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Having Frequent Headache. Diagnosed As Sinusitis. What Is The Possibility Of Migraine?

Posted on Sat, 13 Oct 2012

Question: my biggest health issue for five yearsFor 5-6 years from now, i have headaches frequently. some times small and not so affective but sometimes truely painful. i have seen doctors but they always tell me that its because of sinusitis. they gave me some drugs but never ended. my head aches sympthoms are sometimes like sinutis, sometimes like migrene. doctors decided its sinusitis (x-ray). cant i have both? my mom and my aunt has migrene. how else can i figure if i have migrene? - i am 16 years old,female-

Answered by Dr. Ravinder Sharma (1 hour later)

Hello I am Dr Ravinder Sharma ENT surgeon
On the basis of information provided is is difficult to tell about the right diagnosis
I would like to ask some questions about your headache which will help me in answering your query

1. You said it is there for 5 years, Was it gradually increasing?
2. How it has Progressed?- comes and goes or continuous, worsening/ same/improving over the years?
3. Location of headache - frontal or at the back or sides?
4. Is it unilateral or bilateral?
5. Do you have nausea and/ or dizziness?
6. How will you rate your headache on a scale of 1 to 10 where 10 is the most severe headache?
7. Any treatment taken?
8. Effect of treatment? improved/Partially improved / No improvement
9. What makes it worse? any relation with flash of light/ stress/nose block
10. What makes you feel better? medication/rest
11. Any other associated problem you encounter with headache like nasal stuffiness, nasal discharge, pain in ear?
12. Are you on any medication
13. Have you ever been treated for any chronic illness?

To answer second part of your query I have to say that headache and migraine can co exist. One positive point in favour of migraine is a positive family history

I would also like to know about the tests done in past like X XXXXXX CT scan, blood test

I will wait for your response so that I can help you further

with warm regards
Ravinder Sharma

I hope this answers your concerns. Feel free to contact me if your need more information on this

With warm regards
Ravinder Sharma

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar

Follow up: Dr. Ravinder Sharma (27 hours later)

1. it did not increase
2. worsening over hours
3. frontal
4. Sonetimes unilateral sonetimes bilateral
5. İf it is severe, dizziness. İf it is more severe, nausea.
6. 9
7. sinusitis treatments taken - 3 times
8. no improvement
9. light, noise, reading books. sometimes when i stand up.
10. rest and hot towel.
11. none
12. antidepressant and ritalin (2 years- not non stop-)
13. allergies and depression
and as a painkiller only one is useful. it has flurbiprofene in it. called majezik.

i dont have the test results. and sonetimes it lasts 2-3 days. mostly no drugs can stop the pain.

Answered by Dr. Ravinder Sharma (36 minutes later)

Dear XXXXXX
Thanks for a follow up of your query
On the basis of the answers I can say that your headache has components of sinusitis and migraine both
History of frontal headache not localized to one side, earlier treated for sinusitis is suggestive of sinusitis
History of severe headache exaggerated by noise and on one side of face and association with nausea and a positive family history is suggestive of migraine

I would suggest you to get a CT scan for Paranasal sinuses done and consult a ENT surgeon. At times sinusitis requires operative intervention. This will give you relief in symptoms
I would further suggest you to consult a neurologist too. He will advise you medicines for migraine - for acute atatck and for prophylaxis.

I am pretty sure if you follow above mentioned guidelines you will have complete relief in symptoms. I hope this answers your concerns. Feel free to contact me if you have any more question about it

with regards
Ravinder Sharma

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar