Understanding Eyebrow Pain: Causes, Headaches, and Relief Behind Eyebrows

As we age, we discover many different kinds of discomfort, including aches on our brow line. If you have ever wondered “Why does my eyebrow hurt” and trace back to your activities and diet as of late to find a trigger, this is the article for you.

Below, we cover the various causes of brow pain, how headaches are more connected to brow pain than most think, and options you can take both for a quick fix and long-term relief.

What Are the Common Causes of Eyebrow Pain?

There can be multiple reasons for eyebrow and eye pain. The list includes a variety of headache types, sinus infections, sinus cavities, viral infections, glaucoma, allergies, and more. However, the most common causes include headaches, sinuses, and eye conditions.

What Causes Eyebrow Pain Around the Eye?

When there is an increase in pressure within your head, the risk of pain behind your eyes or brow line increases. This pressure can be caused by tension headaches, migraines, cluster headaches, blocked sinuses, and more.

How Sinus Issues Contribute to Pain Behind Your Eyebrows

When sinuses are blocked or inflamed, the swelling restricts airways, which moves pressure in your cheeks, forehead, and around your eyes - including behind your eyebrows.

Can Tension Headaches Cause Pain in the Eyebrow Area?

Yes, tension headaches are one of the most prevailing possible causes of pain in the brow area. The pain typically lasts anywhere between 30 minutes to a full week and spreads to different areas on the upper area of your face. A tension headache is usually described as what feels like a tight band of pressure and pain circling your head, hitting your brows, temples, and eyes.

How Do Different Types of Headaches Affect Eyebrow Pain?

The three main kinds of headaches are tension, migraines, and cluster headaches. They vary based on the type of pain, location of discomfort, how long you can expect it to hurt, and the accompanying symptoms. Each also affects brow pain differently, which we cover more in the sections below.

Understanding Migraine and Eyebrow Headaches

Migraine can cause pain on one side of the face at a time and is known for intense pain that feels throbbing. Because of the gravity of the discomfort, people who suffer from migraines tend to feel pain alongside symptoms like nausea, extra sensitivity to light, loss of appetite, and they want to vomit despite having an empty stomach. Migraines typically cause brow pain on the same side you would feel throbbing in your temples.

What Is the Connection Between Cluster Headaches and Eyebrow Pain?

Cluster headaches, while not as prevalent as tension headaches and migraines, can cause severe pain around one eye or brow, including the temples. Similar to migraines, this type of ache targets one side at a time, though the main difference is that cluster aches give more of a stabbing pain and center mostly around the eye area.

Can Temporal Arteritis Cause Pain Behind the Eyebrows?

Temporal arteritis, also known as giant cell arteritis, is an autoimmune disease. It is when one has large blood vessels, affecting the arteries within your scalp, neck, and arms. This condition may also cause pain in the form of a throbbing ache near the temples and under the brows. Others also experience jaw pain, loss of vision, pain when brushing one’s hair, and discomfort while chewing.

When Should You See a Doctor for Eyebrow Pain?

If your brow pain and discomfort are severe and persistent, without any relief despite efforts to manage them, it is best to see a medical professional for proper causes and treatment. This is especially true if you experience other symptoms alongside the brow pain such as affected vision, nausea, allergies, muscle weakness, swelling, fever, and the like.

What Tests Might a Doctor Recommend for Eyebrow Pain?

Depending on your symptoms and type of pain, your doctor may ask for blood tests, urinalysis, and certain scans to determine what is causing it.

What Are the Treatment Options for Eyebrow Pain?

Given that there are no serious underlying causes for your brow pain, there are several home remedies and medications you can take without needing a prescription. Moreover, if the discomfort is due to certain habits, lifestyle changes may also be in order to prevent future suffering.

Effective Remedies for Pain Behind the Eyebrows

Warm Compress: If the pain feels tight, you may find relief with a warm compress over your forehead, temples, and brow area. This is known to help improve blood flow and relax muscles.

Cold Compress: If you feel swelling, your sinuses have become inflamed, or if the warm compress doesn’t work, perhaps a cold pack can do the trick. If you don’t have a cold pack, you can either take a bag of frozen vegetables or wrap ice in a piece of cloth.

Steam: If the pain is due to blocked sinuses, steam can effectively loosen mucus and unclog airways. This essentially relieves your head of a lot of built-up pressure.

Hydration: It’s true, dehydration can cause headaches and other types of pain. If you haven’t had enough water yet, a simple replenishment with one or two glasses may solve your problem.

Relaxation: Naps, stretching, deep breathing, meditation, or a simple screen break can help your eyes rest and lessen the risk of strain.

Over-the-Counter Pain Relievers for Eyebrow Pain

Pain relievers such as Tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen, and other types of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications can provide pain relief for eyebrow pain. Make sure to consult your doctor before taking any of these to ensure they don’t have negative effects on your present health condition.

How Can You Prevent Eyebrow Pain?

You can prevent eyebrow pain by first figuring out the root cause of your persistent discomfort. This may mean lifestyle changes, a much-needed break, or treating other medical conditions.

Tips for Reducing Tension Headaches

Tension headaches are often caused by stress, muscle tension, lack of sleep, dehydration, side effects of medication, your body’s reaction to caffeine, dental issues like a cavity, fatigue, and more. Essentially, watching what you eat, reducing factors that trigger stress, and getting enough rest can reduce the chances of experiencing tension headaches.

Managing Sinus Health to Avoid Pain Around the Eyebrow

Blocked sinuses can often be remedied through hydration, especially with warm liquids like tea or even hot water with a hint of lemon. Steam from a hot shower or a humidifier can also help clear congestion. Lastly, taking decongestants can help.

If you don’t have much access to these at the moment, simply getting some rest or propping your head up before going to bed also works wonders.

What Lifestyle Changes Can Help Alleviate Eyebrow Pain?

The three main lifestyle factors that can either elevate or decrease your health are hydration, nutrition, and stress levels. If you are experiencing constant pain or health issues, making a few adjustments to these three may be just the switch you need to a better life.

Importance of Hydration and Nutrition

Dehydration causes the brain to pull away from the skill, putting a lot of pressure on the nerves in your head, which is one of the most overlooked reasons for this pain. Malnutrition can also cause the body to run out of essential vitamins to help function properly. By ensuring you have a sufficient supply of water and daily nutrients, headaches and other reasons for this pain can be greatly reduced.

Stress Management Techniques to Reduce Head Pain

The third biggest contributor to why you experience pain in your head among other aches, is taking on too much stress. By practicing habits that lower cortisol levels, you can alleviate pain and also keep your organs functioning at their best state.

You’re All Set!

There can be many causes of brow pain such as medical conditions, headaches, and sinusitis. If these challenges are making it difficult for you to draw on brows or take on semi-permanent procedures like microblading, there are pain-free, non-invasive ways to have natural brows without triggering any headaches. Our top recommended products are Temporary Eyebrow Tattoos and Eyebrow Stamp Kits. For more information on how you can gain back natural brows in under a minute and from the comforts of home, check out My Two Brows today.

FAQs

Why does my eyebrow hurt when I touch it?

Possible reasons your eyebrows hurt when you touch them include sinus pain, infections, bruises, and headaches.

Why does my eyebrow hurt when I move my hair?

Your brows hurt when you move or brush your hair because of infections, temporal arteritis, skin conditions, eye strain, or headaches.

Why does my eyebrow hurt when I chew?

Chewing can cause pain around your eyes if you have temporal arteritis, nerve disorders, or muscle issues.

Why does my eyebrow hurt when I blink?

Eye strain, dry eye syndrome, conjunctivitis, allergies, too much caffeine, and headaches can cause pain near or behind the brows when you blink.

Why does my eyebrow hurt when I rub it?

Nutrient deficiency, stress, too much caffeine, and sensory issues are common causes of brow pain when the area is rubbed.

Why does my eyebrow hurt like a headache?

Pain is often spread across your face, including your temples, brows, and around your eyes, and sometimes the pain can even be felt on the cheeks and jaw when the pressure is too much.

Why does my eyebrow hurt when I cough?

An inflamed sinus or too much pressure in your head or neck are causes of pain when you cough.