Clinical study of headache in relation to sinusitis and its management

AIM To study relation of headache with sinusitis and its management. METHODOLOGY Patients clinically presenting with headache were selected. Only patients with headache due to rhinogenic causes were subjected to X-ray paranasal sinuses and diagnostic nasal endoscopy and followed-up to evaluate management. RESULTS Majority of the patients were of age group 21-30 years and it is more predominant in males. Majority of the patients of headache were having DNS (28.9%), acute sinusitis (28.9%), osteomeatal complex disease (24.63%) and few number of patients had nasal polyp (8.69%), allergic rhinitis (5.79%) and rarely patients had atrophic rhinitis (2.89%). Headache was localized in forehead (43.4%), more than one site (34.7%) in majority of cases and few number of patients had headache at glabella (13.04%) and top of head (8.69%). Majority of the patients who underwent antral washout were not relieved, so they underwent functional endoscopic sinus surgery, which gave dramatic results in improving symptoms of patients including headache. CONCLUSIONS Headache is nearly a universal human experience. The lifetime incidence of headache is estimated to be at least 90%. To know whether the headache is sinogenic or not; firstly the patient is clinically assessed, then radiological investigations (X-ray PNS) are done. Role of FESS is huge and ultimately it is it that is the cure for the headache due to rhinogenic causes.