Williamsburg Sun

• If you're dealing with chronic headaches, it may be a result of inflamed sinuses.
• It's important to figure out what type of headaches you are dealing with so you can get the correct treatment.
• Dr. John Ditto and his team at Richmond Breathe Free can help to figure out if your headaches are a problem arising from sinus issues.

Is it a migraine or is it sinusitis? Doctors at Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers say it is important to find out what’s causing the headache so an effective treatment plan can be developed to relieve the pain.

“A sinus headache is where you have pain in the distribution of your sinuses,” Ditto told the Williamsburg Sun. "Your sinuses are in your forehead, in and behind your cheeks, next to your eyes, and you have a sinus where the nose meets the back of the throat. It's called the sphenoid sinus. You can get infections, or obstruction of those sinuses, and they can cause pain. So it's that sinus lining causing the opening to obstruct, and then it is full of pus and can't drain; that pressure then causes sinus pain. That's the infectious and inflammatory part from sinus pain."

Migraines and headaches from sinusitis can be easily confused because the symptoms of the two types of headaches may overlap. According to Mayo Clinic, both migraine and sinusitis headache pain often get worse when bending forward. Migraines can simulate sinusitis by displaying various nasal symptoms — including congestion, facial pressure and a clear, watery nasal discharge. Various studies have shown that most people who see a health care provider for sinus headaches are found to be suffering migraines instead.

The major difference between the two is that sinusitis usually isn't associated with nausea or vomiting and isn't aggravated by noise or bright light. Those, however, are common symptoms of migraines.

According to Mayo Clinic, sinusitis usually occurs after a viral upper respiratory infection or cold and can trigger thick, discolored nasal mucus, a decreased sense of smell, a runny nose, a feeling of fullness in the ears and pain in one cheek or upper teeth. The pain usually becomes more severe when you move your head suddenly or strain.

According to WebMD, sinus headaches can include a fever and often last for days or longer. Migraines normally last a few hours or a day, possibly two.

Headaches can be a nuisance, but a doctor can tell if the sinuses are blocked based on the symptoms described and a physical exam. In some cases, a CT or MRI might be needed. Ditto and his team at Richmond Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers can help diagnose if the discomfort is being caused by a sinus issue and assist with a treatment program. Specially trained in the diagnosis and treatment of allergies, Ditto understands the complicated systems of the head and neck.

The treatment could include a combination of antibiotics, antihistamines or decongestants.

To learn more about the symptoms of sinusitis and allergies, take this Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.