Look for other causes: sinusitis rarely presents as headache alone.(Clinical Rounds)

RANCHO MIRAGE, CALIF. -- A patient may complain of a "sinus" headache, but if the headache is that person's only or major symptom, the cause is almost never sinusitis, Dr. Howard L. Levine said at a meeting sponsored by the Diamond Headache Clinic.

Look instead for another etiology, advised Dr. Levine, an otolaryngologist and director of the Cleveland Nasal Sinus and Sleep Center.

Several criteria must be met for a diagnosis of sinusitis or rhinosinusitis. Facial pressure or pain, nasal obstruction or blockage, a purulent nasal discharge, and changes in the sense of taste or smell are among the major criteria to look for. Headaches are considered a minor…