Headaches from Sinuses?

I am 34 years old and have had migraine headaches since I was 6. Originally it was discovered that I had an astigmatism and needed glasses. While that eased them for a little while, they never went away. It took until I was 11 that I was officially diagnosed with migraines and they have never stopped. I do have a family history of migraines and allergies, but more importantly, I have hormone imbalances and that is the root of the problem for me. I know my father had problems as a child as well. Migraines are not fun by any means and there are some things you can do to help prevent as well as make him more comfortable when he does get one. Some common triggers are caffeine, chocolate, fresh yeast(I couldn't eat Pizza Hut pizza or Subway for years b/c of dough being made fresh daily)and MSG. Avoiding these triggers can help make them less frequent. Also, even though caffeine is a trigger, it can also help ease them off if one is starting and caffeine has been avoided in the days prior to it beginning. Once one begins, ice packs on the back of the neck(for 10 minutes or so) and a dark, QUIET room are a necessity. Also, I always keep a trash can nearby b/c they usually cause vomitting. I have also begun to see a chiropractor in the last year or so and have gotten more relief from his treatments than anything I have tried in the last 25 years. My heart goes out to you and your son b/c I know how painful and debilitating they are and I know how much it hurts as a mom to not be able to help your child or take the pain away. I would definitely have his eyes checked and look for a chiro that can help with headaches. I know he is young, but I would ask about having his testosterone checked as well to make sure it isn't low or high. Good luck.

Dear Coleen:
I would suggest bringing him to a neurologist and like other people said to have his eyes checked.
Hope this helps.
K.
The MOM Team
www.enhanceyourlifeonline.com

The best thing you can do is get the CT scan. It could be sinus and it may not be. Also journal your sons headaches, see if they happen at school only or when they happen on the weekend. See if there is something adding stress to his life. This could be his way of telling you somethingn he feels and can not verbalize.
Most importantly be your childs avdocate. My daughter turned 10 in January and the day before her birthday, she had an episode at school where a pain hit her in the temple, and traveled down her face, Urgent care insited she be transported to Scottish Rite, on arrival there she was back to normal, speech fine etc. The doctor told me he was going to send her home for observation, I told him that I know what we all saw, and they did a CT scan and found an AVM, they took her back to do and MRI and confirmed it she has an AVM the size of a Golf Ball in her brain and she is scheduled for Brain Surgery on the 25th of March. So please be your childs avdocate, and follow all avenues, had I not, My little girl could have had a brain bleed that was deadly.
Do not jump to conclusions, just follow up on his care.
Good Luck and keep us posted!

Does he have any other symptoms? My niece (age 10) had severe migraines combined with stomach pains and bloating. For a year they thought she couldn't tolerate gluten. Then they finally figured out it was milk that was causing it. She's great now.
At what age did his headaches start? Does he seem to be out of breath when he is "playing hard?"
I get occasional migraines (as did my dad and his mother), but they didn't start until I was about 12 years old. Your husband and MIL say the headaches are hereditary. If so, did they get them this young? Were they sucessfully treated?
You don't have to respond to my questions, but I do hope they help you think about all the details. The more information you can tell the doctor(s), the better they can help your son.

It's abnormal for anyone to experience unexplained headaches, especially a child. As migraine sufferer, I had my first migraine at 8 years old. My head hurt so bad, I had never experienced pain like that. I remember going to the ER, where the nurse took my temp and since it was normal, she told my Dad I was faking and probably just didn't want to go to school the next day. I wanted to curl up in a ball and die. Migraines tend to start later on, and since your son has always had headaches that are getting progressively stronger, seems that they are probably not migraines.

I am glad you believe your son and take his headaches seriously. I would follow your feelings inside, and keep getting him tested until they find what is causing these headaches. Something is causing them - don't worry - it doesn't mean he has a tumor, it could be an indoor allergen, an extreme sensitivity to noise, one of many things. Assuming your husband suffered from them (as he and your MIL say they are heredity), also use that as a little bit of comfort that this is not serious, while you wait for the results from each test. Just follow your instincts! Us mothers have them for a reason.

