A sinus headache is simply a headache that someone experiences due to an inflammation of the membranes within the sinuses. Yet according to the Mayo Clinic, not all headaches that occur while suffering from a cold, flu or sinus infection are actually sinus headaches. Many times, it is something entirely different that is causing a person to suffer a headache during an illness, making the identification of the symptoms fairly important.
Pain
The most obvious symptom of a sinus headache is the presence of pain. This pain may feel like a normal headache, running from mild to severe, and react to standard treatments for this type of condition, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen. However, it will usually be accompanied by other symptoms that are indicative of a sinus headache. This pain will typically feel worse, according to the Mayo Clinic, when the head is no longer held in an upright position, growing in intensity as a person lies down or bends over.
Pressure
Most of the time, this pain is also associated with some sort of pressure within a person's head. Sometimes, the pressure can be felt bearing down on the cheeks, as if the sinuses themselves are full, though it is actually the inflammation of the membranes that is causing the sensation. Other times this pressure is felt just above the eyes, radiating up into the forehead. This pressure may also be felt as a sense of fullness within the ears. And much like the pain itself, the pressure or fullness will range from subtle to intense.
Discharge
According to the Cleveland Clinic, for most people the pain and pressure associated with a sinus headache will also come with a certain amount of nasal discharge, or mucus. This mucus can be greenish to yellowish in hue or can contain hints of blood.
Other Symptoms
It isn't uncommon for a person with a sinus headache to also suffer from other symptoms often associated with an illness, like a fever, cough, sore throat and fatigue. This is especially the case when the sinus headache is caused by a cold or the flu. For some people, their sinus headache may be a result of allergies or a bacterial infection, so they may not display symptoms like a cough, sore throat or fatigue.
Absence of Symptoms
It is also beneficial to understand the symptoms that are lacking from the headache to better understand whether or not it is truly a sinus headache. Other headaches, such as migraines and tension headaches, will display other symptoms that are indicative of their specific conditions. With migraines, a person will usually experience a heightened sensitivity to sound and light, nausea and an isolated pain to one side of the head (but may also occur on both sides). With tension headaches, a person will not feel pain or pressure within just the forehead, cheeks and brow, but also running down the neck and into the shoulders. It may also even run up into the scalp. If any of these particular symptoms of either type of headache are felt, you may be suffering from something other than a sinus headache.
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