What Is a Sinus Headache?

This article explores the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of sinus headaches, and distinguishes between sinus headaches and migraines.

January 17, 2025 · 7 min · 1394 words · Lisa Allen

Table of Contents

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is a Sinus Headache?Sinus Headache vs. Migraine HeadacheSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment

Table of ContentsView All

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Table of Contents

What Is a Sinus Headache?

Sinus Headache vs. Migraine Headache

Symptoms

Causes

Diagnosis

Treatment

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The sinuses are a group of four interconnected cavities in the skull. Since they are located around the nose, they are also known asparanasalcavities.These cavities produce a thin mucus that traps harmful particles like dust, germs, and pollutants. This fluid is typically drained out through the nose, keeping the nose clean and germ-free.

The sinuses are normally clear and filled with air, but they can sometimes become irritated, inflamed, and infected. Known assinusitis,this can happen if the sinuses can’t drain properly and become blocked, which can provide an opportunity for infectious germs to grow there.

Allergies, viral infections, and in extremely rare cases, bacterial infections can cause congestion and swelling in the sinuses, saysChristopher Gottschalk, MD, a headache specialist at Yale Medicine and professor of neurology at Yale School of Medicine.

Sinusitis can sometimes causeheadaches, known as sinus headaches.These headaches are classified as a secondary type of headache, because they are a symptom of another condition (sinusitis), rather than being an independent health condition, such as amigraine.

This article explores the causes, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of sinus headaches, and distinguishes between sinus headaches and migraines.

Sinus Headaches Are RareIt’s important to note that sinus headaches are in fact extremely rare; most people who have sinus headaches actually have migraine headaches, says Dr. Gottschalk.

Sinus Headaches Are Rare

It’s important to note that sinus headaches are in fact extremely rare; most people who have sinus headaches actually have migraine headaches, says Dr. Gottschalk.

In fact, the American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation notes that over 80% of people who have self-diagnosed themselves or received a formal diagnosis of sinus headache actually have a migraine headache ortension headache; only around 3% to 5% of people diagnosed with sinus headaches actually have sinus headaches.

This happens because some of the symptoms of migraine headaches are very similar to the symptoms of sinus headaches.Migraine headaches can trigger theparasympathetic nervesthat control the mucosa in the sinuses, resulting in symptoms such as congestion, runny nose, redness or swelling around the eyes, and pressure in the sinus area, says Dr. Gottschalk.

Even patients with migraines think there is a difference between their severe, throbbing, nauseating attacks, which they believe aremigraines, and the milder ones with stuffiness and aching pressure above or behind the eyes, which they believe are sinus headaches, says Dr. Gottschalk. He explains that these are in fact two versions of the same thing: severe vs. mild migraines.

How to Differentiate Between a Sinus Headache and a Migraine

Symptoms of Sinus Headaches

These are some of the symptoms of sinus headaches:

Symptoms of a sinus headache typically start around the same time as the sinus infection, or right after. They get better or worse in parallel with your sinusitis.

Causes of Sinus Headaches

These are some of the causes of sinusitis:

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Diagnosing Sinus Headaches

If you think you might have a sinus headache, you should make an appointment with an otolaryngologist, also known as an ear, nose, and throat (ENT) specialist, or contact your primary care physician.

The diagnostic process may involve:

Provisional Diagnosis vs. Differential Diagnosis

Migraine Misdiagnosis

It’s important to note that migraine headaches are often misdiagnosed as sinus headaches.“Any time a practitioner or patient thinks it’s a sinus headache, chances are that it’s actually a migraine. Physicians need to familiarize themselves with these concepts to improve the diagnosis and treatment of migraines,” says Dr. Gottschalk.

Migraine medication can in fact be used as a diagnostic tool, in addition to being a mode of treatment, according to a 2021 study.If taking migraine medication offers relief from the headache in a matter of hours, it was probably a migraine rather than a sinus headache, says Dr. Gottschalk.

However, there may be a misdiagnosis if clinicians use antibiotic medication to treat sinus headaches, explains Dr. Gottschalk. “If the symptoms get better on their own in a few days, the patient and the clinician think, ‘Aha! We got it right!’ and then continue to treat future attacks the same way.”

Dr. Gottschalk explains that this can be problematic not only because you have to contend with the headache for a few days instead of a few hours, but also because it leads to theunnecessary useof antibiotics, which increases the risk of drug-resistant bacteria.

Treating Sinus Headaches

Treating sinus headaches generally involves treating the underlying sinusitis that’s causing it.

Your healthcare provider may prescribe the following medications for symptom relief:

It can be helpful to apply a warm compress to your face, and to inhale steam from a vaporizer or a pan of boiled water for relief. If the headache is on one side of your head, sleep on your other side, to avoid putting pressure on it.

