What are the methods to relieve rhinitis headache?

Rhinitis is a very common nasal disease in real life. Suffering from rhinitis can easily lead to symptoms such as frequent sneezing, runny nose, and headache. The headache caused by rhinitis greatly affects normal life and can easily lead to memory loss and affect sleep. The symptoms of headache can be relieved through medication or by steam method.

How to treat rhinitis headache

Rhinogenic headaches are generally treated with medication, and steam inhalation, thermal therapy, ultrashort wave therapy and other treatment methods may also be added. For rhinogenic headaches caused by anatomical deformities of the nose, surgical correction is the best option to completely cure them.

Rhinogenic headache usually refers to headache caused by nasal or sinus lesions and is one of the common clinical symptoms. The sensation of the head and face is mainly controlled by the trigeminal nerve. Any lesions of the nasal cavity and sinuses can stimulate the trigeminal nerve endings in the nasal mucosa and cause pain. The nasal mucosa is particularly sensitive to pain, and when stimulated, the headache will be severe and may even spread to nearby areas. The most common causes are generally anatomical deformities and inflammatory lesions, while others are caused by tumors, foreign bodies, etc.

What are the characteristics of rhinogenic headaches?

Patients with rhinogenic headaches generally have a history of nasal disease, but have no signs of increased intracranial pressure. The headache worsens when turning the head, lowering the head, or coughing, but the patient remains conscious. Rhinogenic headaches are often manifested as dull or dull pain without fluctuation, and are related to changes in head position. The headache can be relieved by instilling nasal mucosal vasoconstrictors. If the patient's nasal septum is obviously deviated to one side, the nasal mucosa on the other side will be irritated due to excessive airflow due to the enlarged nasal cavity, and the narrow side will be compressed due to obstructed airflow, both of which can cause rhinogenic headaches. Patients with allergic rhinitis often suffer from headaches during acute attacks, which are more obvious when the climate changes. Patients with nasal and paranasal sinus tumors usually do not experience headaches until the late stages of the disease, but patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma or frontal sinus osteoma may also experience severe headaches in the early stages.

Acute sinusitis

Patients with acute sinusitis generally have symptoms of nasal disease, such as nasal obstruction, overflow of various nasal secretions, etc.; their headaches are mostly dull or dull pain in the forehead, without pulsation, which is heavier during the day and relieved when lying in bed. The headaches are aggravated when they lower their heads and bend over, causing congestion of the nasal mucosa. Headaches often occur in certain locations and at certain times. For example, in the early stage of acute frontal sinusitis, headaches are felt in the forehead, which gradually worsen and become lighter in the afternoon. In acute superior frontal sinusitis, the headaches are lighter in the morning and worsen in the infraorbital pain in the afternoon.

Chronic sinusitis

Patients with chronic sinusitis do not necessarily have headaches, but due to the long-term presence and stimulation of the lesions, they often complain of headaches in some cases. However, the headaches are not as severe as those in acute sinusitis. The pain is generally dull, not obvious, or a feeling of heaviness in the head such as swelling or dizziness. The headaches often have the following characteristics:

(1) Headache is often accompanied by nasal symptoms such as nasal congestion, purulent nasal discharge and decreased sense of smell.

(2) Headaches are often time-dependent or have a fixed location. For example, they may be heavier during the day and lighter at night. They are often unilateral. If they are bilateral, one side must be heavier. The location of the headache is relatively fixed depending on the affected sinus.

(3) Headaches can be relieved by rest, nasal drops, and nasal ventilation, but they are aggravated by coughing, exerting force, or bending down. In addition, smoking, drinking, and emotional excitement can also aggravate headaches.

Therefore, based on the time pattern of the pain reported by the patient, it is sometimes possible to preliminarily determine what type of sinusitis the patient has.