South Louisiana News

• Chronic sinusitis affects 28.9 million American adults, or 11% of the adult population. 
• Symptoms of chronic sinusitis can include nasal inflammation, a runny nose, postnasal drainage, congestion, pain or swelling in the face, headaches, loss of smell and taste, a sore throat, bad breath, or fatigue. 
• Sinus headaches can cause facial pain, watery eyes, and post-nasal drip, similar to other kinds of headaches. 

Sinus headaches are a common symptom of sinusitis and can become quite debilitating. According to Dr. Adil Fatakia of ENT & Allergy of New Orleans, it is important to identify the root cause of a patient’s headaches. 

“Sinus headaches are a very general term for pressure pain located over the sinuses. They can come from a lot of different sources, including migraine or other neurologic problems, or they can come from inflammation within the pair or the nasal sinuses themselves,” Dr. Fatakia told the South Louisiana News. “I think the most important thing is to try to help determine the location of the pressure or pain and where it's coming from. I can't emphasize enough that the important thing to do is figure out where these headaches or facial pain are coming from so the underlying problem can be addressed instead of just continuing to put a Band-Aid on it with over-the-counter medicines.”

Sinuses are air-filled spaces inside your forehead, cheekbones, and behind the bridge of your nose. When they get inflamed, usually because of an allergic reaction or an infection, they swell and produce more mucus, and the channels that drain them can become blocked, according to WebMD. The build-up of pressure in your sinuses causes pain that feels like a headache. It is 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.

According to Healthline, headaches are common. Research estimates that 70 to 80 percent of people experience headaches, and about 50 percent experience them at least once a month. Allergies can be the source of some of those headaches, and allergies related to sinus disease can cause headaches as well.

If your headache gets worse when you bend over or lay down, that would be a sign of a sinus headache. Other symptoms include a deep and constant pain in your cheekbones, forehead, or the bridge of your nose, a stuffy nose, fatigue, and an achy feeling in the upper teeth. If headaches occur more than 15 days per month and OTC medicines are used frequently but help little, the Mayo Clinic recommends consulting a physician. 

For patients with sinus headaches, the goal is typically to relieve symptoms and treat any infections, according to WebMD. Antibiotics, antihistamines, or decongestants can be taken for a short time. Inhaled nasal decongestants can be taken, but only for up to three days. Longer use can worsen symptoms.

According to ENT and Allergy of New Orleans' website, Dr. Adil Fatakia received his Bachelor of Science degree from Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. He later earned his medical degree at the Tulane University School of Medicine in New Orleans. Dr. Fatakia completed a five-year residency program in head and neck surgery at Tulane University, followed by a fellowship in sinus and skull base surgery at the Sinus and Nasal Institute of Florida in St. Petersburg.