I have a puzzling issue. I have these quick onset headaches that I have found to be triggered by 2 things. One is running and the other is using my CPAP machine to treat my sleep apnea. I see the nose as a connection. If I stay away from both I am fine, but I would love to treat my sleep ap.
The headache, which can be different in severity, starts with pain in the sinus area between the nose and eye. The pain seams focused and can at times throb to what seems like the beat of my heart. It is always in the same location. I then start to have bouts of sneezing fits. Rhinorrhea(runny nose) begins to set in. Then there is eye pain followed by lacrimation (watery, tearing). This all occurs on one side of the face. It can happen to either side of the face, but it doesn't move sides when irritated. At times, breathing through the nose irritates that focused pain. It can take up to a week for the headache to subside until it is triggered again.
My guess is that it is a nerve (possibly anterior ethmoid nerve) that gets irritated and then it spreads (to the ophthalmic nerve branch possibly) causing the other pains. Contact headache (anterior ethmoid neuralgia) seems like a possible diagnosis, but I don't see much information on it. Any help would be great. Thanks.