SE Dallas News

• Common symptoms of sinus infections are nasal congestion, headaches, coughing, discomfort, nasal drainage, or facial pain.
• Sinus headaches can cause facial pain. 
• Symptoms of chronic sinusitis can be treated by addressing the sinus infection through medication or a surgical procedure like balloon sinuplasty.

Facial pain, one of the most common symptoms of chronic sinusitis, is an uncomfortable condition that can lead to other unfortunate side effects. According to Dr. Monty Trimble of Dallas Breathe Free Sinus & Allergy Centers, facial and tooth pain go hand-in-hand with sinusitis. 

“There's probably two basic reasons that people have facial pain from sinusitis: one, they have an acute sinus infection, and so the actual infection is sitting on top of the nerves to enter into the teeth, which sensitizes those and makes those painful. The other thing that often happens when people have acute sinusitis or chronic sinusitis is that it has a negative impact on breathing through the nose. Having to work harder to breathe through the nose always increases the tendency to grind and clench the teeth, and so a lot of times people not only have upper tooth pain but also lower tooth pain,” Dr. Trimble told the SE Dallas News. “If we correct the breathing issue, then the facial pain issue will improve significantly.”

According to WebMD, approximately 90% of adults diagnosed with acute sinusitis in the United States, characterized by a sinus infection lasting less than four weeks, are prescribed antibiotics. A sinus infection lasting longer than 12 weeks is categorized as chronic sinusitis.

With acute sinusitis, it might be difficult to breathe through your nose, according to the Mayo Clinic. The area around your eyes and face might feel swollen, and you might have throbbing facial pain or a headache.

Both migraine attacks and sinus headaches can cause facial pain, watery eyes, and post-nasal drip, according to the American Migraine Foundation. These shared symptoms contribute to the misdiagnosis and self-diagnosis of sinus headaches.

According to NHS Inform, individuals experiencing symptoms lasting for over one week are advised to consult a physician. An Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist may suggest using a saline solution, over-the-counter medication, or prescribe antibiotics or a corticosteroid spray. If these treatments fail to alleviate the symptoms of sinusitis, the ENT specialist may also advise sinus surgery.

According to Dallas Breathe Free's website, Dr. Monty Trimble is certified in otolaryngology. He obtained a bachelor's degree in biochemistry from Texas A&M University and pursued his medical education at the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. Dr. Trimble completed his residency training in otolaryngology at the University of Missouri Hospital and Clinics.