East Ventura News

Sinus headaches can be a common medical condition, but it is important to know when to see a specialist if symptoms persist. 

"Sinusitis affects so many aspects of patients' lives, from chronic headaches to nasal blockage, and it really, really weighs down someone's quality of life," Dr. Jeffrey Feinfield, otolaryngologist and facial plastic surgeon at Bella Vista ENT, told East Ventura News. "We can actually relieve that pressure, relieve that pain and get their sinuses functioning again. When you do this, you then have a real happy patient. That is what I find so rewarding to be able to finally diagnose and fix a problem."

According to WebMD, its important to figure out what kind of headache you are having so that the correct course of action can be taken to relieve your pain.

"Sinus headache is really a non-specific term we use a lot," Feinfied said. "What is happening is there's inflammation in the nasal passage and the sinuses. Similar to when you fly in an airplane and your ear hurts. So when there's inflammation in your sinuses, it causes pressure, and that can give you tremendous headaches. The first thing we can do is relieve the inflammation. Sometimes we'll use steroids, sometimes we'll use antibiotics, and a balloon sinuplasty relieves the inflammation right there and then the sinus headaches go away."

Sinus headaches feel like your sinuses are infected and you might feel pressure around your eyes and forehead, according to the Mayo Clinic. If your headache gets worse when you bend over or lay down, that would be a sign of a sinus headache.

Sinus headaches can make it hard to enjoy everyday life. If you think a specialist could help, take this quiz.