Sinus Headache – Alabama Nasal & Sinus Center

Sinusitis and Headaches

What is the most common symptom of a “sinus infection”?  If you are like most people, you most likely think of sinus headache as a primary problem with sinus infection.  Both sinusitis and headaches are very common problems.  Because the sinuses are located in the front of the head, where most headaches occur, there is bound to be a lot of overlap between these two diagnoses.

Let’s begin with a headache that is related to sinus disease.  This occurs in the setting of a case of acute rhinosinusitis (ARS).  ARS is defined as sinusitis symptoms and physical findings lasting less than four weeks.  In the setting of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis, there is purulent drainage, which is comprised of large numbers of inflammatory cells responding to the presence of high bacterial counts in static mucus in the paranasal sinuses.  This inflammatory process triggers vasodilation and irritation of nerves that lie just beneath the surface of the lining of the sinuses and nasal cavity.  These processes trigger the pain response that we call sinus headache. 

The difficulty in diagnosis comes when someone has “sinus headache”, or headache located in the face area, without other symptoms of nasal or sinus disease, such as nasal obstruction or discolored discharge.  Often, these patients have some other cause of headache, such as migraine headache.  This is especially true of patients who are having recurring bouts of “sinus” which are essentially unresponsive to antibiotics.  In many cases, a trial of a migraine headache medicine will completely eliminate the patient’s symptoms. 

Confusion about sinusitis and headaches is common and understandable.  These conditions require a thorough medical history and head and neck physical exam.  In addition, you may need nasal endoscopy, sinus CT or both to confirm your diagnosis.  Consultation with you ENT physician can help differentiate whether you need treatment for sinusitis or headache.  Call 205-980-2091 today to make an appointment

I am a general otolaryngologist who specializes in diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting the ears, nose, and throat. Though I treat patients in all areas of otolaryngology, of all ages, I have special interests in rhinology, otolaryngic allergy, pediatric otolaryngology, and head and neck cancer.

I was born in Dothan, Alabama and spent my first two years in Troy, where my parents were completing school. Most of my early childhood and adolescence was spent in Pace, Florida, just East of Pensacola. I left home after graduating from Pace High School to attend the University of Florida. While there, I became very involved in various student leadership activities and even found time to play football for the Gators under Coach Spurrier. I loved college so much, I got two degrees and spent another two years in Gainesville while my new bride finished her degree in health science education. I am proudly married to the charming and beautiful Simone, mother of our three wonderful children.

I was pleased to get back to the Gulf Coast for a while when the University of South Alabama accepted me into their medical school. Those four years were some of the most intense and most fondly remembered years of my life. I started my training in otolaryngology – head and neck surgery at the University of Alabama Birmingham in 2001. I completed residency training in 2006 and began working in private practice in Valdosta, Georgia. It was while training at UAB that I met Dr. Michael Sillers. It is my great privilege to call Dr. Sillers my mentor and friend. We have known each other for over a decade now, and I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to join Dr. Sillers and the Alabama Nasal and Sinus Center in providing the best in otolaryngology care to the people of Birmingham and surrounding areas.