Chronic headache related to nasal obstruction.

A study of the occurrence of chronic headache in 444 patients suffering from nasal obstruction is presented. The localization, frequency, severity of the headache and differences between men and women are described. All the patients were treated with rhinoplastic surgery and examined just prior to surgery and 12 months post-operatively, applying exactly the same scheme of questioning and examination on the two occasions. The investigation shows a very strong association between the establishment of a normal nasal passage and the cure of headache. The study stresses the viewpoint that a negative sinus X-ray cannot rule out the possibility that a headache is of nasal origin, and that careful rhinologic examination is essential.