Eye Pain Related to Sinus?

[HennaGirl]

I read where one poster was questioning the relation of sinus problems to eye pain. I am also suffering from chronic eye pain (right eye only). I get a sharp migraine just above the eye accompanied by pain behind the eye as well (both at the same time, feels like someone put my eye ball in the freezer). I suffer from chronic sinusitis. The eye pain is relatively new but I feel it is sinus related. I am currently in the process of having it treated by my primary care doctor...she wants to try allergy related drugs first and see how effective this treatment is before looking any further.
It is hard to get doctors to really listen to their patients....so you just have to be persistent, and take careful notes of your symptoms. Being the one suffering from the pain, and doing as much research as I can myself....I feel that sinus inflammation is definitely related to my eye pain and I will be as persistent as I need to be to get this matter resolved.

If you are experiencing pain definitely take it seriously. Acute infections are a very possible causes.

Does anyone else agree?


This discussion is related to Eye pain - sinuses?.

[DoingtheResearch]

For those of you who are experiencing pain in and around the eye, cheek, and or jaw, you should also look at the trigeminal nerve.  There are three branches that control pain and muscle control in face.  The trigeminal nerve could be the source of the pain or a path for a cure.   If this nerve is close to a blood vessel (or you have high blood pressure) it puts pressure on the nerve and causes pain in the face (look up trigeminal  neuralgia as most severe form).  Also, This nerve senses pain and is tied into the sinus and other parts of the face that, once inflamed, provide the brain with feedback.  Drug treatment, if you haven't found any other relief include anticonvulsant meds.  Topamax is one that at low doses helps relieve migraines/headaches due to this issue.  There is also a Trigeminal nerve simulator that can be placed on the forehead at night that may help as well.  Finally, from an alternative medicine approach, I've read the best success is with acupuncture.  Usually this is not covered by insurance so, as always do your research, see if your symptoms fit and if this is something you want to explore further with your doctor.    

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[Markz999]

Omg... your pain seems like mine exactly!!!! one sided eye pain, my neck is connect to it!! no doctors could figure out the issue.... please since 2009, what was your issue? I hope you're doing ok!! plz answer.

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[bobbI0716]

My step dad had pain behind the eye (plus sinus cavity) also pain in the cheek  bone.horrible headaches that never went away.had a mri, it was cancer. I am not saying that any of you do or to almarm you, or scare you but an mri shows more then a ct scan.also he had a pet scan as well.
Well ive been diagnosed with chronis sinus problems.I take zyrtec, and do flonase.seems to help the allergy part, but doesn't help the pain, and the pain above the left eye brow.so ill be calling my ent dr. Ive had a ct scan which showed some fluid in the right, but none on the left.im on amoxacillin now for something else.so I know its not a sinus infection. Or ide be feeling better. But  ice packs + heat packs work great.also using a humidfire works wonders.

[archilles]

   my elder had that kind of symptoms that is why im a reading all of your comments and no one answered what kind of medication that could cure..im just worried of my sister...early this morning she called me and she was vomiting a eye pain also...there are times she didn't ate her dinner and in the morning she suffered that kind of symptoms..
   if you have any information for a medication of that symptoms please send me a message psycoy82@yahoo,com

[MatthewLED]

I have the same symptoms and have been told by my optician (who is extremely highly regarded) that I shouldn't have my glasses prescription determined until any medical issues have been ruled out because of the fact that my focussing seems to be unstable.

[HennaGirl]

Since my last post (in May 2009), I have been to and ENT,  2 optometrists and 1 opthalmologist. I discovered that what I thought was chronic sinusitis was actually an addiction to OTC nasal spray. I have been nasal spray free for over a year now and all my sinusitis symptoms subsided long ago. A CT scan revealed there was some fluid in my right sinus but three courses of antibiotics and the discontinuance of the spray cleared it up. Unfortunately, that has been ruled out as the cause because I am still suffering from severe eye pain in my right eye.

I failed to mention that a few months before my post my vision had changed rapidly. I became unable to focus when reading and made an appointment with Optometrist who told me I was farsighted and prescribed reading glasses. Upon filling the prescription I found the glasses didn't help. I immediately went back and was seen by another doctor who changed the prescription and that helped some. However, the eye pain still concerned me. I was referred to an opthalmologist 3 weeks later. (By the way Dr. Hagan, my Opthalmologist told me that sinus issues wouldn't be related to eye pain at all. I found that very strange.) He checked my eyes and gave me yet another different prescription for lenses. I told him that would make my third prescription in a short period of time, all different, and asked if I should be concerned about that. He said "not at all". And also diagnosed my pain as being due to some sort of muscle spasm caused by the farsightedness.

Here I am now. I've been paying close attention and I've noted this: the pain usually comes on in the mornings, it radiates into my neck or seems to be connected to my neck at any rate, Excedrin Migraine almost always takes it away within a couple of hours. I am keeping a daily journal now to help narrow some things down.

Thanks for the reply.

[MLouMorris]

Sounds like me , sighs, I am on vacation i have been to emergency twice , to find the first time i scratched my cornea trying to get something out of my eye , the second time it is heaaled and nothing is there. feeling a bit crazy because the pain and bluriness is real. so now i am searching googling and so far Sjogren's syndrome seems to fit .. so home in 2 weeks if i don't go mad in the meantime.

[JohnHaganMD]

Your problem might be recurrent corneal erosions.  Look at my homepage and look through the blogs/posts there and read about RCEs.

[carlo76]

hi henna girl i have chronic pain in my right eye also and a little in my left eye, and after tests the eyes seem fine . i get pain around the eye and a little on my cheek bone . what other symptoms do you have, have you found the cause yet

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Incumbent in the statement that I made was "if the eye exam is normal". See an Eye MD ophthalmologist.  If you are worried about acute glaucoma ask specifically to exclude that.

JCH MD

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

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[zombie634]

The symptoms you are describing are acute glaucoma symptoms- get to a optho who specializes in Glaucoma.  I was blown off for 10 yrs with acute glaucoma symptoms and now I'm screwed.

Go to a real doctor- now !

Many docs miss diagnosing people with glaucoma by telling them they have sinusitis- NEVER mention that you have migraines- they will blow you off and you will suffer for it !

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Sinus problems are one of the most common causes of pain or pressure feeling when the eye exam is normal.

JCH MD