Sinus headache: a clinical conundrum

The concept of sinus disease as a common cause of headache is deeply ingrained in the American public, but there is little evidence to support the sinuses as a common cause of disabling headache. On the other hand, a body of evidence supports the concept that migraine can present with facial pain an...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published inOtolaryngologic clinics of North America Vol. 37; no. 2; p. 267
Main Authors Cady, Roger K, Schreiber, Curtis P
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.04.2004
Subjects
Headache - diagnosis
Headache - epidemiology
Humans
Prevalence
Sinusitis - diagnosis
Sinusitis - epidemiology
Sinusitis - physiopathology
Online AccessGet more information

Cover

More Information
Summary:The concept of sinus disease as a common cause of headache is deeply ingrained in the American public, but there is little evidence to support the sinuses as a common cause of disabling headache. On the other hand, a body of evidence supports the concept that migraine can present with facial pain and nasal symptoms such as congestion and rhinorrhea. In clinical studies nearly 90% of participants with self-diagnosed or physician-diagnosed sinus headache met criteria for IHS migraine-type headache and responded to triptan interventions in a manner similar to that witnessed in migraine. Consequently it is likely that most individuals seeking medical attention for sinus headache are, in fact, experiencing migraine. Nasal pathologic conditions, however, can also cause sinus headache. In general. other symptoms in addition to headache are also present, but there is clear symptom overlap among migraine, rhinosinusitis, and other nasal passage/sinus pathologic conditions, and further research is needed.
ISSN:0030-6665
DOI:10.1016/S0030-6665(03)00181-6