Nearly everyone experiences a headache at some point, and the pain can range from mild to debilitating.
Sometimes, headaches are accompanied by pain and pressure in your brow and forehead, and cause nasal symptoms. Many people associate sinus and nasal symptoms with a sinus infection – sinusitis – or with an upper respiratory infection such as a cold. They may say that they are experiencing a sinus headache. But sinus and nasal symptoms often can signal something else: a sinus migraine headache.
Different types of migraine tend to present with different symptoms. A sinus migraine can involve symptoms – facial pain or pressure alongside nasal congestion or a runny nose – which are likely to result in mistaking a sensory nerve malfunction for an infection.
The term sinus headache is not an actual medical diagnosis. Studies show that 90% of people with symptoms of a sinus headache are experiencing migraine headaches.
Migraines and headaches from sinusitis are easy to confuse because the signs and symptoms of the two types of headaches may overlap. Also, migraine headaches affect people differently and symptoms can change over time. This is why many who have had migraine headaches in the past are surprised when they begin having sinus and nasal symptoms with a migraine headache.
Sinusitis, however, usually isn’t associated with nausea or vomiting, nor is it aggravated by noise or bright light — all common features of migraines.
Sinusitis usually occurs after a viral upper respiratory infection or cold, and includes thick, discoloured nasal mucus, decreased sense of smell, and pain in one cheek or upper teeth. Headaches due to sinus disease often last days or longer, and migraines most commonly last hours to a day or two.
Many people who assume they have headaches from sinusitis have been misdiagnosed and prescribed an antibiotic for sinusitis. In these cases, the antibiotics are not necessary and could be harmful. Some people may feel better after they take the antibiotic because it may decrease inflammation in the sinuses caused by the migraine headache or because they think the antibiotic is helping, known as the placebo effect. Despite this, an antibiotic is not the correct treatment for a migraine headache.
These are a few ways you can tell whether your sinus and nasal symptoms are part of a sinus infection or part of a migraine headache:
When you have a sinus infection –
You recently or still have a cold.
You have thick, coloured nasal mucus.
You frequently need to blow your nose.
You have a diminished sense of smell.
You can function.
When you have a sinus migraine –
You do not have a cold.
Any drainage from your nose is clear.
You retain your sense of smell.
Physical activity, such as walking or bending, makes your symptoms worse.
You feel better when you lie down or sleep.
Diagnosing the cause of headaches can be difficult to determine. Work with your doctor to help get the best diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
(News/Feature: Health/Migraine-Headache)