Differential Diagnosis for Left Eye Pain and Headache
- Single most likely diagnosis
- Migraine: This is often characterized by unilateral headaches, which can be accompanied by eye pain. The pain can be severe and is sometimes preceded by an aura. Migraines are relatively common and can explain both the headache and the eye pain.
- Other Likely diagnoses
- Tension headache: While typically bilateral, tension headaches can sometimes present unilaterally and may involve eye pain due to muscle tension around the eyes.
- Sinusitis: Inflammation of the sinuses, especially the frontal or ethmoid sinuses, can cause pain that is referred to the eye and forehead, accompanied by headache.
- Dry eye syndrome: This condition can cause eye pain and may be accompanied by a headache, especially if the dry eye is severe and causes significant discomfort.
- Do Not Miss (ddxs that may not be likely, but would be deadly if missed)
- Acute angle-closure glaucoma: A medical emergency that presents with severe eye pain, headache, blurred vision, and sometimes nausea and vomiting. It requires immediate treatment to prevent permanent vision loss.
- Temporal arteritis (Giant Cell Arteritis): This condition can cause severe headache and eye pain, especially in older adults. If not treated promptly, it can lead to blindness.
- Cavernous sinus thrombosis: A rare but potentially life-threatening condition that can cause headache and eye pain, along with other symptoms like fever and vision changes.
- Rare diagnoses
- Cluster headache: While not the most common type of headache, cluster headaches are known for their severe, unilateral pain, often described as being around the eye, and can be accompanied by other symptoms like nasal congestion.
- Optic neuritis: Inflammation of the optic nerve can cause eye pain, especially with movement of the eye, and may be accompanied by vision loss and headache.
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH): Also known as pseudotumor cerebri, this condition can cause headache and eye pain due to increased pressure within the skull, often without an identifiable cause.