North Texas News

• Signs of a sinus headache include swelling in the face, feeling of fullness in the ears, high fever and pain in cheeks, forehead or nose.

• While migraines are true headaches, sinus headaches are a collection of symptoms that can mimic a headache.

• Balloon sinuplasty is one of the most effective treatments for chronic sinus headaches.

Dr. Monty Trimble of Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers told North Texas News about the effect of chronic sinusitis and what it can mean for patients.

"There's a lot of stress in life today, and people are constantly on devices and computers," Trimble said. "And for whatever reason, that definitely seems to increase the muscle tension stress. The whole purpose of your six to eight hours of sleep is for that muscle tension to go away. And that way, when you wake up in the morning, you're hopefully normal again, ready to face the day. But if you're spending the night fighting that bear, you're snoring, you're obstructing, you're not breathing easily through your nose, you're not going to recover. And then those muscle tension issues compound, and your head just feels like it's going to explode. There's no doubt that if you get a sinus infection, you get increased congestion in your nose, your head is going to hurt worse, your face is going to hurt worse. There's no doubt that if you can improve the sinuses, the nasal airway, patients ultimately find that their headaches almost always improve."

As a result of an allergic reaction or infection, inflamed sinuses swell, make more mucus and block the sinus drain. WebMD describes sinus headaches as pain in the cheekbones, forehead or the bridge of the nose, which feels like a headache, accompanied by swelling of the face, a feeling of fullness in the ears and a fever. Sometimes migraines or tension headaches are mistaken for sinus headaches.

Although sinus headaches and migraines share some symptoms, the American Migraine Foundation points out that some migraine symptoms are unique, such as nausea, vomiting and sensitivity to light, noise, or smells.

According to WebMD, sinusitis patients have several surgical options, including endoscopy and balloon sinuplasty. Balloon sinuplasty is a newer treatment option that doesn't require any removal or cutting. A thin tube is attached to a small balloon, which the doctor inserts into the nose, where it is inflated inside the sinuses. Congestion can be relieved by clearing the sinus passageway with the balloon.

If you've been experiencing sinus headaches or chronic sinusitis, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz from Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers.