Most people (including many doctors) often assume that facial pain is caused by sinusitis when in fact most causes are not due to sinus problems at all.  This is especially true if you do not have any nasal symptoms such as a blocked nose, discoloured nasal discharge or a reduced sense of smell.

Acute sinusitis is often painful but tends to happen after a cold and does not  usually last more than a week or two.  Chronic sinus infections are much less likely to be painful and most patients will complain of nasal symptoms.

Common causes of facial pain and headache are tension headache and something called midfacial segment pain, which is like tension headache but it only affects the face.  In both abnormal pain signals are sent to the brain and it usually improves with a tablet.

Other causes of facial pain include facial migraine, dental and jaw joint disorders, facial muscular pain and analgesic overuse headache amongst many others.  By looking in your nose with an endoscope in clinic it will become clear to a consultant if sinusitis is the cause of your pain.