Could a Brow Lift Help Sinus Pain Cause when I Pull Mine Up

Question

suffered wsith sinus pain for over 2 years tried everything else nothing works but when when i press and lift my brow the pain goes would it work ?

Richard H. Tholen, MD, FACS · Answer

If you truly have sinusitis, this is visible on CT or MRI scan, and is treated with decongestants, antibiotics, steroids, surgery, irrigations, Neti pots, and a host of over-the-counter nostrums! If you have true sinus pain, pressing and lifting your brow should cause no (good or bad) change whatsoever. However, as has been suggested by others, this pain may be caused by stretching nerve or muscle fibers that results in a form of relief.

	I would consider a trial of Botox in this area to see if relaxation of these muscles causes relief. If it does, a trip to a neurologist or pain management specialist may be appropriate if the pains persist.

	Have a browlift only if your brows are too low and you wish cosmetic improvements to this region. Do NOT expect any improvement in your "sinus pain" from browlift surgery, nor should you ask for insurance reimbursement for this.

David Magilke, MD · Answer

Your sinuses are deep, behind the facial bones, so brow lift surgery does not affect sinus disease. If your "sinusitis" is truly from sinus disease, cosmetic surgery will not affect this. However, many people have muscle tension headaches that are misdiagnosed as sinusitis. If that is the case, releasing some of the muscles in your forehead may make a difference. I agree that a trial of Botox would be helpful to see if that helps your headache symptoms. But even if the Botox helps, I would be careful about getting a brow lift to help your headaches. The reliable results are cosmetic, and any pain relief is an unpredictable side benefit. You may want to have a full work-up with an ENT surgeon who specializes in sinus disease before making any surgical decisions. Best of luck!

Jen Yuan Chow, MD · Answer

If your pain is caused by sinus pressure or inflammation, a brow lift should not improve your pain. The principal objective of any brow lift is to raise the brows, which is most commonly a cosmetic goal. If you are interested in an aesthetic improvement of your upper face, including the brow and forehead, a brow lift is a good idea. However, if you are primarily interested in pain relief, you should first have a thorough evaluation of your sinuses by a qualified physician.

Barry L. Eppley, MD, DMD · Answer

Certainly a browlift is not going to relieve true sinus pain. The connection you may feel by pushing on your brow area and the relief of pain, however, may demonstrate that your 'sinus' pain may not be sinus pain at all. When you push or lift your brows, you are actually stretching a group of nerves that come out of the bone in that area. Because these nerves comes out in front of and on top of the frontal sinus, pain caused by the nerves may be interpreted as sinus pain. The peripheral compression theory of migraines is based on the brow muscles squeezing these nerves causing pain...which some people interpret as a sinus migraine or sinus headache. I would see a neurologist or plastic surgeon who can inject Botox into that area to determine if this is the cause. If you get relief then it is muscle-nerve related and a modified form of a browlift (corrugator release/nerve decompression) may provide more permanent relief.

Mohsen Tavoussi, MD, DO · Answer

First, you will have to find out what is causing your "sinus" pain. Is it actually a sinus pain or a type of headache?

	Some headaches respond well to Botox treatment and surgical disruption of frown muscles but not sinus pain.

	I would follow up with a Head and Neck surgeon and /or Neurologist.

Nicholas Carr, MD · Answer

I'm going to give you a simple answer and say based on my experience it's unlikely you'll see any improvement and you certainly shouldn't count on it. The pain you're describing may or may not be related to your sinuses. To be certain you will need to undergo a proper examination which will likely include a CT scan of your sinuses. If you're serious about pursuing a browlift proceed only if your main goal is to have elevation of your brows - if you experience any improvement in your sinus problems that will be a lucky side effect. Good luck.

Joseph Campanelli, MD · Answer

One of the more difficult problems to deal with is 'sinus'.  Often patients will go for years with prescription after prescription for antibiotics, decongestants, steroids, etc. for their sinus problems only to find that the 'sinus' pain was coming from somewhere else.  We know that a number of patients that undergo a brow lift will have their pain go away but the reason for this is not entirely clear.  In addition, we can not reliably predict which patients will benefit and which will not.  I will tell you the same thing I tell my own patients.  It makes sense to have a brow lift if you desire the aesthetic improvement that a brow lift provides.  Having a brow lift for headaches or sinus is a gamble and I would not recommend it.  Remember that there are always risks associated with surgery and you want to make sure that the benefit you receive is worth the risk that you take.

	An alternative would be Botox which was recently approved for the treatment of migraine headaches but also is known to have benefit for tension headache in some people.  This would potentially give you the benefit of eliminating the sinus pain without the risk of surgery.  If you get good benefit then you can consider a brow lift as a permanent solution.  Make sure, if you choose this option, to go to a board-certified physician that has experience treating headaches with Botox as the injection pattern is different than with cosmetic treatment.

Francis R. Palmer, III, MD (retired) · Answer

A Brow Lift won't help sinus pain but when you push up your forehead or eyebrows, you are placing pressure (like accupressure) on branches of the Trigeminal nerve responsible for pain and sensation to the forehead. You could learn to do the same thing with proper training from someone trained in accupressure...you don't need to have surgery. You could also consider consultations at clinics specialising in pain and headaches.

Michael Elam, MD (retired) · Answer

If your pain is true "sinus" pain I am not aware of a browlift procedure helping this. Botox is helpful with headache pain and it may be an option to try and see if you have any relief of what you are considering "sinus" pain. I  would strongly suggest 
a full evaluation by a good ENT physician and he/she should be able to  help with a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. Best regards!

Richard W. Fleming, MD (retired) · Answer

A browlift will not help true "sinus" pain.You need to have a thorough evaluation by an experienced ENT physician. If elevation of your brows does relive your discomfort, it is not caused by your sinuses.

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