Hi,I am a mother of 3 and although none of my children hav headaches my little brother does.He is now 14 but he had severe headaches all through his younger years and the doctors told my mom the same thing that it was sinuses or he was jus faking it.My mom started taking him to a message therapist and his headaches have almost stopped completely,so you may want to look into that.

okay. Take this with some thought but it may be true and there is no harm in investigating. If your son is experiencing migraines then have him investigated by a pediatric cardiologist and a procedure called an echocardiogram can be done in the office.It is looking at the heart by using ultrasound techniques.Painless and no risks. Yes. If you must go and pay out of pocket then do it. It has been well established as I was also recently reminded , that there is a link between a person who has migraine headaches and the occurence of a minor but present heart defect. THe defect is called ASD or Atrial Septal Defect. It is a "hole" between the two smaller chambers of the heart. It is easily corrected and can many times be corrected without actual surgery but closure of the defect with a device in what is called a cardiac catherization lab. You may ask, but shouldn't the person be showing some sort of symptoms. Many do not show any symptoms and it doesn't not affect their cardiac health etc.
I am an adult and pediatric cardiac surgery intensive nurse since 1986 and a mother of 4 children.
Good luck

Hi C., I'm sorry your son suffers from headaches. I suffer from frequent migraines myself. There is a box on the right hand side about half way down that has two articles that I think you might find helpful on this site, one on sinus vs. migraines, and one on exercise induced migraine headaches. Migraines oftentimes feel a lot like a sinus headache, it could be migraines he's suffering from. Here's the link for the WebMD article:
http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/news/20040315/ac...

Please also read this website: tuliv.com. It is an alternative medication to prescription meds. I haven't tried it yet, but plan to. You can talk to a clinician about your son's symptoms and they may be able to help you figure out if he's suffering from migraines.

Dehydration can trigger migraines as well as a whole host of foods. Make sure he drinks plenty of fluids throughout the day. I like this list of triggers, keeping a food diary may help to narrow down what may be causing his headaches. The weather, unfortunately, can also play a part, as can bright sunshine, flourescent lighting, computer screens, television and the flashing lights of a strobe light or police car lights. Hats and sunglasses may help him when he's playing outside.
http://www.webmd.com/migraines-headaches/news/20040315/ac...

Some people have an aura, which is flashing lights and blind spots, before the migraine pain hits. You may want to ask him if he's ever noticed any problems with being able to see before his headache. Have his eyes checked as well, as eye strain can cause headaches too.

Imitrex is good at allieviating migraines in most people. People react differently to it though, so if the Dr. prescribes this medication, be sure to read over the side effects and ask your son if he's having any wierd sensations, including tightness in the throat, a pounding heart, tingling in the chest and pain in the jaw when biting into food. Go to Imitrex.com for more info on migraines and to sign up for discount coupons.

To help him relieve his headaches, there are pressure points at the base of the skull to the left and right of where the spine attaches, that you can massage for him. The nerves under the scalp get inflamed and massaging them also helps relieve the pain. Pinching the eyebrows and using gentle pressure around the eyes, nose and forehead may also help him. He may prefer either hot or cold compresses for his forehead. Ask him which feels better.

There is a ton of information out on the web on headaches, do searches on migraines, cluster headaches, sinus headaches, migraine triggers, migraine trigger foods, alternative migraine treatment, etc. so read and become educated.

Good luck with this, I hope you can find out what is causing them and help him reclaim his life.

Just a thought but check his teeth, especially the upper back ones. He is about the age where kids start getting their 6yr molars in and the upper ones can cause sever pain even bad sinus pressure. The reason I suggest this is my daughter for almost a month complained off and on about headaches buy yet run around like she was fine. Well come to find out it was her teeth coming in. The dentist office also said it can cause sinus pressure because their mouths are so small at this age that there isn't much room on the jaw bone. I asked if this could also cause headaches and she said yes, that's when I put two and two together but by that point her teeth had already come in and the headaches had stopped!!

Good luck!
~S.

Hi C.,

My daughters and I suffered, and I mean suffered, from sinus headaches for a long time. We have been through a long process and figured a few things out. They are VERY RARE in our family now.

#1 Doctors always say kids are faking if they can't fix it, lol!

Seriously, allergies and sinus problems are not present when the immune system is working at it's optimum level. I used to be allergic to everything and now I can breathe when the wisteria is blooming and we also have an inside dog.

