Talk to me about sinus headache

[Goldandpurplezebra]

For the last 3 years I've had ongoing sinuses headache. Recently when I've been to GP about it he gives me antibiotics and some sort of medication to clear the air ways steroids or nose drops.

I'm wondering whether I need the antibiotics every time. How does he know if it's an infection or not? I don't get snotty. My symptoms are headache, pain behind my cheek, itchy and achey ears and a slight sore throat.

I'm left not knowing if the antibiotics or the other medication clears it up.

I've had success in the past with facial lymphatic drainage. Not cheap but very effective in my experience. I'm allergic to ab

Hot compress works for me.

Olbas oil in the bottom of the shower to steam my nose frequently and a bit of gentle massage helps me

Thank you everyone. I will try them all.

@alwaysonadiet1 is that the same as a Lymphatic Drainage Massage?

It is

Concentrating on the sinuses

Brill I love an excuse for a massage!

I have recently discovered nasal irrigation and it is wonderful! You can buy a Neti pot to do the job but I just use a small pot with boiled water (still warm) and some salt.

Yes I do a saline rinse which helps a little...
Which confuses me as surely it only reaches my nostrils which isn't where the pain is.

Is your pain on waking? I have spent the whole day in bed today due to
Headache

Could it be migraines? I often get some 'fluey' symptoms with mine, in particular a burning/tingling feeling at the top of my nose and around my cheekbones and eyes, like with a sinus infection.

The pain was on waking yesterday yes.

I don't think it's a migraine due to the steroids working and the pain behind my cheek bone. Also sometimes I get pressure pushing down on my teeth which also indicates to inflamed sinuses.

I do think that very occasionally I get a migraine though and then I'm sensitive to light. But that's been like 3 times in the last 3 years.

The sinus ache I get on and off all the time. I go to the GP once I have a flare up for a couple weeks.

I was prescribed antihistamines for a month once and that didn't make a difference.

Hi OP. I think after 3 years you need to be seen by an ENT for help with this. Can you ask your GP for a referral. DH and I have both had sinus problems. An ENT can look in your nose with a camera and do scans to see what the cause is.

Mine was caused by allergies, but I understand once there's an infection in your sinuses it can be hard to get rid of them. It was resolved by combing a long, strong antibiotic, with a strong steroid nasal spray to keep my nose clear (prescribed by ENT). At the same time (by conincidence) I went on holiday to a hot, dry climate. The sinus issue resolved itself and never came back.

DH had a large polyp growing in one of his sinuses, blocking it and causing repeated infections. The polyp was so big it was going down his throat. He asked to be referred to an ENT who operated and removed the polyp last year. The sinus pain has gone, no more infection, and his snoring is much better too. He was referred via the nhs to a private ENT clinic and was seen within about 10 days of the date the GP referred him, and operated on within 2 months (would've been sooner but the op was delayed as we had covid in our household).

Thank you @thinkfast . I find it so soul destroying to pester the GP. But it looks like I am going to have to. The thing that has made me slow to see GP about it is because it's always on and off. I'd say at least one week in a month is bad but sometimes it's 3 weeks in ones month that's bad. When I get two weeks in a row bad that's when I see GP. So far he just prescribes me medication....no talk of anything else.