Many people believe they suffer from chronic sinus headaches (sinusitis) because they frequently suffer from sever pain around their sinus areas in their face and head.
It is possible to have chronic sinus headaches however the condition is unusual and can only be diagnosed by a doctor.
A chronic sinus headache would not be as excruciating as the more common acute sinus headache which occurs during a sinus infection. When sinuses are clogged, bacteria can grow in the nasal passages creating an infection of the nasal passages commonly known as a sinus infection.
The headache associated with a sinus infection is pretty harsh and common treatments such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen will not help the pain. Chronic sinus headaches and acute sinus headaches will often require antibiotics to destroy the infection as well as medications to lessen the sinus pain.
Tension Headaches.
Tension headaches can very often be pain masquerading as chronic sinus headaches. Tension headaches can cause pain in the temples and across the forehead. Because of this many people do mistake tension headaches for chronic sinus headaches.
A lot of tension headaches are accompanied by pain in the neck and shoulders. Sometimes the pain is right at the base of the head. Because there are also glands here, this can confuse many people into believing that they are suffering from chronic sinus headaches instead of tension headaches.
A doctor can perform tests to determine if a person is suffering from chronic sinus headaches. If someone believes they have chronic sinus headaches they should immediately contact a physician as medial treatment is necessary to alleviate the pain and kill the infection.
Migraine Headaches.
Some self diagnosed chronic sinus headache suffers could actually be suffering from migraine headaches, because the pain occurs in many of the same places in the face and head. However, the cause of migraine headaches are varied and rarely are related to any real illness.
Some people who believe they suffer from chronic sinus headaches believe the change in weather or certain pollutants such as chemical smells or smoke are the cause of their sinus headache. In fact, these could very well migraine headache triggers.
If an allergy does exist it would not trigger a sinus headache, because with allergies such as dander, pollen, or dust which will cause nasal drainage. The fact that there is drainage omits the possibility of chronic sinus headache occurrences.
In addition, many people take over the counter medications for sinus headaches such as sinus allergy medicines, relief medicines, or other pain relieving medication. In spite of this, these medications often will have no effect on the headache.
Notice:
HeadacheNet.com is solely to be
used as an informational resource and should never be
used to replace contact with your licensed healthcare
provider.
