16 Different Causes of Facial Pain and Treatment Strategies

Sinus headaches and chronic sinusitis are very common complaints of patients presenting to an ENT office. However, many patients with such complaints end up having a problem completely unrelated to the sinuses. Indeed, not all facial pain is a sinus issue.   Here are 16 different causes of facial pain from the common to the rare neurologic headaches along with the "typical" pain distributions and general treatment strategies for each. Keep in mind that the pain distributions are g…

3/25/2021 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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Sinus Headache [video]

I could describe it... but I think it's better if you just watch the video... On a more serious note, more info on sinus headaches can be read here .

6/06/2013 0

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