3 Characteristics Of Sinus Headaches
Sinuses are the eight hollow air filled pockets that are located in your forehead, cheekbones and behind the bridge of your nose. The purpose of your sinuses is to make mucus that helps to drain out your nose.
Many people believe that they suffer from sinus headaches. It can often times be difficult to diagnose this for yourself. Many people who believe they have sinus headaches are actually experiencing migraines. Most sinus headaches do not recur so if you are having them frequently this is a strong indicator that you are probably actually experiencing migraines. One of the main reasons why people think they are suffering sinus headaches instead of migraines is that headaches will increase with the humidity and other environmental conditions. This is what generally brings on sinus headaches so they can often times be difficult to distinguish from migraines.
The pain associated with sinus headaches is a deep and constant pain in the cheekbones, forehead and bridge of the nose. The pain will get worse when there are sudden movements of the head. Often times these types of headaches will include other symptoms such as nasal discharge, a feeling of fullness in the ears, fever or facial swelling. Sinus headaches are actually caused by a blockage of the outflow of mucus. This is generally due to an infection, an allergic reaction, or a tumor in the sinus area. It is this blockage and therefore build-up of mucus that causes sinus headaches.
There are various signs of sinus headaches that will help you determine if the headache you are experiencing is in fact a sinus headache. First of all, the pain that you will be feeling feels very deep and is located around the cheekbones, forehead and bridge of the nose. The pain will also be constant. Your pain will generally increase when you move your head suddenly or if you strain yourself. You will often times also experience other symptoms with a sinus headache such as nasal discharge, fullness in the ears, fever and perhaps even facial swelling.
If you are experiencing sinus headaches the treatment that you should undergo should focus on treating the infection inside the sinus. The best way to treat the infection is by using an antibiotic. However, over the counter antihistamines like Benadryl or decongestants like Sudafed can also be used for short periods of times to help alleviate symptoms. Decongestants can help relieve the pain because they actually constrict the blood vessels that are causing the headache pain. However, they should only be used as directed on the label because they can become addicting.
It is generally not allergies that cause headaches. However, allergies can cause the congestion which may help to contribute to headache pain. Even if you treat your allergies you will not necessarily relieve your headache pain. Sinus headaches need to be treated separately from allergies.
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