Exel asked
I've had a sinus headache above my eyes. What can I take?
Answer
You have many different options for a sinus headache. First off, you want to make sure you simply have a sinus headache due to congestion or inflamed nasal passages instead of a sinus infection. While sinus infections can heal on their own, often times antibiotic therapy is warranted.
In terms of symptomatic treatment for sinus headache, you have many choices including pain relievers, nasal decongestants and antihistamines. Even if you don't feel congested or if you don't feel you have allergies, antihistamines and decongestants can be very helpful for relieving that sinus pressure that causes that headache.
Pain Relievers
There are 3 common pain relievers over the counter that can help take the discomfort away from sinus headaches. Tylenol (Acetaminophen), Advil (Ibuprofen) and Aleve (Naproxen) are all good options. Ideally, Advil and Aleve would work better since they have an anti-inflammatory component to them. Advil and Aleve belong to a class known as NSAIDs and should be avoided if you have issues with ulcers, stomach bleeds, high blood pressure or are on anticoagulant therapy. If you okay to take them, they are a good choice and can be very helpful.
Nasal Decongestants
Sudafed (Pseudoephedrine) is a great nasal decongestant. Again, even if you don't feel congested, Sudafed can do wonders to relieve sinus pressure. It is a good choice as long as you don't have uncontrolled high blood pressure or any heart issues. It is one of the most commonly recommended medications for sinus headaches.
Antihistamines
Even if you are not suffering from allergies, antihistamines can help relieve sinus pressure, dry up secretions and eliminate allergens that may be causing inflammation contributing to the headache. Three good antihistamines are Claritin (Loratadine), Zyrtec (Cetirizine) and Allegra (Fexofenadine). You can't really go wrong with any of them. Claritin and Allegra are completely non-drowsy.
Other
A new over the counter medication known as Nasacort recently went over the counter. It is a steroid nasal spray. It typically isn't the recommended medication for a acute attack of a sinus headache but it is a good preventative medicine. Being a steroid, it helps reduce inflammation and can greatly reduce the likelihood of sinus headaches happening.
My general recommendation is to purchase a combination product of an NSAID and Sudafed. Two such products are known as Aleve-D and Advil-D. They contain their respective anti-inflammatory medications and Sudafed. They typically work very well for reducing the pain and severity of sinus headaches. As preventative, I recommend either antihistamines or the Nasacory nasal spray that I mentioned.
