Headaches

A headache in the face, cheeks, forehead, or around the eyes which comes on during a "cold," or when the nose is congested and runny or filled with mucus, is probably a "sinus headache": one caused by sinus infection. Another kind of sinus headache is the one that occurs in the sinus areas during descent (landing) in an airplane, especially if you have a cold or active allergy (this is called a vacuum headache).
 
Unfortunately, there are many other causes of headaches that can be confused with sinusitis. For example, migraine and other forms of vascular or "tension" headaches also give pain in the forehead and around the eyes, and they may even cause a slight stuffy-runny nose. But they are more likely to come and go away in a day or so without a physician's treatment, whereas sinusitis usually gives a headache that lasts for days or weeks until it is treated with antibiotics. Furthermore, intermittent headaches that cause nausea and vomiting are more typical of a migraine-type headache than sinusitis. Severe, frequent, or prolonged headaches deserve a visit to a physician for diagnosis and treatment.