The temple region is located on the side of your head. The temple area is exposed to any form of injuries since our head and face are always exposed. These injuries can make the temples to swell.
Swelling of the temple is a common condition and can affect any person; both the children and adults can have a swollen temple. Swollen temple causes vary from one person to another. The swellings of the temple can occur on one side or both sides of your temple.
Swollen Temples – Causes
Numerous causes are responsible for causing swellings in your temple. Many of these causes are associated with physical conditions that affect the face and can also cause your temple to swell. The following are the causes of swollen temples:
Insect bite: Insect bite is one of the causes of swollen temples. There are many insects that can bite your temple and cause swellings such as mosquitoes, ants and ticks. When an insect bites your temple, the area around the bite swells. This might occur on only one side of your temple and face and the area may become red, itchy and in some cases burn. The swellings and redness of the temple lasts for a few minutes after the bite. But the swellings can spread to the whole of your face.
Cerebral Edema: Cerebral edema is a severe cause of swellings in the temple area. This condition refers to swellings in your brain. Cerebral edema can occur from presence of tumors in your brain, infections and diseases such as meningitis. All the above conditions can your temple area to swell.
Allergy: Allergy has been associated with swellings in the temple area as well as your entire face. People are allergic to different things; there are those who are allergic to food and others allergic to drugs, chemicals and dust. Your body reacts to those materials you are allergic to thus causing swellings on your face and the temple area.
Injury or trauma: Injury is the most common cause of swellings on the face and temple area. Injury on your head or forehead can cause swellings on your face and temple by damaging the blood vessels around the area. For instance being involved in a car accident or falling with your head can damage blood vessels in your face causing swellings and pain.
Temporal arteritis: This is a condition that causes the arteries around the temple area to be inflamed. This inflammation will cause the temple area to swell. The real cause of temporal arteritis is not known but medical researchers associate it with a problem in the immune system. If this condition is left untreated it can disrupt flow of blood to your brain thus causing stroke, which is a life-threatening condition and total loss of vision or blindness.
This condition affects women mostly than men. It is common in people who are above 70 years of age.
Conjunctivitis: This is a condition that causes conjunctiva to become inflamed. Conjunctiva is a membrane that encloses the inside surface of the eyelids and the white section of your eye. Conjunctivitis is caused by factors such as bacterial infections, allergy and irritants. These infections can spread and cause swellings in your temple area as well as on the face.
Other causes include:
- Skin infections such as acne can cause the temple area to swell.
- Infections in your ears can spread and cause the temple area to swell.
Symptoms
Besides swellings in temple area, you may experience other symptoms such as pain in the affected area. The pain can emanate from one side or both sides of the temple. You will also experience itching in the affected area. There will be skin discoloration around the affected temples which can be accompanied with tenderness in the scalp area. The swellings can cause blurred vision if they are large.
The severity of these symptoms varies from one person to another and they depend on the underlying causes of the temple swellings.
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of swollen temples includes a physical exam and other tests. In physical exam, your doctor examines your symptoms and asks your medical history so as to determine the cause the problem.
Your doctor can order tests such as skin biopsy to identify the cause of the infection. In skin biopsy, a sample of the affected skin is scraped and analyzed in the laboratory for pathogens. Blood tests may also be ordered to determine the cause of the problem.
Treatment
Treatment for swollen temple depends on it underlying cause. Once the cause is known, treatment is focused on treating it properly and alleviating its symptoms. The following are treatment options for swollen temples:
- Topical medications: Apply steroid creams on the affected area to reduce inflammation and swellings.
- Antibiotics: Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infection. Your doctor will prescribe the most suitable antibiotic for preventing infections in the swollen area.
- Corticosteroid: Your doctor may prescribe corticosteroid drugs either orally or through injection to ease inflammation, swellings and pain.
- Natural remedies: You can apply ice packs or aloe Vera gel on the affected area to reduce swellings and pain.
In case the swollen temples are severe, you need to seek for urgent medical attention to prevent other serious health problems.
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