156. Sinus Infections, Headaches, & Better Treatment Options w/ Dr. Jessica Lee

If you have recurring sinus infections, got the allergy shots, maybe even had sinus surgery, and still don’t feel better, this episode might shock you.

For starters: 75-90% of people with self-diagnosed sinus headaches actually meet migraine criteria.

I’m so excited to welcome back Dr. Jessica Lee, double board-certified ENT and lifestyle medicine physician to hopefully provide some answers you’ve been looking for. We’re going deep on sinus headache vs migraine, Eustachian tube dysfunction, as well as migraine and sinus management.

So many people are cycling through antibiotics, steroids, and booking surgeries without anyone ever connecting the dots to what’s going on in the body as a whole. Dr. Lee is here to change that and to give you the questions to ask, the scans to request, and the framework to finally get some answers.

In this episode, we’ll dig into:

How to start differentiating sinus issues from a migraine attack

What’s actually happening with the pressure, fluid, and full feeling in your ear

Why researchers believe TMJ may not be as common as we think

How to best use CT scans as a diagnostic tool for sinus migraine

What a deviated septum or mucosal cyst may not be the full diagnosis

Why antibiotics are so overprescribed for sinus headaches

Why you may feel like you never fully recover from sinus infections

How GLP-1s and mouth breathing affects Eustachian tube function

Why Dr. Lee’s surgical volume has gone down over the years

The PACT framework for doctor’s appointments

Whether it’s sinus headaches, ear pressure, or chronic infections that never fully resolve, the answer might not be another antibiotic. And with what you heard in the episode, you’ll be able to ask the right questions to get the help you need.

Related Episodes:

Sinus Headache, Nasal Breathing, and Dizziness with Dr. Jessica Lee: https://thevertigodoctor.com/podcast/69-sinus-headache-nasal-breathing-and-dizziness-with-dr-jessica-lee-ent/

Meet Dr. Jessica Lee:

Dr. Jessica Lee, MD, DipABLM is a double board-certified Otolaryngologist (ENT) and Lifestyle Medicine physician with over 100 hours of additional training in integrative and functional medicine. After more than a decade in traditional medicine, Dr. Lee noticed a major gap in how chronic inflammatory conditions (like sinusitis, allergies & sinus headaches) were being treated, and set out to change that. She’s the founder of Integrative ENT Health, a Castle Connolly Top Doctor (2023–2026), and co-founder of the Keto Hope Foundation. She brings a whole-person approach to ENT care, blending conventional expertise with nutrition, lifestyle & root-cause thinking to help patients get real, lasting answers.

Connect w/ Dr. Jessica Lee:

The Sinus Reset Program: https://www.integrativeenthealth.com/sinus-reset-program

Integrative ENT Health (virtual practice): https://www.integrativeenthealth.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/entchat

Links Mentioned:

Vestibular Group Fit (code GROUNDED at checkout for 15% off!): https://thevertigodoctor.com/vestibular-group-fit

Sinus Reset Program (Open September 13th; stay tuned for free bonuses and discounts!): https://www.integrativeenthealth.com/sinus-reset-program

Free Resources:

⁠The 4 Steps to Managing Vestibular Migraine: https://thevertigodoctor.myflodesk.com/cb5js0y78n

⁠The PPPD Management Masterclass⁠: https://thevertigodoctor.myflodesk.com/new-pppd

⁠What your Partner Should Know About Living with Dizziness⁠: https://thevertigodoctor.myflodesk.com/partnership

⁠The FREE Mini VGFit Workout⁠: https://thevertigodoctor.myflodesk.com/minifit

⁠The FREE POTS – safe Workouts⁠: https://thevertigodoctor.myflodesk.com/pots

Connect with Dr. Madison (@TheVertigoDoctor): https://instagram.com/thevertigodoctor

Work with Dr. Madison:

For 1:1 Vestibular Rehabilitation Therapy, email [email protected]

Otherwise, I’ll see ya in Vestibular Group Fit!

Connect with Dr. Jenna (@dizzy.rehab.therapist): https://www.instagram.com/d