Do you have headaches or pressure in your forehead?

Chronic headaches can have many causes and often the cause is unknown. The cause of a headache can range from a simple problem such as dehydration to more serious, life threatening problems. In order to determine the cause of your headaches, a doctor will need to perform a complete exaimination including medical history and physical examination to rule out other, more serious causes of headaches.

Chronic frontal sinusitis is one case of frequent headaches or pressure in the area of the forehead. The 2 frontal sinuses are one of 4 paired paranasal sinuses. Sinuses are hallow areas in the facial or cranial bones; their function is not well known. Sinuses are lined with tissue that produces mucus to maintain moisture within the sinuses and to defend the sinus tissues from infection from bacteria, viruses and fungi. In healthy sinuses, this mucus (along with any debris or bacteria) continuously drains from the sinus through an opening into the nose. This opening, called an ostium is very small. Therefore, it can easily become obstructed when surrounding tissues become inflamed or infected, polyps develop, or anatomic abnormalities cause further narrowing. When the sinus ostia become obstructed, mucous cannot drain and builds up in the sinuses. This causes symptoms of facial pressure and headaches. If an infection develops within the sinus, facial pain or swelling may occur along with think discharge from the nose or down the back of the throat.

Because the frontal sinus is located beneath the forehead, headaches and pain in this area may be a sign of chronic frontal sinusitis. Examination at a nasal sinus center in Chicago will include an evaluation of frontal sinus patency. Chicago based doctors at the Advanced Center for Specialty Care will determine whether your headaches may be due to Chronic frontal sinusitis. If you are diagnosed with this condition, medial treatment can be prescribed to try to alleviate your symptoms. If this treatment is unsuccessful, frontal sinus surgery may be recommended by you doctor. Frontal sinus surgery can usually be done through the nose, with no incisions on the face. There are several types of surgeries, but all have the goal of widening the ostium and outflow track of the affected sinus.