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Headache Diagnoses and Impact of Headache
in Patient-Defined 'Sinus Headache' Sufferers
CP Schreiber, RK Cady
Posted: April 2003  
Headache Quarterly 2002; 13.3:33  

Objective:   To evaluate headache-related disability in subjects with self described "sinus headache". Three separate studies were conducted to evaluate the characteristics of "sinus headache".

Setting:   Studies 1 and 2 were enrolled at three general practice sites and a headache specialty site. Study 3 was conducted at a headache specialty site.

Patients:   Studies 1 and 2 enrolled patients with self-described "sinus headache" without prior physician migraine diagnosis. Study 3 enrolled subjects with self-described "sinus headache" who had prior physician migraine diagnosis.

Outcome Measures:   Headache impact was evaluated using the Headache Impact Test. Scores were grouped by level of impact. Subjects provided detailed headache information and were segregated by applying International Headache Society (IHS) diagnostic criteria to their headache symptoms and episodic tension-type headache.

Conclusions:   Headache sufferers and clinicians acknowledge the clinical presentation of "sinus headache" as a symptom complex distinct from migraine and tension-type headache. These results strongly indicate patients with self-described "sinus headache" have significant headache-related disability and the majority have history of headaches that fulfill IHS migraine-type diagnosis.