Telltale Signs of a Sinusitis Pressure Headache

A normal headache would likely occur on top of your head, on the sides or even at the base of your skull, near the neck area. However, a sinusitis pressure headache occurs pretty much anywhere your sinus cavities are located. That means you can expect a deep, dull or even sharp pain behind your forehead, behind the eyes or even within your noses or cheekbones. Exerting pressure through exercise or simply bending over can exacerbate the pain.

Causes of a Sinusitis Pressure Headache

There are a few reasons why you might experience a sinusitis pressure headache with one likely reason being sinus congestion or swelling. This congestion and swelling can be caused from such conditions as a cold or allergies like hay fever. In turn, when your sinus cavities become inflamed, the swelling keeps your mucus from draining thus precipitating a sinus infection.

Therefore, you could say that a sinus infection is another cause of a sinus headache. In addition, changes in atmospheric pressure can also cause these headaches and can include air travel, climbing at high altitudes or even diving or swimming in deep water.

Signs of a Sinusitis Pressure Headache

As mentioned before, dull, aching tenderness is one way to distinguish a sinusitis pressure headache from a regular headache. In addition, sudden head movements can precipitate sinus pain as well drastic temperature changes like leaving the warm confines of your home for a blizzard outdoors.

Often, your sinusitis pressure headache is a sign of other medical issues to come like a sinus infection. Therefore you may also experience general fatigue, a sore throat caused by post nasal drip, green or yellow nasal discharge or even nasal congestion.

Treatment of a Sinusitis Pressure Headache

Because this type of headache is often caused by swelling of the sinus cavities, a decongestion and pain reliever combination is often the best first treatment plan. If there is no sinus infection present and headaches are infrequent, you could possibly use a decongestant spray instead. However, you only want to use a spray for just a few days as you could develop what doctors call rebound congestion in which the congestion gets worse.

For more a persistent sinusitis pressure headache, a prescription steroid nasal spray may work to reduce the inflammation in the sinus cavities. However, when a sinus infection is the cause of the problems, an antibiotic in conjunction with a decongestant would be the best recourse for treatment.

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