Sinus experts at Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers advise patients to seek sinus headache relief

Sinus experts from Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers are inviting those who suffer from sinus headaches to seek expert help for sinus headache relief.

According to WebMD, sinuses are air-filled spaces inside the forehead, cheekbones and behind the bridge of the nose. When sinuses become inflamed -- often as a result of an allergic reaction or infection -- they swell, make more mucus and the drainage channels become blocked, causing a buildup of pressure in the sinuses that feels like a headache.

"Sinus headaches are just headaches. It's kind of like facial pain that comes from usually ethmoid or frontal sinus disease," Dr. Matthew Blair at Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers said. "And we treat those the same ways we treat the the sinus conditions, whether it's with medications or in-office procedures."

People suffering from sinus headaches may experience a deep and constant pain in their cheekbones, forehead or the bridge of the nose. The pain usually gets stronger when patients move their head suddenly or strain. At the same time, there might be other sinus symptoms, including runny nose, feeling of fullness in the ears, fever, swelling in the face and even tooth pain.

"Facial pain is a common complaint I get a lot, but not all facial pain is sinus disease," Blair said. "Severe sinus disease usually causes a lot of facial pain, usually in the upper teeth. The reason is that the molar actually sits on the floor of the sinuses underneath the eyes, on the maxillary sinuses, and also the nerves that give sensation to the face are giving you sensation to your teeth. So you can get a lot of pain referred from your sinuses into your teeth."

Experts recommend that patients relieve their sinus headache symptoms and treat an infection if they have one. You can take antibiotics, as well as antihistamines or decongestants, for a short-term relief. Pain relievers can be used for sinus headache relief, and doctors can prescribe corticosteroids to ease the inflammation in the sinuses. Such remedies are only recommended for up to three days, however, as extended use can actually make symptoms worse.

It's important for patients to figure out what kind of headache they have in order to choose the best course of action to relieve pain. If you think you could benefit from seeing an doctor, take this online Sinus Self-Assessment Quiz.

Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers is committed to providing the best sinus and allergy relief in the entire Panhandle area, using the most advanced, proven patient-friendly techniques available. With 29 million Americans suffering from sinusitis and 242,000 annual chronic sinusitis ER visits, our mission is to provide minimally invasive options for needed, long-lasting relief so that patients can get back to living. We call this mission Breathe Free and Live Well, and it is the North Star that guides us in each unique, collaborative patient interaction. To learn more about Gulf Coast Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers, please visit our website.