Headache In Forehead: 9 Possible Causes
Headache in forehead is sometimes described as a frontal lobe headache. Headaches are one of the most common reasons for visiting a doctor for missing work or school. Generally headaches can cause pain anywhere in your head but a frontal headache mostly causes pain and pressure in the forehead and temples.
There are several conditions when you feel pain in your forehead. Some of them are mentioned below:
How To Differentiate Between A Sinus Headache And A Migraine
Sinus headaches are accompanied by fever and thick, discolored nasal discharge. If your head or other parts of your face hurt but you dont have fever or congestion, and your nasal discharge is clear, its probably a migraine headache. Migraines are often accompanied by nausea and sensitivity to sound and light.
Why Does My Nose Hurts When I Press It Or Touch It
Have you ever touched your nose and felt pain? Pressed it and it hurts so much? Pain on the nose or inside can be alarming. The nose is the outer portion that protrudes from the face. It has nostrils that lead to the nasal cavity. The nasal cavity is then divided by the bridge . The nasal cavity then connects to the paranasal sinuses through tiny holes. The nasal cavity joins the throat nasopharynx by extending to the back.
There is a thin bone that separates the nasal cavity from the cranial cavity and oral cavity. Problems that occur in these cavities can also cause nasal pain. Throat problems too can be thought to be a nasal pain.
Different parts of the nose could be painful, and we are going to examine every part and the reasons for the pain.
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Swelling Around Bridge Of Nose
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Request An Appointment For Sinus Headache Treatment At Houston Ent
If you feel pain or pressure around your sinuses, don’t automatically think it’s because you’re experiencing a sinus headache. Carefully note your symptoms and pay attention for other symptoms and signs of a sinus infection, such as green nasal discharge or fever.
If your sinus pain doesn’t go away, talk with our Houston ENT physician about the pressure behind your forehead, eyes or cheeks. They’ll sit down with you and go over the different treatment options available that could help you find relief from any discomfort you’re experiencing. Or, you can take advantage of our telemedicine appointments.
Read Also: Difference Between Migraine And Headache
Top 3 Reasons Why The Bridge Of Your Nose Hurts
When the bridge of your nose hurts, it can be hard to focus on anything else. While many people find that their nose pain is caused by the nose pads on their glasses being too tight, others may be struggling with health issues.
There are actually several potential reasons why the bridge of your nose hurts, some more common than others. Discover the top 3 reasons why you may be experiencing pain in the bridge of your nose, explore your treatment options, then call a sinus doctor in Houston at Kaplan Sinus Relief today.
What Questions Should I Ask My Doctor
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Home Remedies For Sinus Headache Relief
Remedies like bathing in steam and using a humidifier can help reduce congestion of your nasal passages and promote drainage by relieving pressure.
You can also do other things to promote drainage from your nose such as pressing gently on your sinus pressure points and blowing your nose by tipping your head forward. Pushing the area underneath your eyes above your cheekbones in and up may also offer some much-needed relief.
There are plenty of low-effort things that you can do for sinus headache relief. Find a sinus headache remedy that suits you by reading more from this list.
What Are The Symptoms Of Sinus Headaches
Patients with migraines or tension headaches commonly have sinus and nasal symptoms during their headaches, including sinus pressure, sinus pain, nasal congestion or runny nose. Studies of patients who have self-diagnosed or been diagnosed with sinus headaches were found to have migraines or tension headaches in more than 80 percent of cases only three to five percent of these patients had sinusitis.
Symptoms of sinusitis and migraine headaches can be similar, which can be confusing about what is causing sinus pain and pressure. Migraines and headaches can cause the following nasal symptoms:
- Pain and pressure around the eyes, across the cheeks, and the forehead
- Nasal congestion
- Eye redness, tearing, or eyelid swelling
- Symptoms on one or both sides of the face
Sinusitis is associated with nasal congestion or obstruction and a thick nasal discharge, sometimes with facial pain, pressure, or a feeling of fullness. However, facial pain or pressure or fullness without cloudy or colored nasal discharge is most likely not a sinus infection.
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Pain In Bridge Of Nose And Headache
Bridge of nose pain is a common condition that affects both men and women. It is usually caused by pressure on the nerve that runs between the nose and brain. This pressure can be caused by a variety of things, including a cold, an infection, or congestion from allergies.Headache is another common problem that can occur in the bridge of the nose. Headache can be caused by a number of things, including sinus pain, tension headaches, migraines, and cervical spine problems.
We Believe You Shouldnt Have To Suffer With Chronic Headaches
When you have a headache due to allergies, a cold, or a sinus infection, its best to talk to your physician. They can prescribe antibiotics for an infection and offer suggestions for dealing with your cold symptoms.
Your doctor can also prescribe an oral allergy medication, nasal spray, or allergy shots.
