Chronic headache: the role of deformity of the nasal septum.

Abstract

To ascertain a possible causal relation between chronic headache and nasal stenosis arising from deformity of the nasal septum 79 people suffering from both symptoms were observed over one year. On entry to the study they were randomly allocated to either an operative or a control group. The patients in the operative group underwent nasal reconstructive surgery, and the control patients were observed without treatment. Comparison of the two groups showed a considerable decrease in headache after operation. These findings support the suggestion of a causal relation between chronic headache and nasal stenosis and indicate that a nasal origin should be borne in mind in cases of otherwise unexplained chronic headache.