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Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

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What Causes Black Eyes And Jaw Pain After A Head Injury?

Hi. I hit my head on my counter after slipping on my kiddos toy. I also caught the right side of my lip on the way down. My entire forehead is swollen and incredibly painful. I woke up this am with two black eyes and my nose and eyes being so swollen I cannot open my eyes all the way. My entire jaw hurts and I can t chew or open my mouth all the way, even to yawn. I have never been in so much pain. This happened Saturday night....and it s getting worse. Thoughts?
Wed, 30 Dec 2015
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Emergency Medicine Specialist 's  Response
Thank you for your question. I appreciate your concern. The forehead has a lot of blood vessels and when hit or injured these blood vessels tend to break and cause significant bruising. Often because of gravity the blood travels to and collects around the eyes and as the blood ages it become darker causing the purple dark appearance. Also nasal fractures will often cause black eyes to appear for similar reasons.

The pain from the swelling in the area of forehead and face can be intense because there is not a lot of room for the swelling to go which makes for intense pain.

It might be a good idea to see a doctor for evaluation and to make sure you did not have any more serious injuries like a fracture or suffer a concussion. You can ice the area to help with the swelling and the pain. If you are confused, or nauseous or experience any vomiting and significant worsening of pain or other concerning symptoms you should seek medical attention immediately.

I hope that this helps and you start feeling better.

Thank you.
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What Causes Black Eyes And Jaw Pain After A Head Injury?

Thank you for your question. I appreciate your concern. The forehead has a lot of blood vessels and when hit or injured these blood vessels tend to break and cause significant bruising. Often because of gravity the blood travels to and collects around the eyes and as the blood ages it become darker causing the purple dark appearance. Also nasal fractures will often cause black eyes to appear for similar reasons. The pain from the swelling in the area of forehead and face can be intense because there is not a lot of room for the swelling to go which makes for intense pain. It might be a good idea to see a doctor for evaluation and to make sure you did not have any more serious injuries like a fracture or suffer a concussion. You can ice the area to help with the swelling and the pain. If you are confused, or nauseous or experience any vomiting and significant worsening of pain or other concerning symptoms you should seek medical attention immediately. I hope that this helps and you start feeling better. Thank you.