NE Valley Times

• If you're dealing with chronic headaches, it may be a result of inflamed sinuses.
• It's important to figure out what type of headaches you are dealing with so you can get the correct treatment.
• Dr. Franklyn Gergits and his team at the Sinus & Allergy Wellness Center can help to figure out if your headaches are a problem resulting from sinus issues.

If chronic headaches are becoming a problem, Dr. Franklyn Gergits of the Sinus & Allergy Wellness Center said it’s important to find out exactly what the cause might be. It could be a sinus problem or a migraine. Distinguishing between the two isn’t easy, and it may take an ear, nose and throat (ENT) specialist to develop an effective treatment plan.

"Sinus headaches occur inside the facial region,” Gergits told NE Valley Times. “They can occur above the eyebrows, between, below or behind [the eyebrows]. Sinus headaches are often confused with atypical migraines. Some atypical migraines have nasal symptoms as well. The patient might have gone to their primary care doctor seeking relief and been inaccurately diagnosed with sinusitis. They might have an atypical migraine. Other patients might have been sent to a neurologist by their family doctor. They are treated for an atypical migraine when a sinus problem truly is causing their troubles."

According to Mayo Clinic, one symptom common with both sinusitis and migraines is that the headache worsens while lying down or bending over. But unlike sinusitis, migraines often include nausea, vomiting or aggravation from bright light or noise.

A sinus headache results from inflammation of the sinuses, which are spaces inside the forehead, cheekbones and behind the bridge of the nose. According to WebMD, when inflamed, the sinuses swell, make more mucus, and the channels that drain them can be blocked, creating pressure that causes pain that feels like a headache.

Gergits said it’s important to figure out what kind of headache the patient is suffering from so the correct course of action can be taken. The treatment could include a combination of antibiotics, antihistamines or decongestants.

To learn more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.