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sinus headache

sinus headache

1 2.9
Pain in the head from blocked or infected sinuses near the nose
  • noun
  • /ˈsaɪnəs ˈhɛdˌeɪk/
translation icon : cefalea sinusal
  • After spending time in a dusty environment, he developed a sinus headache that made it difficult for him to concentrate.
  • gave him a sinus headache

Maybe I'll take some painkillers, you know, start getting sinus headaches and stuff like that.

Examples

  • Even in another brilliant year (42 home runs, 123 RBI), he's had bouts with a sinus headache and chewing tobacco.

    Blog text (6)
  • Applying cold packs to her forehead helped relieve the sinus headache caused by the seasonal allergies.

  • The patient said it helped clear her head and got rid of the sinus headache she had at the time.

    Blog text (13)
  • I have the sinus headache from hell, so I'm not even close to logical here.

    Blog text (5)
  • The red wine she has drunk is giving Joan a sinus headache that is spreading down to her neck.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Maybe I'll take some painkillers, you know, start getting sinus headaches and stuff like that.

  • She was having an acute sinus headache that required a lot of concentration.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Sinus headaches, osteo-meatal obstruction, and endoscopic procedures will be left to your good judgment.

    Academic text (1995)
  • She realized her sinus headache was a result of the congestion from her cold and decided to see a doctor for relief.

Synonyms

headache
vssinus headache
427 1.0

A continuous pain in the head

is due to inflammation or infection of the air cavities near the nose

Antonyms

440 1.0

A feeling of comfort when pain or worry goes away

52 3.2

Good physical and mental health that people try to keep

Surface Forms

Morphology

sinus + headache

The compound is directly compositional: combining 'sinus' (air-filled cavities connected to the nose) with 'headache' (pain in the skull) yields a headache related to the sinuses, so the causal/location relation is transparent. This noun–noun construction and the idea of a headache caused by sinus inflammation or congestion is cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents should be able to infer the meaning.

Etymology

Sinus headache comes from the small air spaces in your face called sinuses. When these sinuses become blocked or swollen and press on nearby parts you feel a headache, so the phrase means 'a headache caused by blocked or swollen sinuses'.