Differential Diagnosis for Headaches and Cheek Twitching
- Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Migraine with facial twitching: This is a common condition that can cause headaches and facial twitching, including cheek twitching. The twitching can be a symptom of the migraine aura or a side effect of the migraine itself.
- Other Likely Diagnoses
- Hemifacial spasm: A rare neurological disorder characterized by irregular, involuntary muscle contractions on one side of the face, which can cause cheek twitching and may be accompanied by headaches.
- Trigeminal neuralgia: A chronic pain condition that affects the trigeminal nerve, which can cause severe headaches and facial pain, including cheek twitching.
- Temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder: A condition that affects the joint that connects the jawbone to the skull, which can cause headaches, facial pain, and cheek twitching.
- Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Multiple sclerosis: A chronic and often disabling autoimmune disease that can cause a wide range of symptoms, including headaches, facial twitching, and vision problems. Although it is not a common cause of cheek twitching, it is a potentially serious condition that should not be missed.
- Stroke or transient ischemic attack (TIA): A sudden loss of brain function caused by a blockage or rupture of the blood vessels supplying the brain, which can cause headaches, facial weakness, and twitching.
- Brain tumor: A mass of abnormal cells in the brain that can cause a variety of symptoms, including headaches, facial twitching, and vision problems.
- Rare Diagnoses
- Dystonia: A neurological disorder characterized by involuntary muscle contractions, which can cause facial twitching and other abnormal movements.
- Facial myokymia: A rare condition characterized by involuntary, wave-like contractions of the facial muscles, which can cause cheek twitching.
- Botulism: A rare but serious illness caused by a toxin produced by the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which can cause muscle weakness, facial twitching, and other symptoms.