Abstract
Migraine may be responsible for many headaches thought to be caused by the sinuses. Patients complaining of “sinus headache” must have a complete ear, nose, and throat examination. Occasionally, chronic headaches may arise from the sinuses; a thorough history is important to search for symptoms of facial pain and pressure along with other nasal sinus symptoms.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References and Recommended Reading
Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society: Classification and Diagnostic Criteria for Headache Disorders, Cranial Neuralgias and Facial Pain. Cephalalgia 1998, 8:1–96.
Headache Classification Subcommittee of the International Headache Society: The International Classification of Headache Disorders: 2nd edition. Cephalalgia 2004, 24:9–160.
Benninger MS, Ferguson BJ, Hadley JA, et al.: Adult chronic rhinosinusitis: definitions, diagnosis, epidemiology, and pathophysiology. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2003, 129(Suppl 3):S1–32.
Report of the Rhinosinusitis Task Force Committee Meeting. Alexandria, Virginia, August 17, 1996. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1997, 117:S1–68.
Lanza DC, Kennedy DW: Adult rhinosinusitis defined. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1997, 117:S1–7.
McAuliffe GW, Goodell H, Wolff HG: Experimental studies on headache: pain from the nasal and paranasal structures. Res Publ Assoc Res Nerv Ment Dis 1943, 23:185–206.
Wolff HG: The nasal, paranasal and aural structures as sources of headache and other pain. In Wolff’s Headache and Other Head Pain. Edited by Dalessio DJ. New York: Oxford University Press; 1972:472–505.
Kennedy DW, Loury MC: Nasal and sinus pain: current diagnosis and treatment. Semin Neurol 1988, 8:303–314.
Lipton RB, Diamond S, Reed M, et al.: Migraine diagnosis and treatment: results from the American Migraine Study. Headache 2001, 41:638–645.
Cady RK, Schreiber CP: Sinus headache or migraine? Considerations in making a differential diagnosis. Neurology 2002, 58:S10–4.
Cady RK, Schreiber CP: Sinus headache: a clinical conundrum. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 2004, 37:267–288.
Mehle ME, Schreiber CP: Sinus headache, migraine, and the otolaryngologist. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2005, 133:489–496.
Michel P, Dartigues JF, Henry P, et al.: Validity of the International Headache Society criteria for migraine. Neuroepidemiology 1993, 12:51–57.
Merikangas KR, Dartigues JF, Whitaker A, Angst J: Diagnostic criteria for migraine. A validity study. Neurology 1994, 44(Suppl 4):S11–S16.
Rokicki LA, Semenchuk EM, Bruehl S, et al.: An examination of the validity of the IHS classification system for migraine and tension-type headache in the college student population. Headache 1999, 39:720–727.
Schreiber CP: The pathophysiology of migraine. Dis Mon 2006, 52:385–401.
Clerico DM: Sinus headaches reconsidered: referred cephalgia of rhinologic origin masquerading as refractory primary headaches. Headache 1995, 35:185–192.
Cady RK, Dodick D, Levine HL, et al.: Sinus headache: a neurology, otolaryngology, allergy, and primary care consensus on diagnosis and treatment. Mayo Clin Proc 2005, 80:908–916.
Levine HL, Clemente MP: Sinus Surgery: Endoscopic and Microscopic Approaches. New York: Thieme; 2005:132–140.
Perry BF, Login IS, Kountakis SE: Nonrhinologic headache in a tertiary rhinology practice. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2004, 130:449–452.
Jones NS: Sinogenic facial pain: diagnosis and management. Otolaryngol Clin North Am 2005, 38:1311–1325.
Moretz WH, Kountakis SE: Subjective headache before and after endoscopic sinus surgery. Am J Rhinol 2006, 20:305–307.
Greenfield H: Headaches associated with nasal and sinus disorders—fact or fiction: a diagnostic and therapeutic challenge [abstract]. Thirty-second Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Headache 1990, 30:22–24.
Schønsted-Madsen U, Stoksted P, Christensen PH, Koch-Henriksen N: Chronic headache related to nasal obstruction. J Laryngol Otol 1986, 100:165–170.
Low WK, Willatt DJ: Headaches associated with nasal obstruction due to deviated nasal septum. Headache 1995, 35:404–406.
Parsons DS, Batra PS: Functional endoscopic sinus surgical outcomes for contact point headaches. Laryngoscope 1998, 108:696–702.
Tosun F, Gerek M, Ozkaptan Y: Nasal surgery for contact point headaches. Headache 2000, 40:237–240.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Houser, S.M., Levine, H.L. Chronic daily headache: When to suspect sinus disease. Current Science Inc 12, 45–49 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-008-0009-2
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-008-0009-2