Maxillary sinus cyst!

Posted , 60 users are following.

Is there anybody else on here that has a maxillary sinus cyst and symptoms? I suffer with terrible headaches and facial pain, ear pain to name a few, but my ENT doctor thinks that the cyst is most definitely not the cause of my symptoms!! It's a long story but I can't begin to tell you how frustrating it is! Not being believed. I am in the U.K. and wondered if there was anyone else in the same situation? If you had it removed, what were the circumstances and who was your ENT surgeon?

Thanks in advance 😊

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  • Posted

    Late comer to this discussion but i am seeing so many symptoms by different people that are similar to mine. I have been losing my vision for the past year and a half, severe balance issues, migraines, feeling of hoofbeats in my ears, nausea... finally after begging for help I got sent for a CT scan and today was informed I have a substantial maxillar cyst. I recently got glasses for the first time in my life.... they're not helping. I have been put on antibiotics. Is this going to work or is surgery going to be necessary??

    • Posted

      Hi Linda 

      Are you in the UK or US? I’m in the UK and started this discussion off. Seems there are many of us suffering very similarly symptoms and we all have a cyst. Usually ENT just say that a cyst in the maxillary sinus will not cause symptoms and they do not offer surgery. However it would seem that in America the ENT surgeons view this quite differently and I know some have had theirs removed. The antibiotics will only kill the infection but will not remove the cyst. It may shrink it a little but antibiotics won’t get rid of it completely I’m afraid. Are you with ENT at the moment. Do you have a referral to them? 

  • Posted

    Hi my name is Shadocia ! And I’ve been experiencing the same symptoms . I’m 20 years old and I’ve been diagnosed a month ago with a cyst on my righ maxillary sinus . I have constant dizziness , lightheaded , I have righ neck pain the travels up the right side of my lower head , right eye pain , some times arm pain .. I have right ear, right temple pain ,  pain and jaw pain , feels like tengaling sensation .. I try not to worry myself but when I searched up my symptoms this popped up ... I’m scared of brain aneurysms cause that is what popped up as well as I searched my symptoms 😔 I’ve visited ER , in Florence SC , Charleston, and they gave me CT SCANS that showed nothing at all , no tumors , no aneurysms ,  no anything . I have constant pressure in that same spot on my lower right head which follow with neck pain and arm pain .  My primary care doctor was been supposed to get me a neurologist but it’s been almost two months since I’ve been waiting . Do you experience any of this ? If so how do you deal with it . I do stress a lot because I have a 9 month old son and I worry bout my health issues and scared something will happen . I wake up dizzy , blurr vision , and my primary care doctor wants me to believe that it’s a cyst on my sinus 😔 I don’t think it is . Any advice ? Can you point me in the right direction to help . 

  • Posted

    It’s good to see I’m not crazy. I’ve read and been told by one a er dr that my headaches are due to my maxillary sinus having cysts. I have one on each side but seems my right side more often hurts. Sometimes a couple of benadryl help and sometimes flushing my sinuses help. I’ve had headaches for atleast 2 years usually 4 to 7 times a week. 95% of the time once it comes it stays. I went to a sinus specialist and he just pretty much pushed me to a neurologist which hasn’t found anything. The sinus dr said there’s no way my headaches are sinus related. Usually after a good headache the day that it lets up my sinuses drain horribly and mack me sick.  It’s driving me nuts. Constant pain. Right now it hurts. Do y’all have anything y’all do to help? Maybe something over the counter.  I’m so tired of hurting. I’m from the United States. 
  • Posted

