Headache sufferers should not rule out sinus issues as the cause of their symptoms.
Sinuses are air-filled spaces inside the forehead, cheekbones and behind the bridge of the nose. When they get inflamed — usually because of an allergic reaction or an infection — they swell, make more mucus, and the channels that drain them can get blocked. The buildup of pressure in the sinuses causes pain that feels like a headache, according to WebMD.
“Sinus headaches are a referred pain caused by inflammation and blockage of a sinus cavity, which is causing those nerves to fire and it transmits the pain to the patient’s facial area,” Dr. Manish Khanna, one of the doctors at Capitol Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers, told the Gateway Reporter. “It’s really anywhere in the head, depending on which sinuses are involved. Now, you really are not treating the headache; you want to treat the sinus so that headache goes away.”
Symptoms of a sinus headache can vary from person to person, including a consistent, throbbing pain within the cheekbones, forehead or the bridge of the nose that increases with movement or strain. Other symptoms include a runny nose, blockage or pressure within the ears, fever or swelling in the face, according to WebMD.
“Our sinus cavities are located right behind our facial structure, so when there’s inflammation going on, for example, in our maxillary sinuses, which are the sinuses behind our cheeks, you get this referred pain,” Khanna said. “Same thing in the forehead area: Frontal sinus inflammation can refer pain to our forehead, and we’ll feel pressure there and our temples and in the frontal region.”
Typically, treatment entails antibiotics, as well as antihistamines or decongestants, over a short period of time, which can be paired with pain relievers or prescription corticosteroids to ease the inflammation in the sinuses.
“You can use medications like nasal steroids sprays, humidification, moisture. Keeping things nice and warm in the sinus cavities certainly helps. Then you get into medications like antibiotics and oral steroids. These can be necessary to really get rid of an acute sinus infection,” Khanna said. “But as a preventive for patients who get recurring sinus headaches and pressure, balloon sinuplasty is a very reasonable, viable option.”
Sinus headache sufferers can take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz to learn more about what their particular symptoms may mean.
