West LA Times

• 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. Matt Hershcovitch and his team at SoCal Breathe Free can help to figure out if your headaches are a problem arising from sinus issues.

Sinus issues and headaches go hand-in-hand, according to Dr. Matt Hershcovitch of SoCal Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers. And sinus problems potentially could be at the root of a patient's chronic headaches, so it's important to seek treatment from a sinus specialist if you might be struggling with that issue.

"Sinus headaches are essentially caused from a buildup of inflammation and pressure within the sinus cavities themselves, and this is because the openings are extremely narrow, so you have structural deficits causing things to build up in the sinuses,” Hershcovitch told West LA Times. “In addition to the narrow openings, you have a lot of inflammation in and around the sinus cavity, causing them to stay shut.”

Hershcovitch added that bacteria can build up in the sinuses, and they often secrete gases that increase the pressure within the closed cavity, which creates a significant, painful headache.

“I also want to stress that it gets worse than that; sinus pain headaches and pressure can trigger migraines,” Hershcovitch said. “Migraines, as people know, have multiple triggers -- sometimes food, sometimes stress, sometimes medication, etc. -- but sinus problems are also a big trigger of migraines.”

While it is not something that Hershcovitch promises every patient, he said that many migraine sufferers who have chronic sinusitis frequently see significant improvements in their migraines when their sinus problems are dealt with.

“Their migraines become less frequent and less severe, and this all makes sense if you take away one of the major triggers to migraines,” he said. “So a lot of people who just thought they had migraines are actually having sinus problems that have been triggering it all along."

According to WebMD, headaches could be caused by inflammation of the sinuses, which are spaces situated in the forehead, cheek and behind the bridge of the nose. The sinuses swell when inflamed and produce additional mucus, which can block the pathways that drain the fluids. The pressure in the sinuses can create a pain similar to a headache.

Mayo Clinic said that if headache pain becomes more severe when you lay down or bend over, it could be a sign of sinusitis or migraines. Other symptoms that can set the two apart include nausea or vomiting and sensitivity to bright light or noise, both of which are symptoms of migraines, not sinusitis. It is important to find out what sort of headache you are suffering from in order to determine an appropriate treatment plan.

While a headache can prove to be an inconvenience, Hershcovitch and his team can determine whether it is the result of sinus issues and provide an appropriate treatment plan.

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