Sinus Headaches

Patients with migraines or tension headaches commonly have sinus and nasal symptoms during their headaches, including sinus pressure, sinus pain, nasal congestion, or runny nose. Studies of patients who have self-diagnosed or been diagnosed with sinus headaches were found to have migraines or tension headaches in more than 80 percent of cases; only three to five percent of these patients had sinusitis.

Symptoms of sinusitis and migraine headaches can be similar, which can be confusing about what is causing sinus pain and pressure. Migraines and headaches can cause the following nasal symptoms:

• Pain and pressure around the eyes, across the cheeks, and the forehead
• Nasal congestion
• Runny nose
• Eye redness, tearing, or eyelid swelling
• Symptoms on one or both sides of the face

Sinusitis is associated with nasal congestion or obstruction and a thick nasal discharge, sometimes with facial pain, pressure, or a feeling of fullness. However, facial pain or pressure or fullness without cloudy or colored nasal discharge is most likely not a sinus infection.

If you have reoccurring headaches as a symptom of sinusitis or seasonal allergies, you may need to consider prescription medication to manage the condition.

Lifestyle changes to reduce congestion, like avoiding allergens and incorporating aerobic exercise into your routine, might decrease how many headaches you get.

In cases of chronic sinusitis, a nasal surgery like a balloon sinuplasty might be the only way to stop getting more sinus headaches.

Sinus headaches cause pressure-like pain in the forehead and the areas below the eyes. They happen at the same time as other symptoms of a sinus infection, including:

• Nasal drainage and congestion
• Fever or chills
• Change in smell
• Tooth or ear pain (the pressure in your sinuses is sometimes felt in these areas, even though this is not where the infection is actually located)

To prevent sinus headaches, you can take steps to decrease the chance you will developing a sinus infection. These include:

• Treating seasonal allergies with antihistamines or nasal sprays.
• Treating nasal polyps. These can cause blockages that can lead to sinus infections. Polyps can be treated with corticosteroid nasal sprays like Flonase. Sometimes they need to be surgically removed if they aren’t getting better with nasal sprays.
• Cutting back or quitting smoking. Avoiding cigarette smoke can help prevent sinus infections.