up etc is this sinus type symptoms too?
Brief Answer:
Read below
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for bringing some more info on your symptoms.
That change in headache when changing head position could well be related to sinusitis, at times it can be accompanied with some nausea as well (but the ear issues do that too). They are really not specific symptoms, meaning that taken individually the causes of those symptoms are so numerous, judgement is made by looking at them in their entirety and their evolution in time.
The fact that the nausea had a fluctuating course speaks against the previously asked brain lesion, as I said stroke is an acute serious event while tumor as it grows in size has progressively increasing symptoms.
Of course when symptoms persist a physical exam is necessary as well as confirmation with imaging, there are rare atypical manifestations for most diseases. But for the moment I don't notice any so called red flags, symptoms which necessitate emergent imaging.
I hope to have been of help.
Read below
Detailed Answer:
Thank you for bringing some more info on your symptoms.
That change in headache when changing head position could well be related to sinusitis, at times it can be accompanied with some nausea as well (but the ear issues do that too). They are really not specific symptoms, meaning that taken individually the causes of those symptoms are so numerous, judgement is made by looking at them in their entirety and their evolution in time.
The fact that the nausea had a fluctuating course speaks against the previously asked brain lesion, as I said stroke is an acute serious event while tumor as it grows in size has progressively increasing symptoms.
Of course when symptoms persist a physical exam is necessary as well as confirmation with imaging, there are rare atypical manifestations for most diseases. But for the moment I don't notice any so called red flags, symptoms which necessitate emergent imaging.
I hope to have been of help.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thanks for your help, so I'm assuming the slight dizziness is of no concern either? I have been sneezing today but not a lot probably about 3 or 4 times all day I did have a sinus infection about 2 months ago that took two rounds of antibiotics to clear and I do clean my sinuses daily with saline solution
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
If only slight dizziness, not accompanied by movement coordination issues during your daily actions and not affecting your walking, then usually it is a benign issue, easily explained by the ear and sinus issues.
If progressively increasing or accompanied by the above mentioned manifestations than it calls for an imaging exam.
I hope that it won't be necessary.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
If only slight dizziness, not accompanied by movement coordination issues during your daily actions and not affecting your walking, then usually it is a benign issue, easily explained by the ear and sinus issues.
If progressively increasing or accompanied by the above mentioned manifestations than it calls for an imaging exam.
I hope that it won't be necessary.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
It doesn't affect my walking/ coordination but it does make me feel unbalanced at times not falling over, just like I've moved too quickly if that makes sense
Brief Answer:
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Yes it makes perfect sense, that type of dizziness/vertigo is usually a feature of ear related dizziness. When posterior regions of the brains are affected there usually are symptoms like those I mentioned, present all the time, so my opinion remains pretty much the same.
Wishing you good health.
Read below.
Detailed Answer:
Yes it makes perfect sense, that type of dizziness/vertigo is usually a feature of ear related dizziness. When posterior regions of the brains are affected there usually are symptoms like those I mentioned, present all the time, so my opinion remains pretty much the same.
Wishing you good health.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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