Question:
I have been dealing with headaches and allergies
for some 15 years on and off.
I am curious of people's experiences with "sinus" migraine. I have read
many articles that lots of times
migraines are miss-diagnosed for sinus headaches. Since I have both quite
severe allergies and migraines, sometimes it seems that I will get
stuffed-up and that will trigger a headache. My headaches usually feel like
"swelling" around my face, and eyes/nose are tender, and also muscle
contraction in the base of my skull/jaw/neck. I take an imetrix and it
seems to help. My headache will usually go away, including the
"stuffy/swelling" feeling to some degree.
Since my allergy symptoms consist mostly of stuffiness and post-nasal drip
( as opposed to runny nose, itchy eyes, etc), I am wondering if the
allergic symptoms start the trigger into a migraine. I am seeing both an
allergist and a neurologist, but feel that by not looking at both problems
as a whole, not sure if I am getting the problem solved. Has anyone
suffered from similar combinations and had allergy triggered migraines? How
have they gotten proper diagnosis and treatment?
Answer:
Quite possibly. For me, any headache, (sinus, hunger, tension) if not
treated can turn into a full blown migraine. Doctors argued with me 20 yrs
ago that this was impossible. Now they agree. Glad to hear Imitrex works for
you.
Certainly sinus problems can trigger migraines. It's difficult for me to make the diagnosis sometimes, because we doctors
don't always make the connection. We try to fit people's headaches into
neat little categories. If it looks like a migraine, we might not think
further. Just prescribe Imitrex or something, and not think to treat the
underlying sinus problems. Then the headaches don't get better.
So the doctor has to keep thinking of alternative possibilities. And
sinuses are one of them.
Sinus problems causing headaches can be an acute sinus infection, a chronic
sinus infection, or allergies. I'm not sure about allergies causing
headaches, actually. I mean, some headaches are allergy-related, to be
sure. But can nasal and sinus allergy symptoms actually cause severe pain?
The nasal passages are swollen, but the pain of a sinus infection comes from
the blockage and the pressure build-up. I don't know whether allergies
alone (without the presence of an actual sinus infection) can cause severe
pain in the sinuses themselves.
My allergist told me that a sinus headache can lead to a migraine if the sinus
headache is real bad. I do belive it because when I get a sinus headache and
depending how bad it gets and if my sinus headache medicine doesn't get rid of
the headache I will take Zomig for the pain and within the hour the headache is
gone. I learned for myself many years ago when I would get a sinus headache
by taking an Imitrex would get rid of it. This was back in 93.. Here are a couple of answers from Seymour
Diamond, MD (neurologist and director of the Diamond Headache Clinic) that
might help you out. They're taken from a recent chat transcript on WebMD
(you may have to copy and paste this URL):
http://my.webmd.com/content/article/66/79820.htm?lastselectedguid={5FE84E90-
BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}