    Hi there, 

    ?I am wondering how everyone is making out with the cysts.  I started with a fungal sinus infection 1 and a half years ago.  Once that was treated, I developed a very large bag under my left eye.  Gross   I knew this was directly related to the sinus infection and visited my first ENT doc.  The cat scan confirmed that I had a 4mm cyst is my maxillary sinus cavity.  The doctor(s) emphatically dismissed the cyst as being the cause of this swelling.  Over time, the swelling got bigger, the pressure in my eye, face and cheek became insurmountable.  I saw another ENT at Boston's esteemed Mass Eye and Ear who also insisted the cyst meant nothing.  He suggested all kinds of crazy things, (auto immune disorders ie) Of course we know if it were any of those things, it would present bilaterally. He was rude and dismissive and insisted upon an MRI.  This expensive test proved that my cyst had grown 4mm up to 8 since the Ct scan.  My PC doc ran a ton of test to rule out other possible conditions nd still the doc refused to believe the cyst needed attention.  I have just seen another ENT and I am getting the same story, even though I have repeatedly explained that medical reports confirm that in some cases they DO cause these issues.   I am so frustrated, I am unable to attend my yoga class due to the pressure, I cannot breath out of that nostril at night, and I have a very displeasing eye bag that I can see from my peripheral vision.  If anyone has found a doctor that understands, please let me know!  I wont accept that I have to live with this forever.  

    • Posted

      hi there! Have you made any progress? I could have written the exact same thing as you. I'm the original poster and still i am no further forwards . It is beyond frustrating and extremely tiring too ! Let me know how you are getting on?

      best wishes

    • Posted

      I too have insane pressure in my left cheek where cyst is. If i try and sleep on that side its too much pressure. How is this normal???

  • Posted

    I have been reading these comments and feel for everyone. I am going through the same thing. .....4ents none of which think that the cyst has anything to do with the migraines and continuous popping in my ear. Saw neurologist yesterday who has prescribed beta blockers to avoid the migraine
  • Posted

    I just left the ENT today and he was so dismissive that my son wanted to punch him.  I have been having Migraines for over 27 years.  I learned about a cyst on both the left and right side about 3 weeks ago.  I have extreme pressure and feelings of fluid moving in my ears, head, ear aches, tooth aches, and double vision.  The ENT said this is unrelated to the Cyst and will not do surgery.  After reading everyone’s comments about experiencing some of the same symptoms, it makes me wonder why are they so against removing the cysts and secondly what we need to start asking is show me evidence that the cyst are not the reason for the congestion, headaches, and other symptoms.  How can we let doctors get away with ignoring our ailments?
    • Posted

      I saw a neurologist referred by the ent 4 weeks ago and he has prescribed beta blockers as a prevention to the migraines. He does not believe that the cyst is related but I never had migraines before the ear problem. In saying all this i didn't receive the medication until my daughter has been temporarily staying with my father and schooling near him as she had an incident with the school she was at so the noise has been significantly reduced so i wouldn't expect to get the migraines and I haven't. I am moving and about to get her back in my care to a new school so that will then determine whether the medication is effective or not. Good luck. This is such a debilitating ailment that nobody can relate to because it is an unknown in medical practices. 

    • Posted

      When I was diagnosed with the cysts, they called them retention cysts and the radiologist who evaluated my CT scan said the excessive mucus in my sinuses was due to retention cysts. I asked what that meant, and the doctor said it's because they retain mucus. So how can ANY doctor say that your head pressure is completely unrelated to the cysts in your HEAD that have their own mucus collection??! It's very frustrating.

      My guess is there are two things at work here. The doctors are just going along with what current medical science has to say about sinus cysts (have there been any official studies about this subject??), and they don't want to operate because there's risk of severing something important. There's a reality show about a dermatologist that I like where she said this area of the face is very risky to cut because there are so many things you can damage. I'm other words, the doctors are weak little sissies, afraid to operate!

      Sometimes you can get a dentist to remove a cyst, depending on what else they're doing in there, because they can cut upwards from the mouth to the maxillary sinus. I don't think these kinds of things are going to change unless we demand it, and someone does a big medical study.

    • Posted

      I have a mucus retention cyst.  Been to a sinus specialist and was told he can and is willing to remove it but does not think it is the reason for my pain. Yes I have had a couple of teeth removed because the sinus dr suggested teeth and it is true your face has a lot of nerves and right now after this recent tooth pulling I have more pain ontop of everything.  I just don’t know if I should get it removed the cyst. 
    • Posted

      Hi I am the original poster regarding these sinus cysts. I'm actually still battling ENT and Maxillofacial now and still no further forwards . We need to keep this forum going and helping one another ! Have you made any progress at all and are you also in the Uk? I am going to try and do some more research to see if there are any surgeons out there that have removed them !

