Hello Everyone, I have been having some kind of inflammation going on on my left side of my head for past 3months. Yesterday, I was chewing on some hard food and my temple muscles swelled. They did reduce after some time but are not back to normal. Is this Temporal Arteritis?? I still feel tingling and some numbness in that area and the swelling hasn’t completely gone away. Am 33. My blood work is normal. I’ll get an MRI done this month. 
am a bit scared!
Head CT scan was normal
Hi,
sorry to hear your problems, and I can understand your concerns.
I would doubt it’s GCA as we know it (but never say never) for a couple of reasons - your age, and it’s unilateral rather than bilateral.
Are you having unusual headaches or sight disturbances?
Although your bloods are normal, and they can be, why do you say you have inflammation?
Sorry, forgot to add. Yesterday,,The swelling happened on right side
I don’t have headaches but I feel numbness at the swollen area. I had inflammation on left side and it came down after I took muscle spasm and 1week of steroid. I don’t think I have sight issues but I do feel something off , like a feeling of mile pressure where the swelling happened. The information came out of the blue few months ago and my Primary care physician thot this was abscess but nothing worked, steroid and muscle spasm helped the pain. Now am seeing this swelling ☹️On my right temple area.
If steroids help it is obviously something inflammatory - but what you describe isn't what any of use would recognise as typical I don't think. Though that does beg the question "what is typical?".
Y on earth would chewing hard food Swell temples. 😕 Am just in a panic mode right now. I called my neurologist and have an appt set for next week. MRI too is scheduled to be done this month.
What are the typical symptoms?
I think it is pretty unlikely to be the GCA we talk about here as it is very rare in under 50s - but it CAN happen. There is another form of vasculitis that is found in younger patients which is similar but if they are doing an MRI I think they will see better what it might be. I do hope you get some answers.
I just hope this is due to some allergies and not a serious one. Am a bit scared coz this is happening in the head(temple and face region). How do u fight such uncertainties. Am prolly a weak nut 😕
I don't know to be honest - anything strange is scary. Whatever age you are.
Yep, and I was taking everything around for granted until this happened. Uncertainty with health is scary. 🤦♀️
But at least you are being investigated, please keep in touch when you know anything.
I have two friends who last year had GCA. Their symptoms were very similar to yours and problems with their eyes came on very suddenly. Tragically, one of them is now completely blind with no prospect of recovery or treatment. Admittedly, she is in her 70’s and you are in your 30’s, but from what I have read of this illness, it is little understood by the average GP
If you still have symptoms, especially if they are on one side only, I think you should request a referral to your local Eye Hospital immediately.
I have had PMR and I will be forever on my guard against GCA.
My very best wishes to you.
I’m 54 and started with the dentist for jaw pain. But then it went into severe headache and sensitive scalp and flu like symptoms. They put me on antibiotics for Lyme but after bloodwork it came back as PMR and the drs were confused because my inflammation levels were normal. My brilliant dentist said that can happen and immediately put me on 60 mg prednisone which he may go to 80 if I’m not better. Listen to your body and stay on top of it!
Good luck ,
Merry
It’s not pmr...but something else,need to figure out what it is
Temporal Arteritis
Temporal Arteritis 
New Diagnosis of Temporal Arteritis
Temporal Arteritis
