While sinus headaches are a part of sinus infections, sinus infections come with a host of other symptoms as well. These include fever and fatigue, postnasal drip and sore thought, coughing and nasal congestion, all in addition to the pain and pressure patients often feel from their forehead down to their neck.
Sinus headaches are usually associated with migraines or other forms of headaches. Sinus headaches are associated with pain and pressure in the face and sinuses and can cause nasal symptoms. Most of these headaches are not caused by sinus infections and generally should not be treated with antibiotics.
A sinus headache is a symptom of sinus infections (sinusitis). Sinus headaches make your face hurt. You may feel a constant, dull ache behind the eyes or in your cheekbones, forehead and the bridge of your nose. The pain gets worse when you move your head suddenly or you bend over.
Sinus headaches are typically felt in the face, where the sinuses are, whereas migraines cause pain in other parts of the head such as the temples, forehead, or the back of the head. Migraines are often felt on only one side of the head while sinus headaches can be felt on both sides of the face.
You'll feel a deep and constant pain in your cheekbones, forehead, or the bridge of your nose. The pain usually gets stronger when you move your head suddenly or strain. At the same time, you might have other sinus symptoms, such as: A runny nose.
Headaches and nasal congestion are also symptoms of migraine. It's a common misunderstanding. Misdiagnosis happens so often that one study found 95% of people who thought they had a sinus headache actually had a migraine.
Take over-the-counter decongestants, antihistamines (if allergies are the culprit) and pain relievers to reduce sinus pain and pressure. Be sure to check with your doctor first if you have any health issues or take other medicines. Never give decongestants or any over-the-counter cold medicine to children under age 4.
Frequent contact with allergens or a prolonged cold or sinus infection can cause your turbinates to become irritated swell. Like with sinus infections, swelling of turbinates can result in sinus pressure, which in turn can lead to frequent sinus headaches.
Sinusitis usually occurs after a viral upper respiratory infection or cold, and includes thick, discolored 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.
An “acute” sinus infection lasts anywhere from ten days up to eight weeks. A “chronic” infection lasts even longer. It is ongoing — it may seem like it's improving, and then it comes right back as bad as it was at first. Chronic sinus infections may drag on for months at a time.
Fatigue. Sinusitis can also cause fatigue. You may feel tired as your body tries to fight off the infection. Constant pressure on your sinuses, an irritating cough, and dizziness can also contribute to exhaustion.
You may develop a sinus headache from the common cold, a deviated septum where there is not sufficient air flow to help drain the mucus from your sinuses, seasonal allergies which cause congestion and mucus, and nasal polyps which also prevent mucus from draining properly.
Additionally, sinus infection can cause an overproduction of mucus in the sinuses. A mucus buildup can cause congestion and pressure in the head, which can therefore affect the middle ear. When fluid accumulates, dizziness can result as your overall balance is affected.
Although some sinus infections (and thus, sinus headaches) go away on their own, leaving a sinus infection untreated comes with potential complications, including the spread of the infection, loss of smell, and in extreme cases, meningitis and brain abscess.
When trying to determine if what you're experiencing is a sinus headache, ask yourself if you're feeling congested, and whether it hurts when you press down on your cheeks or forehead (where the sinuses are located). If the answer to these questions is no, it's probably a migraine or a tension headache.
Sinus pressure without mucus requires evaluation by a healthcare provider for allergies, acute infection, irritant exposure, or headache—notably migraine.
Allergies can produce many of the same cold-like symptoms as a sinus infection, including sinus pressure, a runny nose and congestion. But the condition itself, called allergic rhinitis, is different. It is caused by an allergic response to allergens, such as pollen, dust mites or pet dander.
Along the same lines as OTC options, antihistamine medications, such as Sudafed, Claritin, Zyrtec or Benadryl, can also offer sinus infection symptom relief. While these medications specifically target allergy symptoms, sinus infection symptoms can be similar, making antihistamines worth a try.
In some types of headaches, the blood vessels in the brain dilate, or swell. They expand into the surrounding tissues, which triggers pain. Consuming caffeine, which narrows the vessels, can ease or even reverse some headache pain.
It's possible that you may experience more intense symptoms during certain times of the day, only to have them subside later on. For instance, you may feel more congested in the morning, only to feel better in the evening. Varying symptoms can occur on and off, for days or even weeks.
Infections in your respiratory tract — most commonly colds — can inflame and thicken your sinus membranes and block mucus drainage. These infections can be caused by viruses or bacteria. Allergies such as hay fever. Inflammation that occurs with allergies can block your sinuses.