How Do ENTs Treat Headaches?

Headaches are an increasingly common cause for concern and a good reason to see the ear, nose and throat doctor, too. Your ENT doctor can help you better understand the potential cause of severe and recurring headaches as well the best way forward in treating it. Here are some of the ways they can help you.

Diagnosis

The primary reason you want to see your ear, nose and throat doctor is that headaches often do not happen in isolation. Ear infections, inflamed sinuses, tonsillitis and a whole host of other conditions may be the underlying cause of your headaches, even if you are unaware of it. Your ear, nose and throat doctor specializes in identifying and treating a variety of different conditions that affect one or more of these systems, which can each affect more than just the location that they are in. By getting a thorough understanding of your symptoms and carrying out routines to examine these different parts of the face and head, you may find the underlying cause which can outline the treatment you need.

Medication

Depending on the issue, medication can be enough to help treat both the symptoms and causes of headaches. Your ear, nose and throat doctor can help you find the most effective pain medication depending on the type of headache, from recommending over-the-counter medication like aspirin to prescribing more powerful painkillers such as triptans in severe cases. If an infection is the primary cause, you may be prescribed antibiotics. For sinus pressure unrelated to infection, you may require decongestants to provide relief, which can cause an immediate improvement in reducing headaches, too.

Surgery

In some cases, medication may not be enough and surgery could be required to help alleviate your headaches. For instance, if you have headaches linked to regular throat infections, sleep apnea or tonsillitis you may require tonsil surgery to remove them. Abscesses caused by acute infections can cause pressure and pain in the face, leading to headaches. These can be treated by surgically draining the abscess before eliminating the infection and inflammation with a course of antibiotics.

Dietary and lifestyle recommendations

Even if there are no easily discernible physical causes of your headaches present in your ears, nose or throat, an ENT doctor can help you alleviate and prevent headaches with a range of other recommendations. If you suffer from migraines, besides prescribing medication specifically designed to treat them, they can help you understand the conditions that can best help you cope with them, such as lying in a dark, quiet room. Tension headaches can be caused or exacerbated by a range of issues, such as poor dietary habits, loss of sleep and stress. By providing advice on tackling these contributing factors, your ear, nose and throat doctor can also you reduce the frequency of these headaches. If you are having severe trouble with headaches or you find that a specific kind of headache is particularly frequent, it’s recommended you see your ear, nose and throat doctor. They can help you get to the bottom of it and find the best treatment available.