Sinusitis FAQ

migraine / sinus physicians in Los Angeles

Question:

 …and the nose bone’s connected to the jaw bone, and the jaw bone’s connected to the migraine bone… that’s why my whole head goes on the fritz when … snip ….

Hell yes, with a bad one, even my HAIR hurts

Response:

Jack:  I will also agree that sinus pain can be a symptom of migraine head ache. The only pain I get now is in my sinus’ but I am definately having a migraine because the nausea and vomitting are unrelenting and out of proportion to the actual pain I am feeling.  I come from a family of migraine sufferers and have had them regularly since I was in my teens (almost thirty years now)  I treat with a daily dose of sunlight and on cloudy days I sit in front of my lightbox.  We do what works! One year migraine free so far.  Holly

Response:

P.S. to the last message. I wish that there is a medicine that would help when someone can’t tell if it is a sinus or a migraine or a combination of both headaches would take care of the sinus/ migrane pain at the same time. Barbara booth

Response:

Speaking of sinus/migraine headaches being related. I asked my allergist a couple of month ago if a sinus headache is related to a migraine and she said that sinus headaches if severe enough can lead to a migraine. I have chronic sinusitis and I get sinus headaches all the time and I keep thinking that the pain is bad enough to be a migraine and I take zomig for the headache pain and it does the trick for making the headache go away. Barbara Booth

I get pain in sinus areas but do not have other sinus symptoms. My glands also swell in neck etc. and are quite noticeable to hubby. Dr. Robbins has mentioned  in his books that what people think are sinus headaches are often migraines. Teri has an article too. http://headaches.about.com/library/weekly/aa051501a.htm At the Annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology (May 9, 2001), the findings of a study conducted by  The Headache Care Center in Springfield, Missouri were presented.* A startling 97% of the participants, self-described sinus headache sufferers, actually had symptoms consistent with migraine attacks as defined by the criteria of the International Headache Society. http://www.sinuspharmacy.com/newsletter41.html One possible explanation for the confusion between migraine and sinus headache relates to the mechanism of migraine. The same nerves that carry migraine pain also go to the sinus area. Pain in the sinuses, face or around the eyes can be felt during a migraine on one or both sides of the head. Also, the nerves that cause stuffy or runny nose and watery eyes can be activated during a migraine. Here are some other articles: http://www.docguide.com/dg.nsf/PrintPrint/4B27453C7596E94085256BE3005… http://www.neurologyreviews.com/jul01/nr_jul01_headache.html http://www.achenet.org/newsletter/summer2002/sinusHeadache.html http://www.mhni.com/fall%202001.pdf http://www.asimcme.com/htmlfiles/articles/volume1/number6/234-236.pdf http://www.xpresssites.com/lee/madison/XpSpecialSections/ourtime/stor… http://home.att.net/~jhonni/news527.html http://www.headachepainfree.com/sinus_headache_or_migraine.htm http://www.kmov.com/health/health_stories/kmov_health_020208_migraine… http://abcnews.go.com/sections/living/DailyNews/sinus_migraine020624…. http://www.docguide.com/dg.nsf/PrintPrint/F80EED4FC717E24A85256A48004… kadee

Response:

<snip  The same nerves that carry migraine pain also go to the sinus area. Pain in the sinuses, face or around the eyes can be felt during a migraine on one or both sides of the head. Also, the nerves that cause stuffy or runny nose and watery eyes can be activated during a migraine.

…and the nose bone’s connected to the jaw bone, and the jaw bone’s connected to the migraine bone… that’s why my whole head goes on the fritz when ONE of the above gets out of whack. If I get a migraine, my sinuses ache, my eye sockets ache, as do my upper teeth roots , my jaw aches… it’s all connected. That points up why a person being newly diagnosed for migraine also needs to have their sinuses checked, as well as their teeth and jaws. They should have a sleep study done to rule out teeth clenching, sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, and any other disturbances to sleep. AND get their vision checked. And if the tests warrant it, get themselves an NTI, a CPAP machine, sinus and/or throat surgery, corrective dentistry, and/or new lenses/glasses. Believe me, I’ve been through ALL of this.  I got to this ripe age before anyone discovered my septum was so deviated that I was scarcely breathing through my left nostril!! Had someone not told me to get these things checked, they would still seem like subtle nuisances, instead of the MAJOR contributors to head pain that they are. Ginnie

Response:

Has anyone here from LA consulted a doctor specializing in migraines, as part of your sinus therapy?  i am hoping to find a phsyician knowledgeable about sinusitis and weather-related sinus inflammation. john

Response:

John, sinus aches and migraines are not related AFAIK. I would see a reputable ENT. Jack – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Has anyone here from LA consulted a doctor specializing in migraines, as part of your sinus therapy?  i am hoping to find a phsyician knowledgeable about sinusitis and weather-related sinus inflammation. john

Response:

John, sinus aches and migraines are not related AFAIK. I would see a reputable ENT.

June 18, 2002   New research presented at the 44th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Headache Society shows  sinus -related symptoms, such as severe  sinus  pressure and nasal congestion, may actually be caused by  migraine,  an underdiagnosed and debilitating neurobiological condition.  The study reveals 90 percent of patients who have self-diagnosed and even some with a physician diagnosis of  sinus  headache — actually met the requirements for a  migraine  diagnosis.

Response:

Speaking of sinus/migraine headaches being related. I asked my allergist a couple of month ago if a sinus headache is related to a migraine and she said that sinus headaches if severe enough can lead to a migraine. I have chronic sinusitis and I get sinus headaches all the time and I keep thinking that the pain is bad enough to be a migraine and I take zomig for the headache pain and it does the trick for making the headache go away. Barbara Booth

Response:

Filed under: Chronic sinusitis

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