Headache with sinusitis

Headache is the most frequent complaint with which patients seek medical attention. In some situations, to find out the cause of abnormal just sensations, and sometimes almost impossible. As you know, all kinds of headache can be divided into primary, when the cause is absent (

What is sinusitis and why it occurs

Sinusitis, or maxillary sinusitis is inflammation of the maxillary sinus, which represents one of the paranasal sinuses (sinuses). There are 4 pairs of paranasal sinuses:

• 2 maxillary or maxillary, inflammation called sinusitis or maxillary sinusitis;
• 2 frontal or frontal, the inflammation is called sinusitis or frontal sinusitis;
• 2 lattice or ethmoidal, inflammation called etmoidit;
• 2 wedge-shaped or sphenoidale, inflammation called steroidit.

In practice often have to deal with inflammation of the frontal and maxillary sinuses, because these two localization are often combined under the term sinusitis.

All paranasal sinuses are not closed, and through holes and narrow channels they connect with the nasal cavity.

The function of the sinuses is very important:

• part of the respiratory tract, carry out the warming and air purification due to slow his movements in the axils;
• take part in sense of smell;
• a protective role due to the antibacterial abilities of the mucosa, neutralize pathogens in the inhaled air;
• participate in the formation of the human voice;
• act as a buffer for injuries.

The immediate cause of inflammation of the mucous membrane of the paranasal sinus are pathogenic microorganisms (viruses and bacteria) that can get them in the cavity in different ways. For example, often sinusitis is a complication of dental procedures on large root teeth (as their roots reach the depth of the maxillary sinus). But sinusitis often develops on the background of acute respiratory tract infections (viral or bacterial). Most often sinusitis develops as a complication of rhinitis (common cold).

But not all people with a runny nose appears acute or chronic sinusitis. To develop the disease, need special conditions or triggering factors:

• anatomical structural abnormalities of the structure of the paranasal sinuses, for example, a narrow anastomosis or post-traumatic deformity that aggravates the outflow of inflammatory fluid from the sinuses and promotes suppuration;
• foci of chronic infection (carious teeth, nasal polyps, adenoids, chronic tonsillitis, pharyngitis, rhinitis, etc.);
• allergicrhinitis;
• work in bad conditions (too dry, warm or cold air, dusty room, etc.);
• inadequate treatment of catarrhal diseases;
• banal inability to properly blow my nose.

All this leads to the fact that the mucous membrane of the sinuses becomes inflamed, producing a large amount of fluid that needs to flow away into the nasal cavity using a special fistula. But often these channels overlap swollen mucous membrane, a thick secret anatomical structures, the contents can not come out and festered. Develops purulent sinusitis, which can become chronic or complicated.

Why develop a headache when sinusitis

Headache in sinusitis is found in almost all cases of acute and chronic sinusitis. It is due to 2 mechanisms:

• intoxication that accompanies all cases of acute respiratory disease, and is caused by contact with the blood of metabolic products of pathogenic microorganisms, their penetration into the brain across the blood-brain barrier;
• increased pressure in the paranasal sinuses that are associated with the accumulation of mucus or pus in the sinuses.

In the first case

Other symptoms of sinusitis

Among other symptoms of sinusitis are:

• nasal congestion;
• difficult nasal breathing;
• mucous and purulent discharge from the nose;
• reduced sense of smell;
• the twang of a voice;
• pain when you press your fingers on the projection point on the face of the paranasal sinuses;
• violation of the General condition fever, pain in muscles and joints, lack of appetite, General weakness.

Please note! The above signs are more typical for acute sinusitis and chronic process often occurs only one resistant chronic rather intense headache. Person for years does not treat an existing migraine, or other types of primary cephalgia instead of once to treat sinusitis and get rid of the painful symptoms.

How to distinguish migraine from sinus

Migraine and cephalalgia in the sinus are very similar, especially when the inflammation of the sinuses and unilateral headache is felt only in one side of the head. Moreover, there are 2 incorrect choices: when patients with sinusitis treated for migraine and Vice versa.

Headache of a migraine worse from any movement, even the most minimal, and in the sinus only when the head tilts down. Migraine pain is throbbing and unilateral, starts in the back of my head and radiates to the eye socket, and relieve sinusitis pain are born in the area inflamed sinuses and give deep head. Also migraine the pain is accompanied bynausea, vomiting, increased sensitivity to external stimuli, which is not observed in the sinusitis. Migraine can be traced back to use of the products of provocateurs, alcoholic beverages, menstruation in women, it lasts from a few to 72 hours, while sinus headache is not dependent on food appears in the second half of the day.

Thus, you need to be as attentive to your body and all the details to describe to the doctor, because this will depend on the correctness of treatment and the effect of it or its full absence.

How to diagnose

In the case of a typical clinical picture the diagnosis of sinusitis is not complicated, difficulties arise in the case of chronic, when symptoms present only a headache.

It is imperative to clarify if the patient has frequent colds, pay attention to the presence of chronic foci of infection of ENT organs. This necessarily appoint a consultation and examination by the otolaryngologist.

Appoint radiography of the paranasal sinuses, where you can often find a buildup of fluid in the cavity of one of the sinuses or a few of them. In some cases, resort to CT scan or

Methods of treatment of headaches associated with sinusitis

The first thing to remember is a special treat headaches caused by inflammation of the sinuses okolonosovyh not required. If to save the patient from sinusitis, cephalalgia will disappear forever.

Because such treatment is engaged in ENT doctor. Depending on the type, extent and stage of sinusitis treatment program may vary. As a rule, are appointed vasoconstrictor nasal drops, glucocorticoid sprays that eliminate edema of the mucosa and facilitate expectoration of sinus secretions and pus. Mandatory when purulent process is prescribed a course of antibiotics. Also the correction of the immune status of a person, sanitation of chronic foci of infection.

Video about reasons for headaches in the sinus

If conservative methods do not help, then resort to the puncture of the sinuses (rarely used today), endoscopic rehabilitation of the maxillary sinuses. Prescribe a course of physiotherapy.