Sinus headaches are headaches that may feel like an infection in the sinuses (sinusitis). You may feel pressure around your eyes, cheeks and forehead. Perhaps your head throbs. However, many people who assume they have headaches from sinusitis, including many who have received such a diagnosis, actually have migraines.
How long do sinus headaches last?
How long does a take for a sinus headache to go away? Acute sinusitis typically lasts less than eight weeks or occurs no more than three times per year with each episode lasting no longer than 10 days. Medications are generally effective against acute sinusitis.
Can you have a sinus headache without being congested?
It's possible to have a sinus headache without any congestion , especially if you have a history of allergies and other sinus issues. However, a sinus headache is usually associated with allergies, colds, or an infection. Migraines are commonly misdiagnosed as sinusitis.
How do you get rid of a sinus headache?
- Apply a warm compress to painful areas of the face.
- Use a decongestant to reduce sinus swelling and allow mucus to drain.
- Try a saline nasal spray or drops to thin mucus.
- Use a vaporizer or inhale steam from a pan of boiled water. Warm, moist air may help relieve sinus congestion.
Where is a sinus headache located?
Sinus headache is a common term used by patients and some healthcare providers to describe pain or pressure in the face, over the cheeks or forehead, or between or behind the eyes (where the sinuses are located). Sinus headache, however, is not a medical diagnosis, but rather a description of symptoms of headaches.
What is the best over the counter medicine to take for a sinus headache?
You can: Try a pain reliever such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to relieve facial pain and headache. Use a nasal spray, gel, or drops to help a stuffy nose. There's a decongestant kind (such as Afrin, Dristan, or Neo-Synephrine) and a steroid spray kind (such as Nasacort).
Why am I getting sinus headaches everyday?
Sinus headaches are most often a symptom of sinusitis, in which the sinus becomes inflamed from allergies or other triggers like an infection. Sinus headaches may also result from seasonal allergies that last an extended period of time. This is called rhinitis, or hay fever.
What gets rid of sinus pressure?
- Use a humidifier or vaporizer.
- Take long showers or breathe in steam from a pot of warm (but not too hot) water.
- Drink lots of fluids. ...
- Use a nasal saline spray. ...
- Try a Neti pot, nasal irrigator, or bulb syringe. ...
- Place a warm, wet towel on your face. ...
- Prop yourself up. ...
- Avoid chlorinated pools.
What home remedy is good for a sinus headache?
- Flush. Use a Neti pot, a therapy that uses a salt and water solution, to flush your nasal passages. ...
- Spray. ...
- Hydrate. ...
- Rest. ...
- Steam. ...
- Spice. ...
- Add humidity. ...
- OTC medication.
What can you do for a sinus headache that won't go away?
- OTC pain medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen.
- OTC antihistamines, decongestants, or saline sprays.
- Taking a hot bath or shower.
- Using a humidifier.
Why am I waking up with a sinus headache?
Sinus headaches caused by inflamed sinuses often start in the morning and clear up on their own by the afternoon. These sometimes occur when there are drastic changes in temperature such as when the seasons shift. They frequently occur in the morning because while you're sleeping mucus collects and drains .
Does drinking water help clear sinuses?
Drinking extra fluids helps thin your mucus . This lets it drain from your sinuses more easily. Have a glass of water every hour or two. A humidifier helps in much the same way.
What are the pressure points to relieve a sinus headache?
- Use a mirror to help you find the points on your face.
- Apply firm but gentle pressure on the points for at least 3 minutes each. You can use your fingers, thumbs, or a thin, blunt object, like the eraser tip of a pencil.
- Repeat throughout the day for several days.
Can sinusitis affect one side only?
Most often, the pain or pressure is just on one side of the face . Swelling around just one eye. Other common symptoms are a stuffy or blocked nose or nasal discharge.
Can sinus cause back head pain?
Sinus headache typically occurs in the area of the sinuses (see Figure 1)—in the area of the cheeks (maxillary sinus), bridge of the nose (ethmoid sinus), or above the eyes (frontal sinus). Less often it may refer pain to the top or back of the head (sphenoid sinus—see Figure 2 ).
What is the drug of choice for sinusitis?
The antibiotics of choice include agents that cover organisms causing acute sinusitis but also cover Staphylococcus species and anaerobes. These include amoxicillin-clavulanate , cefpodoxime proxetil, cefuroxime, gatifloxacin, moxifloxacin, and levofloxacin.
