What to record
Use these labels to describe where you felt the pressure.
Mark the location in your own words
Point to the place on your face or use the map to find a description. Write “left brow”, “both cheeks”, “bridge of nose” or “upper teeth on the right” if that fits. Say whether it began in one spot and later spread. These labels help you describe the sensation. Several conditions can cause pain in the same area. ENT UK facial pain guide
Use a word you would actually say. Dull pressure, aching, pulsing and sharp pain are all reasonable descriptions. If the word changes across the day, describe the change. “Started as a dull ache and felt sharper by lunchtime” can be easier to discuss than a rating without any context.
Source: ENT UK facial pain guide
Use three sentences at the visit
If you first felt the pressure on waking, say that. You may not know when it began. For example: “I woke with pressure across both eyebrows at 06:40. My nose was partly blocked then, but both sides felt clearer by breakfast. I noticed the pressure again when I bent to tie my shoes.” If a night note is missing, leave the start open.
| Sentence | What to include | Fictional example |
|---|---|---|
| Where and when | First location, side and approximate onset | Around 07:00 on Tuesday I noticed a dull pressure under my left eye. |
| What happened next | How long it lasted, whether it moved and other symptoms | It spread toward my cheek by breakfast. My left nostril felt more blocked than usual. |
| Impact and question | What it interrupted and what you want to know | It faded by midday. What would you check if it keeps happening on the same side? |
Free templates for this guide
Open a worksheet to fill in and print, or download a blank copy. Keep completed records private and share them only with people you choose.
Add the symptoms you noticed at the same time
Useful details can include nasal blockage or drainage, changes in smell, tooth pain, nausea or sensitivity to light. If you checked and a symptom was absent, say so. If you forgot to check, leave it unknown. A second example that felt different helps your clinician see whether the pattern is consistent. ENT UK facial pain guide · American Migraine Foundation
If it’s hard to recall the exact day in the room, AirBloom is being built to keep dated symptom check-ins together. Look back for a typical entry and copy it to the printable facial pressure card.
Sources: ENT UK facial pain guide; American Migraine Foundation
Put the most important example first
Bring the shortest version you can read aloud. If it has happened several times, say roughly how often and whether the same side comes up. Add a question you want answered before the appointment ends. For symptoms spanning several weeks, use the one-page sinus symptom summary and keep the face card as the specific example.
If the pressure comes with a sudden, extremely painful headache, loss of vision, weakness or trouble speaking, seek emergency help. NHS headache guidance
Source: NHS headache guidance
A waking-to-midmorning facial-pressure note
Describe the location, side and time of facial pressure when you wake, then record what you notice later without assuming why it changed. A location map names an area; it does not identify the condition causing a sensation.
Source: Trigeminal Neuralgia Association: Sinusitis and facial pain
Record location and timing separately
Use the face map as a way to point to the area you mean. “Over the right cheek” is a description. It is not proof that the sinus beneath that area is the source. Record headache, nasal blockage and other symptoms in their own fields rather than placing them all under “sinus pain.”
If you first noticed the sensation after waking, write that. It does not establish whether the sensation was present during sleep. If the next check is much later, keep the gap visible instead of inventing an exact recovery time.
Source: Trigeminal Neuralgia Association: Sinusitis and facial pain
A fictional morning with an unknown interval
In this example the later observation is different, but the two checks do not show when the change happened. A brief handoff preserves both what was noticed and what remains uncertain.
| Time | Location and observation | Other detail or uncertainty |
|---|---|---|
| 07:10, after waking | Pressure over right cheek; moderate in own words | Right nasal blockage also noticed |
| 08:00 | Not checked | No conclusion about this interval |
| 10:15 | Pressure less noticeable | No recorded explanation for change |
Source: Trigeminal Neuralgia Association: Sinusitis and facial pain
Turn the row into three sentences
“I noticed pressure over my right cheek when I woke at about 7:10. It was less noticeable at 10:15, but I did not check between those times. Right nasal blockage was also present at the first check, and I would like help understanding the pattern.”
Add how the experience affected your morning and any question you want answered. Use current official care guidance when symptoms are concerning; the purpose of this worksheet is description, not reassurance or a diagnosis.
Sources: Trigeminal Neuralgia Association: Sinusitis and facial pain; NHS: Sinusitis
Sources & further reading
- ENT UK facial pain guide
- American Migraine Foundation
- NHS headache guidance
- Trigeminal Neuralgia Association: Sinusitis and facial pain
- NHS: Sinusitis
This guide provides general education, not individual medical advice. It has not been clinically reviewed. Talk to a qualified clinician about persistent, new or worsening symptoms. Follow your local emergency guidance for urgent concerns.
Spotted an error? Tell the editorial team.
Your story, together.
AirBloom is in development for iOS and Android, bringing symptom records and existing routines into one place. Join the early-access waitlist.