Recounting Painful Headache Experiences
Some of my patients tell me that they can’t lift their head off the pillow
when they experience either migraines or sinus headaches. For instance,
my patient Matthew came to see me when his headaches became so bad
that he couldn’t function at work. A 43-year-old executive, Matthew’s headaches continually disrupted his sleep, preventing him from performing properly at work. When he awoke, he found himself so congested that he couldn’t breathe. Matthew had been to allergists, neurologists, and internists and had taken “a million medicines,” all without success. He was told that he was experiencing migraines; a condition surgery could not cure. His migraines were treated with various medicines, but to no avail. The pain would become so intense that it felt as if someone were sticking an ice pick into his forehead. He would often be awakened by these headaches. To add insult to injury, Matthew also suffered from constant acid reflux, which worsened when he became congested.
I did a complete workup on Matthew and found his migraines had been misdiagnosed: Matthew was suffering from sinus headaches caused by the swelling and closure of the nasal passageways. I performed sinus surgery to open his passageways, which alleviated his headaches immediately. I put Matthew on a maintenance program of traditional medicines and holistic care to control his sinuses. I treated his acid reflux with various medicines. After his sinus surgery Matthew reported that his reflux no longer bothered him except on a rare occasion, usually related to his diet. He is now able to sleep at night. Although he continues treatment for his sinus disease, he is no longer debilitated and is functioning quite well at work.
