Sinusitis Causes Headaches

 by: Paul Hood

Anyone who’s ever suffered from sinusitis will confess to having had bouts of headaches. However, it may not always be caused by sinusitis.

An interesting case was written by a certain “DP” to Doctor Vincent Martin detailing the hardships “he” bore in connection with headaches seemingly caused by sinusitis. The patient has consulted with different specialists but still the condition persists.

There is evidence linking sinus infections to the headaches being felt by people who suffer from the disorder. Headache specialists agree that sinus infections can trigger headaches.

A number of mechanisms are responsible for triggering this effect. Chronic nasal or sinus disease are said to lead to headaches through these mechanisms theoretically. One of these would be through the obstruction of the nasal passage when the membranes of the nose swell or through abnormalities in the bone structure of the nose. There are instances when the drainage of our sinuses are also plugged making way for changes in the air pressure in the sinuses and this causes the pain we perceive as headaches. This is the other mechanism which contributes to the headache effect of sinus infections.

There are reports that people who suffer from this headache found an improvement after having been treated of their nasal and sinus disorders. These are the ones who have undergone treatments that included antihistamines, decongestants and nasal sprays containing steroids. These medications often improve nasal congestion and/or drainage of the sinuses.

However, I have to agree with Doctor Martin that the sinus infection per se is not the real cause for these headaches. There may be instances when it will be the cause but oftentimes they only serve as trigger for the headaches which might be caused by other disorders. Fact is, these headaches that are attributed to sinus infections may be migraine or other forms of vascular or "tension" headaches that also give pain in the forehead and around the eyes

Undergoing a comprehensive diagnosis with a competent physician will yield an accurate assessment of your condition. Great is the discomfort suffered by people afflicted with sinus infections and seeking medical help as soon as possible is very much advised.