Treating Sinus Headaches

When your sinuses become inflamed or clogged, sinus headaches – a feeling of deep, throbbing pain and pressure in the face – can follow. Sinus headaches can range from annoying to severe, and they can sometimes be hard to treat.

But that’s not only because the underlying sinusitis can be hard to resolve. Sometimes, the problem is that people who think they have sinus headaches don’t really have them. Instead, they, or their doctors, mistake tension or migraine headaches for sinus headaches.

How do you know if your “sinus headache” is really a sinus headache? And if it is, what should you do about it? Here are answers to some key questions about sinus headache treatments.

Sinus Headache? Getting the Right Diagnosis

First, you need to figure out the real cause of your headache pain. One study found that of 100 people who believed they had sinus headaches, almost 90% actually seemed to have migraine headaches. Only 3% had headaches that were clearly caused by sinusitis.

Why the confusion? First, the symptoms of different headache types have a lot of overlap. Second, headaches and the common cold -- the most common cause of sinusitis -- are both quite common. When a person happens to experience both at the same time, he or she might naturally assume that they’re connected when it could just be a coincidence.

Given the confusion, it’s crucial to get the right diagnosis. Why? The right treatment for a sinus headache may do nothing for a migraine -- and vice versa. Without the correct diagnosis, you won’t necessarily be able to relieve your pain.

Sinus Headache Symptoms

Typically, sinus headaches cause:

• Pain and pressure around the sinuses in the face – in the forehead, behind the eyes, and around the cheeks and upper teeth. These areas may be tender to the touch.
• Pain that worsens with movement, like bending over or lying down.

However, if headache pain is your only symptom, you probably don’t have a sinus headache. A sinus headache is usually accompanied by other sinusitis symptoms as well. Sinusitis symptoms include:

• Nasal stuffiness
• Thick yellow or green nasal discharge
• Fever
• Cough and sore throat
• Fatigue

Even if you do have some of these other symptoms, they may not be specific enough for your doctor to give you a clear diagnosis. So to be sure, your doctor will need to do a thorough exam. He or she may also need to run some tests – like CT scans or MRIs – to see if blocked sinuses are the cause of your headaches.

Sinus Headache Treatments

Sinus headache treatment is usually two-pronged: you treat the headache pain itself while also treating the underlying sinusitis.

To relieve the pain and pressure of sinus headaches, here are some things you can try.

• Use an over-the-counter pain reliever. It’s an obvious solution and you’ve probably already tried it. But medications like Advil, Aleve or Tylenol will help reduce your pain. Follow the directions and don’t use them for more than 10 days at a time.
  
• Try a decongestant. These OTC medicines can help reduce the swelling in your nasal passages and reduce the amount of mucus. But follow the instructions. Don’t use nasal decongestant sprays for more than three consecutive days, and don’t use oral decongestants for more than seven.
  
• Try other medicines. In some cases, inhaled steroids and other drugs might help reduce your congestion and sinus headache pain. 
• Keep your nasal passages moist. Dry air will further irritate your sinuses. So use a humidifier or vaporizer. Rest a warm wet towel over your face for a few minutes. Try a saline solution nasal spray. 
• Use nasal irrigation (or lavage.) Get a bulb syringe or neti pot and flush out your sinuses with salt water. It moistens the nasal passages and can clear out your sinuses, reducing the pressure. If you’ve never tried the approach before, get some pointers from your doctor.
  
• Avoid irritants. Perfume, cigarette smoke, and certain chemicals can worsen your sinus symptoms by irritating and inflaming the nasal passageways.