sinus pressure or tightness in the middle of my forehead, between my eye browes

I keep having these headaches or tightness like symptoms at the center of my forehead, between my eye browes.  I am on claritin D and rhinocort nasal sprays.  I get weekly allergy shots.  Medicine and shots help but not completely.  I live in southeast michigan area.  When I travel away from there, I start to feel better.  Especially if I go further east toward Canada or go out of state.  What is it that makes me sick all the time around where I live.

[Bhupinder Kaur, MD]

Hello,

The headaches that you are having are sinus headaches.
Sinus headaches are caused by sinus congestion and inflammation (called sinusitis). The sinuses are air-filled spaces lined with mucous membranes surrounding the forehead, cheeks and eyes. Healthy sinuses allow mucus to drain and air to circulate throughout the nasal passages. When sinuses become inflamed, these areas get blocked and mucus cannot drain. This lack of proper sinus drainage can lead to infection. Worse pain in the morning because mucus has been collecting and draining all night.

As you are having sinusitis for a long time ,so these headaches are due to chronic sinusitis. Chronic sinusitis is there when it is present for more than 30 days.It can be caused by repeated allergies also.

In your case,as there is improvement in the symptoms on moving out from the area hence,it can be related to repeated allergies(like environmental).First of all,you have to find out to which allergen you are allergic.This can be done by allergy testsing like skin ***** or blood tests like RAST.For these an opinion from an allergy specialist will be the best.

I hope that helps. Please do keep me posted on how you are doing or if you have any additional queries. Kind regards.

[Rock249]

Thank you for responding.  It only took me about 3 years to respond back.  I apologize for that.  Since my last post, 3 years ago, I still have the same tightness and pressure in my forehead area, especially in the middle, between my eye brows.  Normally my symptoms are pressure and tightness above my eyes, especially above the right eye.  To get rid of it I start out with Claritin-D then if needed flonase, saline sprays, and Ibuprofen.  They don't seem to give me complete relief.  I have had this problem for long time.    As I mentioned in my last post, when I am away from my home area (southeast Michigan), I feel a little better.  Such as, when I travel south to other states, or east to Toronto area, I feel better.  The tightness and pressure is not as bad there.  I can get away with just taking Claritin-D and not having to take flonase.  When I am back home my symptoms are worst and taking all these meds don't completely relieve my symptoms.  Does being surrounded by couple of lakes have anything to do with the way I feel?  Also, I feel that when I take flonase my sinus discomfort gets worst, such as sinus pain.  I often end up taking couple of Ibuprofens to help with the sinus discomfort.  But I have to take some sort of steroid nasal spray to relieve my symptoms.  If don't take it, I feel like everything is closing in on me my sinuses.   I can get away with taking flonase about every other day.  I have been getting regular allergy shots for about last 7 years now.  I have been to several doctors, such as ENT's and Neurologists.  Nothing seems to help so far.  All the ct-scans and MRI's been normal so far.  Life is a struggle, the way I keep feeling here.  There is so much frustration and anger.  My family ends up suffering as well.  I have been jobless for over couple years now.  I feel that I lost my job because the way I keep feeling.  Somehow, I managed to put myself back in school to finish my MBA that I wanted to complete for long time.  I have 3 more classes to go.