And what about the patients who struggle with migraines or headaches caused by a TMJ disorder?
They should see a TMJ dentist.
As a neuromuscular/TMJ dentist practicing in Chicago and Mount Prospect, my family dental practice offers a variety of treatment options for patients with headaches.
For instance, I might suggest orthodontic treatment to a patient who has a misaligned bite. When their bite is out of alignment, it puts strain on the muscles of the jaw, head, and neck. That, in turn, causes pain.
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How Is A Sinus Headache Diagnosed
Most sinus headaches are caused by allergens, environmental irritant, or infections, especially viral infections, like the common cold. In order to determine the cause of your sinus headache, your healthcare provider may conduct a few tests.
The first thing your healthcare provider will do is examine your sinuses. Your practitioner may use her finger to tap on your sinuses to determine if they are tender. She might also use a small light to look inside your sinuses through your nose for swelling and drainage.
If your doctor suspects a sinus infection, she may take a sample of your mucus in order to test it for bacteria or rarely, a fungus. A sinus infection that is caused by a bacteria will typically be treated with antibiotics, while an infection caused by a virus does not require antibiotics. If you suffer from chronic sinus headaches, your healthcare provider may also send you for a CT or MRI of the sinuses.
If a sinus infection is ruled out, your practitioner may wish to examine you for other symptoms. Sometimes it’s discovered that a tension headache is the likely culprit, especially if a person also has a feeling of tightness around their head. A migraine can also cause sinus-type symptoms, but tends to be more intense and occur with other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound.
Finally, other mimickers of sinus headache are:
How Are Sinus Headaches Diagnosed
Most of the time when people diagnose themselves with a sinus headache, its really a migraine. So, its important to see your healthcare provider to get an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Your healthcare provider will perform a physical exam and ask about your symptoms. If your symptoms are severe or ongoing, you may also need imaging tests. A magnetic resonance imaging test can rule out serious brain conditions. Multiple imaging tests can reveal sinus blockages and include:
- X-rays.
- Computed tomography scan.
- Nasal endoscopy .
Also Check: How To Treat Severe Headache
When To Talk With A Doctor
Recurring headaches and suspected acute sinusitis should always be evaluated by a doctor. Experts believe that most people who self-diagnose sinusitis are actually experiencing migraines. Getting the correct diagnosis is crucial to successful treatment.
Sinus pain and pressure that doesnt improve after 7 days despite treatment could mean that youre being treated for the wrong condition, especially if you dont experience other sinus symptoms.
You should also see your doctor if your headaches are accompanied by symptoms typically experienced with migraine attacks.
You dont have to be experiencing sharp head pain in order to have a migraine. Accompanying nausea, vision changes, and light sensitivity could mean you have a migraine, and not a sinus headache.
For migraine treatment, you can start with your primary care physician, and if needed you may be referred to a headache specialist, possibly a neurologist or ear, nose, and throat doctor.
Sore To Touch On One Side
Reasons, why your nose hurts on one side, include nasal infections, dryness, nasal polyps, injury or sinusitis. Sometimes with any of these conditions, the pain is felt on one side of the nose only. This could later spread to the other nostrils or remain in the side affected. You can treat the problem using nasal sprays, gels or drops. Antibiotics can also be used.
When trying to find a solution as to why the nose hurts when you touch it, you need to try and find out the underlying causes such as those we have discussed. This will ensure you also come up with a way to heal or soothe the pain fast.
References
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What Are The Sinus Headache Symptoms
Sinus headaches might give you pressure and pain around your sinuses – in your forehead, particularly between and behind your eyes and above your nose. These areas might feel a bit tender to the touch. Pain may become worse with movement, such as lying down or bending over. If pain is the only symptom you experience, you likely aren’t experiencing a sinus headache. Sinus headaches typically present other symptoms too, such as:
- Nasal discharge
- Sore throat
- Cough
Headaches and migraines from sinusitis are simple to confuse because the symptoms and signs of both could overlap.
Both sinusitis and migraine headache pain frequently becomes worse when bending forward. Migraine could also be accompanied by a variety of nasal symptoms and signs, including:
- Facial pressure
- Congestion
- Water, clear nasal discharge
This is because when you’re experiencing a migraine attack, it involves the autonomic nervous system. In fact, research has shown that around 90% of individuals who see a physician for sinus headaches, actually are experiencing migraines instead.
However, sinusitis typically isn’t linked with nausea or vomiting and isn’t usually aggravated by bright light or noise which are all common migraine features.
Sinusitis typically occurs after a cold or upper respiratory infection and includes:
- Discolored, thick nasal mucus
- Pain in upper teeth or one cheek
What Are The Treatment Options
Your primary care provider, or a neurologist, can provide recommendations for treating your headaches based on their severity and frequency, and can rule out more serious causes of your headache. Treatment for migraines includes both over-the-counter and prescription medications and preventative medications for patients with severe or frequent headaches, or if headaches are present for more than 15 days per month.