    • Posted

      my situation is not getting any better. I Had tooth 12 removed, an old root canal, last summer & I have pain still in that area. so that created a whole new issue!

      As for my cyst, it is sitting right ontop of my teeth roots. Mine is around tooth 15 & 14. I removed tooth 15 last year & the oral surgeon sewed the sinus communication so it never drained. So right now Its still sitting in that area. I do have sinus inflammation in the maxillary sinus but the ents just say sinus rinse & nasal spray.

      I went to ents that specialize in that area & was told removing the sinus cyst most likely wont change a thing. I too have been shuffled from ent & oral surgeons. I HAVE had it! They both blame eachother. SO looks like I will have to either get a sinus clean out or root/canal or remove more teeth. Sometimes I just want to have a good meltdown because I have had enough!!!

    • Posted

      Alryk I absolutely hear you! I have suffered with this now for 6 years . I've spent the last 3-4 years battling with ENT and Maxillofacial oral surgeons . Being pushed from pillar to post! I too am so tired of being in pain and also getting knock back after knock back . ENT say they wont remove it as there is a strong probability that it will just come back. Also they think i will just get repeated sinus infections as the area has been interferred with. The constant post nasal drip gives me a permanent sore throat and the feeling of a glue ear, blocked ear. My teeth hurt all the time and the roof of my mouth is so salty . It's clear to me that only the cyst can be causing these symptoms. You can see on my scan that the roots of 3 of my teeth go into the cyst . I also asked them if they would consider removing the teeth and they told me they wouldnt . I too am at my wits end ! Right now I'm trying to research supplements , and have just bought some Guaifenesin 400mg . There is research to suggest that this gets rid of mucas and post nasal drip. Have a google. Scientific papers on this etc.

      I suspect it won't get rid of my cyst but may help with the symptoms my cyst causes . I shall keep my progress posted in this group. Alryk I absolutely understand what you're going through and if I can ever help, I will do! I shall keep you all posted . b

    • Posted

      nothing has changed for me except my face pain has gotten worse. SO somehow my nose hurts real bad. So been dealing with that. No sinus dr sees an infection or inflammatory issue but my septum is sore to move! Some think its related to recent tooth extraction or maybe a tooth by nose is infected. ANYWAY- I want my cyst out! When I had tooth 15 out the oral surgeon closed up sinus communication. I think if he kept it open the cyst would have drained. It still looks like its above tooth 14/15 area. I AM CONVINCED I have some infected mucous in that area. I did have balloon procedure on that side where they break bone and sinus drains better. ENT think that if i had any infected mucous it would drain since i had the balloon procedure. MY MRI's /CT SHOW mild thickening in the sinus & the cyst. but was told inflammation is not infection and no one has treated me for inflammation. i have been on tons and tons of antibiotics these past few yrs & never in my life have i been so frustrated with ent & oral surgeons. I am sick of spending co pays and getting radiation from these tests just to not have a solution to the problem. IF it means i have to have a partial denture on the left side than so be it! I want to move on with my life. This nose crap is annoying me too. No one knows anything. SO another lovely day of being angry. lol

    • Posted

      Absolutely get rid in the cyst, they cause all these awful symptoms and they keep coming back as long as there are infected teeth. That was my case - i have been operated 5 times for maxillary cyst and it came back, the last two times w awful symptoms - dizziness, constant post nasal drip, headaches, head pressure, crippling fatigue, swollen forehead/eyes. The culprits were teeth 15 and 16.

      Now the cyst is out and both teeth are out, but the infection still persists, although its subsiding slowly... my dark circles under eyes are getting better. I hope it will get better albeit very very slowly!

    • Posted

      I am having the same issue! I've had 2 root canals on 14 and 13. When 13 was going south I started having constant sinus headaches so I got a CT scan and it showed a cyst right where the roots of those teeth are. I'm curious how you are feeling now? Should I get both those teeth removed and try to have the cyst removed at the same time since the roots go into my sinus wall?

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