I and my children use a good absorbable multivitamin which BOOSTS my immune system and I have also gotten rid of all the synthetic chemicals in my house which were BREAKING DOWN my immune system. A healthy diet, without junk food (preservatives and pesticides are synthetic chemicals too), needs to be adhered to also. I know you can't detox the school system or the mall but I have found with a detoxed home the immune system is able to combat the toxins everywhere else....

Headaches, at least migraines, are supposed to be inherited from the mother's side of the family. I think we are all predisposed to certain things but are able to combat them.

Detoxing the house and taking vitamins helped my family a lot and we were able to avoid the doctors poking and prodding and guessing over my kids...

God bless!

M.

Hi C.,
Make sure you take your son to an allergy & asthma specialist. My daughter started having headaches and loss of appetite when she was about 8 years old. Her pediatrician diagnosed her w/ everything from strep throat to sinusitis to stomach virus....then wanted to have her tested for systic fibrosis (scaring me to death). It turned out that she was allergic to dust mites and had excercise induced asthma...because she played harder than any girl I'd ever seen, her playing would lead to wheezing & chest pains. The dust mite allergy would kick in and she would have severe headaches and no appetite because of the sinus drainage on her stomach. So, I'm not sure if this has been checked out for your son, but I would hate for you to continue to worry unnecessarily. My daughter is now 16, and though she still has her allergy and asthma, we now know how to manage it.

Good Luck.

T.

Seriously - get a new primary care MD! NOW! Any MD who says that your kid is "faking it" is not worth having. That's one of the signs to cut and run because you're probably getting substandard care.

Another possibility - get his eyes checked. Eyestrain can cause some pretty nasty headaches and the fix is easy - glasses.

Migraine is hereditary, so are allergies, and some more scary conditions that can cause chronic headache. It's pretty common for allergy and sinus meds to not be effective so the scan is warranted. However, since there are other members of the family with migraines I would ask for a referral to a neurologist. It's most likely not a tumor, those are really rare especially in kids. But the pain can hold him back in school.

Your gut is your gut for a reason. I'm not remotely saying tumors, but a Ped Neurologist for sure. It could be a small curvature in the spine that is pinching on the spinal cord or nerve causing the pain. It may be clamping down on the nerve/cord when he plays hard. It is NOT difficult to fix. Traction is a simple process (In which he would just think he's getting to be a monkey and hang upside down from time to time) and it does WONDERS without being invasive. JUST DO NOT WAIT, and refuse to take an answer until it's the one YOU believe in your heart. Mothers have that for a reason!

I just thought about the fact that high/elevated blood pressure can cause bad headaches. You said they get worse when he plays hard. At that young of an age, they usually don't check that! Something to think about!

Since I have suffered from headaches a lot, I have read up on them. You might want to keep track of his foods. Certain foods can cause headaches. I have sinus pressure headaches without any other symptom as well, so it could be that. Tylenol sinus will give me some relief for a short while, but it often just dulls the pain, then it comes right back. I don't know how often he gets caffeine, but if he is accustomned to it, then does without it, that too can cause headaches. Migraine medicine has caffeine in it, by the way. I look forward to hearing how he is doing.

Have you tried having his eyes checked? My oldest daughter started complaining that her head "hurted" when she was 3. It became more persistant so I took her to the optometrist. That was 4 years ago. she wears glasses for reading, drawing, tv etc. It has made all the difference in the world. Good luck!
A.

Dear C.,

I am so sorry that you have to go through this kind of worry. I don't have experience in this area as far as sinus problems or headaches but do have a cousin with a now three year old boy who had a brain tumor when he was 2. I haven't been in very close contact with them but from what I understand he had some development problems to begin with (not walking well or on time, not speaking in sentences, stuff like that) and when the doctors diagnosed him they removed the tumor and he is doing just fine now. He is catching back up develpmentally and speaking much better. I would suggest that if you are truely worried, get a second opinion if you can. You are his mother and your concerns should never be blown off by any physician, you know your son better.

Have you thought to have his eyes checked by an opthamologist? My ex-husband had severe headaches when he began school and they found out it was because he needed glasses. It's worth a shot. Good luck and God Bless.

My son has suffered for headaches for many years so I know your concern. I strongly suggest chiropractic care. I have been taking my son to See Dr. Eric @ Healthsprout in Woodstock for almost 2 years now and my son's headaches have improved greatly. He has tought us so much about health care not sick care! He was a big allergy suffer and now that we have gotten his system in better shape he no longer suffers from the allergies. You have to be dedicated for awhile but we are medicine free now and my little on isn't in pain anymore. If you mention my name when you call for an appointment he will give you a free consultation and exam. He can be ____@____.com Luck,
B.

could he need glasses?

Hi C..
First of all - I am sorry that your son is not feeling well. I can hardly stand it when my kids are hurting or lethargic. I have some advice, and I hope I am not overbearing... :)
I am sure you are overwhelmed with how or where to start improving these headaches, so I would suggest tracking all of the suggestions provided in one big list. One issue that can be marked off your list very quickly is: Get his eyes checked.
Also, check to see if he is squinting when he plays outside. He might be hypersensitive to light, which is definately a trigger for migranes. I started having headaches at a young age, and I that is when we found out that I had very poor eyesight. I started wearing coke-bottle glasses in Kindergarden, and progressed to contacts in 4th grade. Since then, my headaches did improve and I was a more willing participant in school.
All my best,
S.

C.,

I have allergies and sinus headaches and have for as far back as I can remember. I don't usually have a runny nose, or watery eyes; I have nasal allergies. If you doctor can prescribe something like Nasonex or Flonaise I am sure you son will get relief. I suffered for 41 years until a nurse practitioner in our office prescribed it for an ear infection I had. Our regular doctor was on his honeymoon so I saw this wonderful woman instead. My doctor had known what she I told her in an off hand manner and he had never given me nasal spray. While on that spray I didn't have a single head ache. For about a year after I stopped taking it I had about three head aches. Now they are more frequent and I am asking for a new prescription for the nasal spray. It is amazing what that stuff can do. The effects were immediate meaning the next morning I was clear and no headache. See if the doctor has a free sample to give you for him.

Hi C.,
My name is H. and I too am a mother of 2 boys. My oldest being 14 suffers from migraines also. I have found that w/ dr. you have to be very assertive with them. Almost telling them what you want them to do. Sounds just like my son. Missing school or leaving early because of a headache. He is now seeing a neurologist and she is running several test. These include a MRI, blood work and sleep studies. She also has taken him off all caffeine and red dyes. This has been for about a month or so and he has not had a headache since the change. I was told by a dr that they can be be a family trait. So I think my best advice for you is to stand up and tell the dr what you want done and see a neurologist. Good luck and I hope that this helps you and your son.

H.

Hi C.,

I'm glad to hear that you don't believe your son is faking these headaches. Sinus problems, allergies, etc. can absolutely cause migraines, as can a host of other things. Some things to look at would be preservatives in food, artificial colorings, wheat and milk products,caffeine, household chemicals, etc. See if you can rid the home of chemicals in your household cleaners, your laundry detergent, etc. Be a good detective as to when your son is getting these headaches and try to pinpoint what is triggering them. You will probably be able to determine this better than the doctors.

Also, have him see a chiropractor regularly for adjustments. I was getting migraines every week until I started seeing an awesome chiropractor by the name of Evaline Delson in West Ashley. ###-###-####) I have not had one headache in 2 years.

I wish you both the best and sincerely hope you get this figured out.

~C.
www.LostRiverNaturals.com
Organic Goodness for the Whole Family

I think you should get a second opinion. Constant headaches or frequent is not normal. Things can be missed by the best of doctors and sometimes specialist. I would seek a specialist like a Nerologist not just someone looking into his sinuses. The brain needs to be looked at.

My son is in the hospital off and on and had a liver transplant almost a year ago. It's amazing the things kids can be born wiht and how long they go undetected. I don't want to scare you and I don't want to say the "C" word, but it needs to be ruled out.

Stress is another one as well as his eyes checked. Especially if it happens more at school then home. I had tension headaches for 12 years before I was properly diagnosed and learned to let stuff go.

A.

When I was a child, I suffered from migraine headaches, I was tested in everyway and they never found anything. They decided that sugar might have been the problem. Maybe too much sugar on my cereal so to speak. I will say that I am sensitive to "things" in life...smoke, watching tv for too long, being inside for long periods of time, not eating when I should, and as an adult I sometimes get seasonal headaches from pollen. I hope maybe one of my problems is your problem as they are easily fixed. I hope there is nothing more serious going on with your son. I would definatley check more than the sinuses though, just to be sure. Good Luck.

Have you tried giving him Motrin when he has the headaches?
My now 12 year old started getting headaches and debilitating growing pains at the age of 4. He would not play on the playground at school (scared the teacher to death) would just sit and mope. He would say his legs hurt, or his head hurt.
He is 12 now and still gets some growing pains and bloody noses A LOT! Especially during growth spurts he has pains, bloody noses, headaches, and trouble concentrating in school. Drs (also Mil)say it is his hormones just fluctuating during these times. The anti-inflammatory (Motrin) does seem to help most times. Make the Drs give you answers!!!! It does not sound like sinus' but after the CT scan they will know for sure, also have you checked his eyesight? Could be he is getting through school ok, even though his eyes may need a little help? These are all the things we had to check out to make sure it was the growing that was causing my sons pain.
Hope this helps give you some food for thought!

Even though your child's doctor doesn't quite believe in the headaches, I would ask for a referral to an Allergist and have him tested. It could be the headaches are related to sinus problems and allergies. I have allergies and when outside (sometimes) I get headaches from the pollens outside. My child (unfortunately) has also inherited some of my allergies but his doesn't need shots like mine. When his act up he goes on Claritin for at least 10 days, and the allergies seem to get better.

Hi C.,
When my son was 5 and in kindergarten he had headaches often. I would have to pick him up early from school several times each month. I didn't think he was making it up to get out of school because he loved school, he was always excited to go in the mornings. I finally realized on the last day of school just how many animals were in the classroom. There was a tall divider in the middle of the room and I just never went on that side until that day. There were many animals, I would guess 20-25 in cages and aquariums. After that day he never complained of headaches so I feel that it was the animals and there were a lot of plants in the room as well. I don't know if this is related to your son's situation but it came to mind. I hope you and your doctor can figure out what is going on and correct it so your son feels better and you have the peace of mind that he is OK.
M. K

My husband used to suffer from horrible allergies caused by migraines. None of the typical allergy medicine (both prescription and OTC) helped at all. Then he saw Dr. Schlizovik (sp?) at Carolina Otolaryngology Institute in Aiken. He was given some special oral drops that were developed especially for his allergies, and within a matter of days he started feeling amazingly different. As a child I also saw Schlizovik for other problems--most other doctors told my mother I was either faking these problems, or they were psychological in nature.

Dr. Schlizovik took one look at me and figured out the problem that all those other doctors were so quick to blame on myself. I highly recommend seeing him.

But you know what? I'd stop seeing any doctor who refused me help the way that your doctors are doing. Keep getting second and third and fourth opinions, until you find someone who will say, "It probably is allergies, but let's run some tests just to be sure it's not something more serious." It's worth the extra effort for the peace of mind.

I hope you get some answers soon!

Oh, and my husband's worst attacks were trigged by a drop in barometric pressure. If there was a storm coming, you could be sure he'd be holed up in bed with a cold cloth over his head. Does this sound anything like your son? One allergist we saw said that a lot of people have allergies trigged in the same way, but they're much more slight so they don't notice the correlation.

Maybe a simple solution...a close friend of mine has a daughter that suffers from very bad headaches. They increased a lot once she started school. After lots of doctors appointments and worring, they found out that she was dehydrated. They do not allow the children to get enough water during the day at school. She now sends her daughter to school with a water bottle everyday and things are much better. The school tryed to fight her on this so she had to get a dr's note basically perscribing the water bottle.(CRAZY) I would try REALLY pushing the fluids for a few days. Maybe this will help. It would be wonderful if the solution is as simple as relaxing with a drink.

They say you should never doubt a moms intuition. I would press the subject until the Dr did somethng, and if you are not happy with the rate in which he is moving his rump I would find another Dr that did. It is not normal for a 5 year old to have that many headaches. You say he gets them when he plays really hard and so forth, the only thing I can think of is dehydration causes headaches in any age group. Make sure he is really hydrated and get a Dr that listens to your concerns.

