If your face and jaws hurt, and you have tension in your eyes and forehead, you may think that you have a headache or migraine problem. Although head pain can trigger facial discomfort, it's not always the case. Sometimes, your sinuses can become infected and cause facial pain and tension. You can take steps to alleviate your symptoms with the tips below.

Massage Your Face

You have four sinus cavities in your face. Two sit alongside your nose and the other two sit just above your eyebrows. Sinuses usually contain air but can fill up with fluid if you develop an infection. The fluid can place pressure on the bones surrounding your sinuses, as well as on the soft tissues covering them. The pain can radiate throughout your face, forehead, ears, and jaws.

You can find relief from your discomfort by massaging your face. Massage may allow the fluid to drain from your sinuses. To perform your massage, you'll need 1 teaspoon of natural oil, such as organic coconut or olive oil, and one clean, dry towel. Both types of oil are safe for your skin and won't clog up your pores.

Here's what you do:

1. Wash your hands thoroughly with warm, soapy water, since you don't want to add bacteria to your skin during the massage.
2. Dampen your face with lukewarm water. 
3. Place the oil in the palm of your left hand, then use the fingers of your right hand to gently apply the oil to your face.
4. Use small circular motions to massage the oil around your eyes, nose, forehead, and lower jaw. Don't apply pressure to your skin, or you may aggravate your pain.
5. Perform step four for five minutes, then gently remove the oil from your face with your clean towel.

You can now move to the next steps.

Hydrate and Rest Your Eyes

To complete your home treatment, apply two slices of cool cucumbers to your eyes. The water in cucumbers will help hydrate the tissues around your eyes. They also soothe away eye strain and pain, which can develop if you tend to squint your eyes because of your bad sinuses.

You want to find a quiet place to lie down, such as a couch or bed. Place the one slice of cucumber on each eye, then rest for about 30 minutes. The time will vary, according to your comfort level. After time passes, remove the slices and rinse your face with cool water. You can repeat this treatment for at least two more days.

If the pain persists after the third day of completing both tips above, contact a primary care physician for help, such as those found at Rural Health Services Consortium Inc.