Question: I have been dealing with terrible headaches for a long time. I went to the emergency room roughly 9 months ago with an excruciating headache. They did a CT Scan and found that I had chronic sinusitis and a small retention cyst in my right maxillary. I followed up with an ENT who is trying to treat it with nasal sprays. Months later I felt some numbness above my left eye and had another CT scan which still proved chronic sinusitis but nothing wrong with the brain. It is now August and my symptoms: daily headaches, pain between eyes and top of the head and temples, still are present. It is truthfully affecting my life and I can’t stand the pain. My ENT mentioned a balloon sinuplasty but is now telling me it would have to be proven for me to have the procedure. Please help because this pain is awful.
Answer: Thank you for your question.
Headaches are always a difficult problem. While sinusitis may be the cause of headaches, there are many other types of headaches that can be excruciating and difficult to manage as well. It would be important to see what your sinus CT shows. Should there be significant or persistent inflammation in your frontal sinuses (the sinuses in the forehead), then balloon sinuplasties may be helpful for you. In balloon sinuplasty, the doctor places a thin wire into the opening of the sinus- then inflates a balloon for about 10 seconds. This results in a wider drainage site for the sinuses- and should alleviate frontal sinus infection. It is done in the office, with local anesthetic- and there is virtually no downtime. We do this frequently here at the NY Sinus Center and you can read more about it on our site, nysinuscenter.com
However, as you can well imagine- this will not likely help you if your headaches are from migraines, muscle tension, cluster headaches- or other causes.
Sinus headaches will often respond temporarily to a course of antibiotics and nasal or oral steroids. Migraines may present with visual changes (aura) or respond temporarily to a medication such as sumatriptan taken at the onset of a headache.
We’d be happy to see you here at the NY Sinus Center and help clear things up.
Robert Pincus MD
Co-Director NY Sinus Center
Associate Professor Otolaryngology
Frequently Asked Questions
Balloon sinuplasty is a minimally invasive procedure in which a thin wire is inserted into the sinus opening and a small balloon is inflated for about 10 seconds. This widens the drainage area of the sinuses, helping to alleviate infections, particularly in the frontal sinuses. The procedure is typically done in-office under local anesthesia with almost no downtime.
Balloon sinuplasty is suitable when CT scans show significant or persistent inflammation in the frontal sinuses causing sinus headaches. It is effective for sinus-related headaches but may not be helpful for headaches caused by migraines, muscle tension, or cluster headaches. A specialist evaluation and imaging are essential to determine candidacy.
Headaches due to migraines, muscle tension, cluster headaches, or other neurological causes can mimic sinusitis headaches. Migraines may include visual symptoms like aura and respond to specific medications such as sumatriptan. Proper diagnosis by a healthcare professional is critical to differentiate these conditions.
Nasal sprays, antibiotics, and oral steroids are often used to reduce inflammation and infection in the sinuses, which can temporarily alleviate sinus-related headaches. However, if sinusitis persists despite medication, further evaluation or procedures like balloon sinuplasty may be needed for lasting relief.
If headaches persist daily despite treatment with nasal sprays and medications, patients should consult an ENT specialist for repeat evaluation, imaging studies like CT scans, and possibly consider advanced treatments such as balloon sinuplasty or explore other headache causes. Proper diagnosis and management tailored to the headache type are essential.
Yes, balloon sinuplasty is commonly performed in an outpatient or office setting using local anesthesia. It is a quick procedure with minimal discomfort and virtually no downtime, allowing patients to resume normal activities soon after treatment.
