What is a sinus headache?

Runny nose, dizziness, altered sense of smell, tiredness, inability to concentrate or work… Sinus headaches can often be confused with a migraine and vice versa. This can cause a person to go a long time without receiving the most appropriate treatment for their problem. Also, their quality of life is greatly affected.

It is decisive, in all cases, to be able to have an adequate clinical examination that allows for an accurate explanation of the origin of the headache. Thus, x-rays, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the most appropriate diagnostic techniques. All in all, let’s delve a little deeper into this type of headache and see what the latest reviews are on the matter.

According to experts, about 80 percent of the time, what people call a sinus headache is actually a migraine with nasal symptoms.

Sinus headache: what it is, symptoms and causes

The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the fact that headaches are one of the most common nervous system disorders. However, Only a minority of people who suffer from this problem receive an appropriate diagnosis from a professional. On average, self-medication, rest and warm cloths on the forehead are used.

Sinus headache, according to experts at the Mayo Clinic, It is a disorder that originates from inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. For those who do not know what these structures are, they should imagine spaces filled with air located between the bones of the head. Its function is to produce mucus and a moist environment to keep the nose free of dust and microbes.

Factors such as a cold, having some type of allergy or suffering from asthma cause the sinuses to become inflamed. This is when, among its varied symptoms, this type of headache appears.

On the other hand, as has been pointed out, one of the biggest problems with this condition is confusing it with a migraine with nasal symptoms. It is estimated that About 80% of the time, what is thought to originate from an inflamed sinus is actually a migraine..

Studies carried out at Al-Minia University emphasize this same variable. It is necessary to differentiate one condition from the other.

Symptoms of sinus headache

Sinus headache presents a very broad symptomatology. Furthermore, each person can show certain characteristics based on the incidence of paranasal inflammation itself:

The headache is persistent and intensifies when touching the affected sinuses. Sensitivity to light may appear. Although not always. Nasal congestion. Thick mucus may appear. Intensified pain when bending down or standing up. Swelling may appear on the face. There is pain in the cheekbones, forehead and eyebrows. Fever may occur. Impaired sense of smell. Clogged ears. Exhaustion. Dizziness. .

How to differentiate sinus headache from migraine?

The problem in differentiating sinus headache from migraine is that the latter sometimes appears with nasal symptoms, as indicated by a study carried out in 2019 by several researchers from India. At the same time, chronic sinusitis does not usually present with congestion but with a headache, which is confusing.

Headaches due to sinusitis usually last for days, weeks, or months. However, the migraine may be present for a few hours or at most two or three days. In sinusitis, there is usually no nausea or vomiting. In migraine these symptoms do exist with high frequency. Sinus headache is not as affected by sounds, smells or bright light. These symptoms always tend to appear in migraines.

What is the origin of sinusitis?

The origin of sinus headache is inflammation of the paranasal sinuses. Sinusitis may or may not be due to an infection. In fact, there are various origins for this problem.

For example, if it is infectious, there will not always be an accumulation of germs for the symptoms described to occur. Sometimes the germs are there at the beginning, then the body eliminates them with mucus and what remains is inflammation of the mucosa of the paranasal sinuses, no longer present with bacteria. And that inflammation causes a headache.

Very specific diagnostic tests, such as x-rays or nasal endoscopies, are needed to diagnose sinus headache.

Little by little, The sinus tissue swells and blocks the passage of mucus towards the nose, which would facilitate its natural expulsion. In the end, all the symptoms described above develop. Therefore, headache becomes the most disabling characteristic.

Let’s see what processes can trigger said inflammation:

Allergies.Colds.Nasal polyps.Dental infection or abscess in the mouth.The presence of a nasal foreign body increases the risk of bacterial colonization in the paranasal sinuses.Enlarged adenoids favor the entry of viruses and bacteria into the respiratory tract. The same happens with structural anomalies (deviated septum or a neoplasm).

How to differentiate acute viral sinusitis from bacterial one?

During diagnosis, in view of the possible types of sinusitis that may occur, It is advisable to detect those aspects that allow us to differentiate between sinusitis resulting from a viral infection from a bacterial one. For this reason, experts usually focus on some indicators.

Viral sinusitis usually occurs with a low or non-existent fever. It is common for a cold to occur first and, days or weeks later, a sinus headache to appear.

In bacterial sinusitis, on the contrary, there may be a high fever. In addition, mucus production is greater and it is possible to trace, in the near past, pharyngitis or a respiratory tract infection that required antibiotics.

What is the treatment for this type of headache?

The most disabling thing is the headache itself. Therefore, it is important to know that painkillers can serve to reduce the discomfort in acute sinusitis, since the body could then resolve the condition on its own. There are cases that the body resolves itself in two weeks, with or without medication.

On the other hand, antibiotics are not always the choice. The main cause of sinusitis is viruses. However, as described in research published by the National Library of Medicine in 2022, there is a common practice of prescribing them.

Likewise, decongestants are controversial. Sometimes they lead to rebound effect and they have certain secondary reactions in patients with other diseases (especially heart diseases). That’s why, The importance of receiving an accurate diagnosis is emphasized once again.

In this way, and always starting from the disease itself that causes the infection, the following therapeutic strategies can be used, as advised by the Boston Medical Center:

Local steroids to reduce inflammation. Saline nasal sprays. Humidifiers.

Finally, It should be noted that in chronic sinusitis situations you can opt for surgical interventionsas pointed out in an article published by the Medicine and Life Magazine. In these cases, endoscopic surgery of the paranasal sinuses is usually used, a technique that is as safe as it is effective.

Accurate diagnosis of sinus headache

The importance of consulting with good specialists to always receive the best treatment is highlighted. Regarding the precise diagnosis, according to a study published in 2021 within the Topical Collection on Headacheit is noted that sinus headache is not a diagnosis in itself and all patients who experience facial pain or pressure with nasal symptoms should be evaluated for a migraine.

In fact, research specifies that most cases of sinus headaches are actually migraines. Therefore, they require a targeted approach to this disease.

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