What about facial pressure and pain? I have always thought I had sinus problems but everytime they do a CT scan my sinuses are clear. They can see swelling but have never been able to tell me why It hurts all the time. Can the fluid buildup put pressure behind my eyes, forehead and nose/cheeks?
Hi Joanna
Im not sure if the fluid build up can do dis but i have chiari and a syrinx nd i had surgery a month ago and i still feel like theres pressure in all those places u said nd sumtimes it really hurts me. I probaly havent helped u atal but ur not alone. Have the said u have chiari?
Caroline
Hi Joanna,
I am sorry you are having fluid problems. Have you seen an ENT or Adult Allergist. The only way you can Diagnosis Chiari is from an MRI, preferably of the brain & cervical spine. A lot of Chiarians have sinus problems. Please don't get discouraged. Has anyone ever checked you for Trigeminial Neuralgia? It does cause a lot of facial pain.
Please let me know how you are doing,
Tracy z.
Sorry! That title was unclear 
I should have said is this another frustrating symptom of Chiari? Yes, I do have Chiari and am awaiting my consultation with the Neurosurgeon on June 5th. This is just something that has been bothering me for years and docs have never been able to explain why, so I was wondering if it too might be related to the Chiari. Thank you for posting, Caroline. It does help to not be alone in this!
Thank you, and yes I have seen several ENTs and had allergy testing. Its not nerve pain it feels like the pain from a sinus infection - feels like my sinuses are all full but they’re not. Frustrating!
TracyZ said:
Hi Joanna,
I am sorry you are having fluid problems. Have you seen an ENT or Adult Allergist. The only way you can Diagnosis Chiari is from an MRI, preferably of the brain & cervical spine. A lot of Chiarians have sinus problems. Please don't get discouraged. Has anyone ever checked you for Trigeminial Neuralgia? It does cause a lot of facial pain.
Please let me know how you are doing,
Tracy z.
this is actually how I was just recently diagnosed with Chiari. About a month ago I had a horrible upper respiratory infection and it caused me to have a horrible inner ear infection that took me in and out of the ER twice. In that process they did CT scans and learned that I had Mastioditis. They referred me to a ENT and he said that I had fluid in my Mastiod but it was not as bad and should not cause the problems that I was experiencing. He then referred me to a headache Dr, who ordered the MRI that found the Chiari. That brings me to where I am now. I have had mild hearing loss in my left ear since this all started and a headache that NEVER goes away, just becomes more manageable with pain medications. Let me know what you find out...
I too have sinus problems - I have pain sometimes but mostly have a lot of trouble with pressure and my nose being almost totally stopped up most of the time. I've had a lot of test too but the only thing I've found out is that sinuses aren't totally developed. I don't know if that's part of the overall chiari thing with the skull not developing properly or not. I hoped that when I had the Chiari/basilar invagination surgery that it might relieve some of the pressure in my sinuses but it reallly didn't. It took away virtually all the virtigo, dizziness and the foggy feeling in the brain though and I haven't had any of the horrible headaches since my surgery almost two years ago; so the surgery was a good thing. I know when you are going through all the problems, it oftentimes feels like there is no relief in sight and it will never end - I felt that way too. Now it's hard to believe that two years have passed since my surgery. I'm not perfect but a lot of things ae so much better. I hope you get some answers and relief soon.
Shirley
Joanna,
Face pain and pressure has always been one of my most painful problems. Sometimes it mimicks sinus pain with me but I don't have any sinus problems. My face pain travels around so sometimes it's jaw pain sometimes it's forehead pain ect.. There are alot of trigger points in your face and of course nerves also that can flair up. It's an awful feeling. I'm sorry you have to go through that. Heat and rubbing the sore places helps me.................................Wendy
I also have the facial pain. Not sure why, my jaw will hurt sometimes like I have a tooth ache (I have never even had a cavity), my cheek bones will hurt, and my forehead. I have no idea why this happens to me, I have had CTs done and they reveal nothing at all wrong. I agree with Wendy that heat and rubbing the sore places help. At least for me they do. Good luck!
I've always had ear and sinus problems. Chronic ear and sinus infections since I was 2 weeks old. In and out of the docs office my entire life with them. Had tubes put in twice. Finally in 2009 I found and ENT who actually wanted to do more than just give me some antibiotics and send me on my way. He had me do an allergy test. I was allergic to 95 % of the enviromental stuff the tested me for and borderline on 20 % of the food. Then he sent me for a MRI where they found out that I have sclerosis of the mastoid sinuses with poor pneumatization. Which basically means that alot of the air cells/cavities in my sinuses didn't form and the ones that did have now hardened due to chronic sinus infections. Which my ENT told me is what is causing me to feel like I have a sinus infection all the time, when I don't. So that might be an avenue you want to look at. Bring it to you ENT and see what he thinks. Just a suggestion, not diagnosing you at all.