Hypoplastic frontal sinuses?

[packrat]

Anyone know about this? I've always had headaches but they've been getting more frequent and more painful the last year, year and a half, sometimes making me completely nauseated. Saw one of the providers today and she sent me over for Xrays of my sinuses, thinking maybe I have a super horrible sinus infection. The Xrays said "hypoplastic frontal sinuses, especially the right side". The computer kept kicking us off the internet at work today so she couldn't look it up. Provider referred me to an ENT to see if this may be the cause of my headaches before starting on the rest of the checklist. Next on the checklist was an eye exam, allergy testing, and then a head CT and a neurologist.

I googled it when I got home from work just now but some of the websites have a lot of medical jargon and pics I don't understand. The only thing I've been able to glean is that means they're either underdeveloped or not there at all? I go see the ENT this coming Wednesday, so it's not a long wait or anything, I just wondered if anyone had any knowledge of it to share?

 

[aviastar]

Uh, no knowledge to share but a keen interest in what you find out. I have had 'sinus headaches' my whole life, often for weeks at a time and often to the point of nausea, light and sound sensitivity, and fatigue. It's a not a classic migrain, but very similar with so much pressure under my whole forehead and face. Ruled out deviated septum as a child and was then told sudafed and tylenol were my only options. Also, chronic sinus infections.

The only thing I have found to help is sudafed (the real, behind the pharmacy counter stuff) and excedrin ASAP at the first sign of symptom, preferably with a caffienated beverage to wash it down.

Hope you find out something soon so they can start to treat your headaches! I know just how much they can affect how you feel- maybe I need to ask my Dr. about this too!

 

[packrat]

I'll let you know what he says Wednesday! I spent a lot of time googling and couldn't come up w/much of anything. Mostly medical journals and posts on information/question boards asking if anyone had heard of it b/c they couldn't find any info on the internet-figures! I did read that b/c of the sinuses not being developed properly, the way they drain..something about the veins in the forehead and behind the eyes, causing headaches. Which I kind of figured anyway but..that's all I could find. There is mention of Silent Sinus Syndrome, which most Dr's don't know about, but that comes w/deformities-like your sinuses collapse and it makes your face sag or something.

 

[QueenB29]

Try not to worry about it too much. They have lots of different terms for the shape of your sinuses and you can freak yourself out if you do too much Googling. I've had two sinus surgeries and I still have lots of problems, so trust me, I know not to Google

The ENT will know what she is doing. She'll probably have you start rinsing your sinuses if you don't already and stick you on steroids. (Mine has me add liquid antibiotics and liquid steroids to my rinse bottle.) Allergies are often involved with sinus problems. As is acid reflux. So there's tons she can do.

 

[shihtzulover]

I always get these horrible headaches in the area of my eyebrows, and they occur on the right side about 90% of the time. I also get completely nauseated, and I have vomited on many occasions. I have even gone to the ER before and was given IV painkillers because I was crying hysterically from the pain.

They seem to occur more when it's raining, or right after I fly (sometimes).

It's miserable, and I always thought that only migraines made you vomit, but these really feel like sinus headaches.

I'll be interested to hear what you find out. Good luck!

 

[packrat]

Well..starting w/something simple first, a mouth guard. He sees no evidence of grinding but where I describe the headaches is connected to those muscles that would be clenched during grinding so he wants to try it first and see. We talked about stress causing them, and he said that's a hard one b/c everyone has stress, how do you pinpoint that? So, start w/the mouth guard, JD used to fight so he can help me fit it, and just see what happens. If no improvement, I'll introduce Zyrtek and see if an antihistamine will help. He didn't say anything about getting my eyes checked but I'm past due for that anyway by a year and a half so it's worth a try. From the Xrays he said he didn't see anything that could be a problem, no infection or anything, but would need a CT or something to know for sure, and that can be done later. I don't have much for sinuses, seems like. My frontal sinuses I have one really small spot above my left eye and that's it. The ones on the sides are barely there. But that didn't seem to be a problem so...He did say that my mom being a headache sufferer, I may be one too, so we'll start w/the cheapest option and keep trying a few things, see what happens!