- One of the most common misdiagnoses is chronic sinusitis and migraine
- The primary cause of migraine is still unknown
- 99% of patients were misdiagnosed at primary care or in the emergency room
“Facial pain is very common in chronic sinusitis, which essentially stems from the fact that the sinuses aren't draining or ventilating properly,” Dr. Brian Lee of Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center told Arizona Business Daily. “When the sinuses get inflamed, they swell shut and they trap air and mucus. As that sits and festers, is where some of that pressure starts to build up and the sinus headaches is what you feel.”
A study in The Journal of Headache and Pain showed that sinusitis is often confused for migraines, especially with symptoms such as headaches, dry sinus headache or severe sinus headaches. The study concluded that 106 of 113 participants, or roughly 81%, were misdiagnosed.
According to the American Migraine Foundation, migraines and sinus headaches both cause facial pain, watery eyes and postnasal drip. Those symptoms are some of the reasons for the frequent misdiagnosis.
A study published by The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery was conducted to find the correlation between sinusitis and migraines, but the study only found that more analysis was necessary. The primary cause of migraines is still unknown.
The University of Michigan conducted a study, published in the International Forum of Allergy & Rhinology, which found that 99% of its 114 participants had been misdiagnosed as having chronic sinusitis when they didn’t necessarily have the condition. Those diagnoses had come from an emergency department at a hospital or a primary care physician. The most accurate diagnosis comes from a sinus inflammation specialist, also known as an otolaryngologist.
To learn more about sinusitis or to take a sinus self-assessment quiz, visit Scottsdale Sinus and Allergy Center.