I was told usually young children don't fake sick...mine really haven't they really just want to play it's about 5th grade on that you may have to worry about faking. I was also told when my 4 yr old was having headaches children don't really get headaches unless something is wrong anything as simple as sinus's to seizures. I would consider it in insult that someone has the guts to say my child is lying a fever doesn't really have anything to do with a headache you can have a headache and not have a fever. I'm sorry the nurse you had as a child was sadly not doing her job. Not all children lie...I would consider going to a Ped Neurologist period if you need a referral first get a Ped Neuro on your plan then call your Ped for the referral if you need no referral then just call and make your appt.. My son saw a Ped Neurologist for his ADHD and I noticed they had many things around the waiting room and patient rooms with headache information on it. I'd rather just go and see them and not waste anymore time. My best wishes to you and I hope you find your little one comfort and soon to be pain free.

Take your little guy to see a chiropractor! They will absoluty check into it and help to resolve his problems. If you need some good ones around the Summerville/ N. Charleston area, just let me know. Best of luck!!

C., Please pursue this. I work for a Chiropractor and I know he could help. Just let me know if you want our office info. On a side note....I used to have headaches a lot when I was a kid, and it wasn't until much later did my Mom find out that it was one of my 2nd grade teachers causing it. She would yell at us all day and slap a ruler on a table to scare us. Sounds crazy I know but true. It made me very tense, therefore caused headaches and nothing would help. Later that same year in school that teacher was fired. My headaches went away. Hope this helps!
Johna

Headaches aren't necessarily a sinus problem although bad sinuses might be a side effect.

Get an MRI or CT asap! Your son might have a series of issues that need to be addressed which is why just a sinus medication doesn't seem to be working.

Get the medical FACTS - not just family history. People are individuals with their own individual characteristics and traits. Don't take for granted that a hereditary condition is also your son's.

I've got 4 (actually 3 kids and a niece) that have severe allergies that caused all kinds of problems before we found out that they had allergies. We were afraid that my youngest (who is now 5) actually was deaf in one ear but the hearing loss was intermittant. We took him to an audiologist who told us that the problem was that there was so much fluid build up that the eardrum was prolapsed! She recommended we get allergy testing. My niece also was having problems and was referred for allergy testing at the same time by a different doctor. It turns out that all 4 are allergic to just about everything. We had never considered allergies because there was no itchy eyes or sneezing...just lots of sinus and ear infections. The difference once we got them on heavy duty prescription allergy medicines was amazing.

Talk to your doctor about getting him referred to an allergy specialist (not an ENT) for allergy testing. Specify one that works with kids - the first one we took Alyssa to was awful.

Collen H
If you were my daughter and this was one of my many grandsons I would suggest you see an allergist or nutritionist as so many headaches and other problems for children seem to stem from food allergies. Before considering any surgery that might be suggested by any attending physician in regards to the sinuses etc. this avenue might produce some answers. I know you feel time is passing and nothing is being done right now but better to be patient and accurate in the diagnosis.
Grandma G.

C., Sorry for what you're going thru as a mother. I know you wish you could take the pain from him. I suffered from migranes as a child and was also told I was faking it. My doctor always tried to lead me to answer his questions the way he thought I should. My Dad is the one who thought I was faking, yet he was the one at the appts. Mom was the one who rubbed my head and cleaned up when I was sick from them. Finally ,Mom took me instead of Dad and RAILED the Dr. She asked about anyurisms, tumor,etc. Eventually I had an MRI. (I also had allergies, which were NOT the problem) Surprise..sinus infection. By this time I was 16yrs old with a voice of my own. I took the sinus meds for 2 days and threw them out. It was excruciating!! At 16, I think I would have been able to know the difference between a sinus headache and a migrane. I then tries a chiroprator which helped but got expensive. The only good news is I learned what triggered them and how to manage them. Although I don't recommend a chiro. at his age, I would take a look at the whole body. Also make a journal of foods, activities etc. and go get a 2nd opinion. I hope this helps in some way. Hot baths and a cold rag is what my mom used. M.