Migraines & Headaches Health Center

Migraine or Sinus Headache?

Masquerading as a Sinus Problem

It's understandable to first suspect a sinus problem if you have a headache, stuffy nose, and watery eyes.

But your body's pain response may have fooled you.

"If you give a human pain in the head, particularly in the forehead," Goadsby says, "there is a reflex that activates nerves that produce eye watering, itchiness of the eye, stuffiness, and runny nose."

"If you didn't know that all forms of pain do that, then those symptoms are [mistakenly] associated with sinus disease," Goadsby says.

When to Get Help

If your headaches interfere with your daily life or don't respond to over-the-counter medications, it's time to see a doctor.

"If you are going to take medicine to treat a headache and are not sure what you have, it's a good time to see a doctor," Goadsby says.

Of course, you should seek medical help immediately if you have a headache that:

• Gets progressively worse.
• Is associated with neurological symptoms such as loss of vision or muscle weakness.
• Is accompanied by a fever or stiff neck.

"If you're complaining to a doctor that you've got a headache that comes and goes, it should be considered migraine until proven otherwise," Silberstein says.