A Word From Verywell

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13 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Sinus Infection (Sinusitis).Cleveland Clinic.Sinus headaches.International Headache Society.Headache attributed to acute rhinosinusitis.Cleveland Clinic.Cluster headaches.American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.Sinus headaches.Levine H, Setzen M, Holy C.Why the confusion about sinus headache?Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2014;47(2):169-174. doi:10.1016/j.otc.2013.11.003American Migraine Foundation.Sinus headaches.Harvard Medical School.Sinus headache or sign-us up for a migraine consultation.Harvard Health Publishing.Mount Sinai.Sinus headache.Maurya A, Qureshi S, Jadia S, Maurya M.“Sinus headache”: diagnosis and dilemma? An analytical and prospective study.Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;71(3):367-370. doi:10.1007/s12070-019-01603-3Robblee J, Secora KA.Debunking myths: sinus headache.Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2021;21(8):42. doi:10.1007/s11910-021-01127-wCleveland Clinic.Common cold.Boston Medical Center.Sinus headaches.Additional ReadingCleveland Clinic.Sinus infection (sinusitis).Harvard Medical School.Sinusitis.Harvard Health Publishing.Nemours Foundation.Sinusitis.

13 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Cleveland Clinic.Sinus Infection (Sinusitis).Cleveland Clinic.Sinus headaches.International Headache Society.Headache attributed to acute rhinosinusitis.Cleveland Clinic.Cluster headaches.American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.Sinus headaches.Levine H, Setzen M, Holy C.Why the confusion about sinus headache?Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2014;47(2):169-174. doi:10.1016/j.otc.2013.11.003American Migraine Foundation.Sinus headaches.Harvard Medical School.Sinus headache or sign-us up for a migraine consultation.Harvard Health Publishing.Mount Sinai.Sinus headache.Maurya A, Qureshi S, Jadia S, Maurya M.“Sinus headache”: diagnosis and dilemma? An analytical and prospective study.Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;71(3):367-370. doi:10.1007/s12070-019-01603-3Robblee J, Secora KA.Debunking myths: sinus headache.Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2021;21(8):42. doi:10.1007/s11910-021-01127-wCleveland Clinic.Common cold.Boston Medical Center.Sinus headaches.Additional ReadingCleveland Clinic.Sinus infection (sinusitis).Harvard Medical School.Sinusitis.Harvard Health Publishing.Nemours Foundation.Sinusitis.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Cleveland Clinic.Sinus Infection (Sinusitis).Cleveland Clinic.Sinus headaches.International Headache Society.Headache attributed to acute rhinosinusitis.Cleveland Clinic.Cluster headaches.American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.Sinus headaches.Levine H, Setzen M, Holy C.Why the confusion about sinus headache?Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2014;47(2):169-174. doi:10.1016/j.otc.2013.11.003American Migraine Foundation.Sinus headaches.Harvard Medical School.Sinus headache or sign-us up for a migraine consultation.Harvard Health Publishing.Mount Sinai.Sinus headache.Maurya A, Qureshi S, Jadia S, Maurya M.“Sinus headache”: diagnosis and dilemma? An analytical and prospective study.Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;71(3):367-370. doi:10.1007/s12070-019-01603-3Robblee J, Secora KA.Debunking myths: sinus headache.Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2021;21(8):42. doi:10.1007/s11910-021-01127-wCleveland Clinic.Common cold.Boston Medical Center.Sinus headaches.

Cleveland Clinic.Sinus Infection (Sinusitis).

Cleveland Clinic.Sinus headaches.

International Headache Society.Headache attributed to acute rhinosinusitis.

Cleveland Clinic.Cluster headaches.

American Academy of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery Foundation.Sinus headaches.

Levine H, Setzen M, Holy C.Why the confusion about sinus headache?Otolaryngol Clin North Am. 2014;47(2):169-174. doi:10.1016/j.otc.2013.11.003

American Migraine Foundation.Sinus headaches.

Harvard Medical School.Sinus headache or sign-us up for a migraine consultation.Harvard Health Publishing.

Mount Sinai.Sinus headache.

Maurya A, Qureshi S, Jadia S, Maurya M.“Sinus headache”: diagnosis and dilemma? An analytical and prospective study.Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019;71(3):367-370. doi:10.1007/s12070-019-01603-3

Robblee J, Secora KA.Debunking myths: sinus headache.Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep. 2021;21(8):42. doi:10.1007/s11910-021-01127-w

Cleveland Clinic.Common cold.

Boston Medical Center.Sinus headaches.

Cleveland Clinic.Sinus infection (sinusitis).Harvard Medical School.Sinusitis.Harvard Health Publishing.Nemours Foundation.Sinusitis.

Cleveland Clinic.Sinus infection (sinusitis).

Harvard Medical School.Sinusitis.Harvard Health Publishing.

Nemours Foundation.Sinusitis.

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