"Sinus Headaches"

Many people with troublesome headaches are under the impression that they have sinus headaches. It’s almost unanimous among headache specialists that most people with so-called “sinus headache” are usually misdiagnosed. Many of the over-the-counter sinus remedies contain painkillers. People are sometimes given antibiotics for infections they may not actually have.

The reason for this misunderstanding is simple. Headaches occur in locations where people usually think their sinuses are. In the absence of an actual sinus infection with drainage, the odds are pretty good that the sinuses are not causing the person's headaches. People with frequent sinus complaints need to be evaluated to see whether they actually have sinus problems or whether they have an underlying headache disorder which is being missed. Ear nose and throat specialists are very helpful in making this determination.

Sinus headaches are a very common misdiagnosis and this often leads to overuse of antibiotics, which are already being overused in actual sinus infections. Many migraine attacks, as well as cluster headaches, can produce nasal congestion and clear nasal drainage and this is often mistaken for a sinus infection. As a general rule, if there is no discolored drainage, there is probably no infection.

It is very unlikely that irritated sinuses can produce headache as severe as migraine or cluster.

For additional information:
http://www.achenet.org/education/patients/SinusHeadacheorMigraine.asp
http://www.headaches.org/education/Headache_Topic_Sheets/Sinus_Headache
http://my.clevelandclinic.org/disorders/Headaches/hic_Sinus_Headaches.aspx