Nasal Bridge Pain (Charlin's Neuralgia)

Rarely, I have seen a patient with pain located exactly over the nasal bridge skin surface on one side that may radiate into the eye. This pain often occurs after nasal trauma of some kind or surgery, typically septoplasty. There are no physical abnormalities on exam either clinically or on endoscopy. Imaging studies invariably all come back normal. Associated symptoms may include upper facial and ocular pain as well as severe same one sided runny nose, mucosal congestion, and eye redness. The …

3/09/2021 0

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Hot Pepper Nasal Spray Treatment for Migraines and Sinus Headaches

Image by  Tomascastelazo Capsaicin is the ingredient in hot chili peppers that gives it the heat and burn. It is also known to be effective for a variety of pain relief uses. The capsaicin nasal spray version (see below) available over-the-counter, is thought to work for sinus headaches, migraines , cluster headaches, and even severe nasal congestion by desensitizing the trigeminal nerve (which is accessible through the nose) and reduces CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide), thus reducin…

5/10/2018 0

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Migraines Pretending to be Sinusitis

It is shocking to me just how many people suffer from migraine headaches. Even more surprising is just how many people present to an ENT clinic with complaints of a persistent sinus infection when really the sinus pain is actually due to a migraine . In fact, there are some estimates that up to 80% of patients who present to an ENT clinic with primary complaint of sinus headaches or chronic sinusitis ultimately are proven to be suffering from migraines instead. See references below. Thi…

10/15/2017 0

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Can Headaches Trigger Nosebleeds?

Image courtesy of stockimages at  FreeDigitalPhotos.net Ignoring high blood pressure headaches which can potentially rupture blood vessels in the nose leading to a nosebleed, can headaches in and of itself trigger nosebleeds? I encounter a few patients a year who report that a particularly bad headache triggered their nosebleed, also known as epistaxis . But can this actually be true? After all, headaches are common and nosebleeds are common. As such, statistically, two common events …

3/16/2017 0

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Allergy Sufferers also Have More Severe Migraines

Many people suffer from migraines . Many people also suffer from allergies . What may have been suspected but is now clarified is that those individuals who suffer from BOTH allergies and migraines have much more frequent and severe headaches than those who do not have allergies. [ link ] Based on a survey response from 5,849 patients who suffer from migraines, over two-thirds also suffered from allergies. From this group, researchers found that the odds of experiencing more frequent headac…

11/27/2013 0

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Sinus Infection Leads to Skull Removal in Child

The UK reported a 9 years old boy who had an extremely rare sinusitis complication that ultimately resulted in the left skull being removed temporarily. Briefly, in Feb 2013, the child developed headaches and a droopy eyelid. Surgeons ultimately had to remove his left skull due to brain swelling and concern the bone itself was infected. Over the next few months, the child had to wear a bike helmet to protect his brain which was no longer protected by his skull. A few weeks ago, he underwe…

8/29/2013 0

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