Sinus Headaches: Symptoms, Causes, Treatments and When to Seek Medical Care

Do you have throbbing pain in your face or head that doesn’t seem to be improving? You may have a sinus headache. What is known as a “sinus headache” is often a symptom of a sinus infection, also known as sinusitis. With sinus pressure and headache, you may experience pressure around the eyes, cheeks and forehead. These headaches often go away once a sinus infection runs its course, yet it’s important to learn when to see a doctor to help manage symptoms.

What are common symptoms of sinus infection?

• Achy feeling in upper teeth
• Congestion, causing difficulty breathing through your nose, and reduced sense of smell and taste
• Drainage down the back of the throat, also known as postnasal drainage
• Pain, pressure, fullness or tenderness, and swelling around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead
• Pain when leaning forward or bending over
• Thick, discolored nasal discharge or mucus

Less common symptoms include:

• Bad breath
• Cough or frequent throat clearing
• Ear pain or pressure
• Fatigue
• Nasal or throat irritation
• Voice hoarseness

Sinus headaches vs. migraines – What’s causing the pain?

Studies show that 90% of people with sinus headache symptoms are experiencing migraine headaches. So is your head pain from sinusitis or a migraine? Migraines and headaches from sinusitis are easy to confuse because the signs and symptoms of the two types of headaches may overlap.

Yet there are differences. For example, headaches triggered by sinusitis usually aren't associated with nausea or vomiting or aggravated by noise or bright light, which are all common features of migraines. Instead, they tend to occur after a viral upper respiratory infection or cold and include thick, discolored nasal mucus, decreased sense of smell, and pain in one cheek or upper teeth.

Migraine headaches affect people differently, and symptoms can change over time. However, migraines most commonly last hours to a day or two, while headaches due to sinus conditions often last several days or longer.

Causes of sinus infections or sinusitis

Healthy sinuses allow mucus to drain and air to circulate throughout the nasal passages. These cavities play an important role in warming and moistening the air you breathe.

Sinus infections happen when fluid builds up in the air-filled pockets in the face (sinuses) around your eyes and on either side of your nose. Fluid buildup in the sinus cavities allows germs to grow. The most common cause of sinusitis is a viral infection, but both bacteria and fungi can be the culprits that create the common symptoms of pressure and pain.

Sinusitis risk factors

• A previous cold
• A weak immune system or taking drugs that weaken the immune system
• Seasonal allergies
• Smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke
• Structural problems within the sinuses, such as nasal polyps or growths on the lining of the nose or sinuses

Medications to treat sinus headaches

Treating sinus headaches most often involves reducing inflammation and congestion in the sinuses. Here are the most common medicines used for treatment:

• Antibiotics might be prescribed if a bacterial infection is present, although many sinus infections improve without antibiotic treatment.
• Antihistamines block the action of histamine, a substance released during allergic reactions that causes mucus production and swelling in the mucosal lining of the sinuses. They are particularly effective if the sinus headache is triggered by allergies.
• Decongestants can relieve nasal congestion and improve sinus drainage by reducing swelling of blood vessels in your nose.
• Nasal steroid sprays reduce the swelling of nasal membranes and are particularly useful for people with allergies. Nasal steroid sprays may take up to one week to start working, with maximal effects two to three weeks later. They are designed for long-term use.
• Pain relievers, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), and naproxen (Aleve) can alleviate sinus pain.

Home care to relieve and prevent sinus headaches

These steps can help restore proper drainage of the sinus cavities:

• A neti pot or another sinus rinsing system may provide relief. Always use distilled, purified, or boiled water that is allowed to cool.
• Apply a warm compress to your face.
• Drink plenty of water to keep mucus thin and loose.
• Elevate your head while sleeping. If the pain is on one side, sleep on the pain-free side.
• Inhale steam in a hot shower, or boil water and inhale the steam from a pot. Even steam inhaled from hot tea or chicken soup can help. Aim to inhale steam three to four times a day.

• Use saline nasal sprays to loosen mucus and rinse the sinuses. They add moisture to the nasal passages, thin mucus secretions, and flush out inflamed cells and germs.

Because most sinus headaches are caused by viral infections, do your best to avoid these germs by washing your hands properly and keeping your distance from people who are ill. If you catch a cold, blow your nose gently without pinching it tightly to avoid forcing germs up into your sinuses.

When to seek medical care for sinus headaches

Consult a doctor if:

• You have a severe headache and pain medicine available without a prescription doesn't help.
• The pain from your headache is interfering with your daily life.
• You miss school or work frequently due to headaches.
• Your headache symptoms occur more than 15 days a month or require frequent pain medicine available without a prescription.

Speak to your doctor about treatment for nasal polyps or a deviated nasal septum if you have either of these conditions.

Where to get immediate care for your sinus headache

Before encountering medical problems, learn where you can get help fast. Make a list of the emergency and urgent care offices near you and save them in your phone. For life-threatening medical emergencies, call 911 immediately or go to the emergency room.

At UF Health Emergency & Urgent Care Centers, our primary goal is to provide the residents of Northeast Florida and Southeast Georgia with exceptional service, while ensuring they are charged only for the level of care they need. Our combined emergency room and urgent care is fully equipped to handle everything from allergies to fractures to chest pain, with on-site labs, CT, ultrasound, and X-ray, all under one roof. The ER and urgent care centers are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
No appointment is necessary — just walk in when you need care!

Find the UF Health Emergency & Urgent Care Center in Jacksonville nearest you.