Over-the-counter pain medications such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen can also be associated with rebound headaches or medication-overuse headaches if taken too often. Tell your doctor how often you take pain medications for headaches. Avoid triggers, and talk to your doctor about your sleep habits. Keep a headache diary to record your headache symptoms, triggers, and treatments.
Sinus headaches caused by migraines or tension headaches should not be treated with antibiotics. Because there are similar symptoms between acute sinusitis and migraine headaches with nasal and sinus symptoms, it can be difficult to tell if your symptoms are truly a sinus infection. Sinus pain and pressure without discolored nasal discharge is most likely not a sinus infection. If you have been diagnosed with frequent sinus infections and have been treated with repeated episodes of antibiotics without improvement, migraines or tension headaches could be causing your sinus pain and pressure.
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How Do I Know If My Headache Is Migraine Or Sinus Headache
So, how do you know if your headache is migraine and not sinus? Go beyond the nasal and sinus congestion and the facial pain and pressure look for a headache associated with the inability to function normally at work, school, home or social functions, nausea, sensitivity to light and triggers such as weather change, menstrual cycle, and stress . Significantly, it is commonly thought that weather change often causes sinus headache when weather change is a common trigger for migraine.
You can also ask yourself the following questions from the ID Migraine Questionnaire developed by Dr. Richard Lipton of Albert Einstein College of Medicine:
- In the past three months, how disabling are your headaches? Do they interfere with your ability to function?
- Do you ever feel nausea when you have a headache?
- Do you become sensitive to light while you have a headache?
If you answer yes to two of the above three criteria, migraine is likely 93% of the time. If you answer yes to all three, a migraine diagnosis is 98% likely.
The American Migraine Foundation is committed to improving the lives of those living with this debilitating disease. For more of the latest news and information on migraine, visit the AMF Resource Library. For help finding a healthcare provider, check out our Find a Doctor tool. Together, we are as relentless as migraine.
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What Does A Sinus Headache Feel Like
Again, because of the placement of your sinuses, “the pain is above the eyes, between the eyes, or over the cheekbones,” says Dr. Namdar. In addition to that pain, patients might also feel “tenderness over the affected sinuses,” says Dr. Bassett. More symptoms of sinus headaches include Additionally, “post-nasal drainage, congestion, discharge, as well as oral, facial or dental pain can occur with an infection, such as sinusitis,” Dr. Bassett adds.
And, interestingly, the severity of a sinus headache might differ depending on the time of day. “Some sufferers suggest their headache may be more significant earlier in the day (perhaps due to collection of mucus from during the nighttime,” says Dr. Bassett.
If you don’t have a runny nose, fever, or bad breath , you’re likely suffering from a migraine rather than a sinus headache, per the American Migraine Foundation.
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When The Bridge Of Your Nose Hurts Visit Kaplan Sinus Relief
It can be alarming to not know why youre in pain, even if that pain is in the bridge of your nose. At Kaplan Sinus Relief, we can help you discover why the bridge of your nose hurts and explore your options for finding relief.
In particular, if you are struggling with chronic ethmoid sinusitis, balloon sinuplasty in Houston may help.Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally-invasive, in-office procedure that can provide long-lasting relief from sinus infections in less than 20 minutes. Dr. Kaplan is a pioneer of this revolutionary treatment and has helped thousands of Houstonians return to a life in which they can breathe easily and nasal pain.
Dont let the pain in your nose become a pain in the neck. Contact Kaplan Sinus Relief online or call us at 713-766-1818 to set up an appointment today.
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How Are Sinus Headaches Treated And Prevented
Once a doctor concludes that you’re suffering from a sinus headache, specifically, treatment options vary. Dr. Namdar says using nasal saline rinses, such as the Neti Pot, can help. He adds, “Some people use anti-inflammatory Flonase.” Additionally, picking up an air purifier for your home can help you if you suffer from sinus headaches, and if a sinus headache is stemming from a bacterial infection, a course of antibiotics can be used to treat the problem.
As for the pain element, which is the real point of this article, Dr. Namdar says patients can take over-the-counter pain medications like ibuprofen and acetaminophen for the headache part of their sinus headaches.
While you can’t necessarily prevent a sinus headache if you have sinusitis, you can do your best to prevent viral infections in the first place. Washing your hands with soap and water thoroughly and often is a good start, along with trying not to touch your nose, mouth, and eyes when your hands are unclean. Eating enough vegetables and getting enough sleep can also strengthen your immune system, which means you’re less likely to get sick.
But the main point here: Definitely get to the doctor if you suspect you have a sinus headacheonly a medical professional can diagnose one, or let you know that something else might be going on and recommend the next steps to take in getting that checked out, as well.
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