Have you been getting headaches that include itchy watery eyes, a stuffy or runny nose? Are sinus medications not working? It may not actually be a sinus headache.
Some people who experience these headaches automatically think that the symptoms are textbook to a sinus headache.
Symptoms of a Sinus Headache
Itchy or watery eyes
Increased pain when moving your head.
Symptoms of a Migraine
Migraines can cause many symptoms to develop, including those that you would experience with a sinus headache.
- Itchy or watery eyes
- Nasal pressure
- Sensitivity to light.
- Sever throbbing pain on one side of the head.
- Occurring more often than most headaches.
- Changes in vision
About Sinus Headaches and Migraines
If you were to interview 100 people with a sinus headache, you would get mostly the same results. When asking about their symptoms, they would say they are sick and have a headache. Sinus headaches are distinct and the primary complaints begin with inflammation of the nasal passages, congestion, and pressure in the forehead and behind the cheekbones.
Migraines on the other hand show symptoms of pain on one side of the head greater than the other. Pressure at the base of the skull, sensitivity to light, and pain more in the area of the temple or side of the head are characteristic of a migraine.
The main difference in migraines and sinus headaches is that many people who suffer from migraines can tell when they are coming. They feel different and their vision changes. May report that unless they pay attention to the symptom, they don’t realize how a migraine begins affecting their life long before the pain emerges.
If it is a Migraine, Why do you have Other Symptoms?
So how does a migraine mimic a sinus headache? Simple, the body’s response to pain can cause the same exact symptoms of a sinus headache. The body’s pain response to pain in the area of the forehead triggers a reflex and activates the nerves that produce watering eyes, itchy eyes, stuffiness, and runny nose.
Many people do not notice that all forms of pain can cause the same reaction in other parts of the body.
Taking OTC Medications Doesn’t Help
The first thing that many migraine sufferers mention is that over the counter medications help for a short time. After about twenty minutes, their migraine comes back worse than it was before. This is because migraine headaches treated by OTC medications result in rebound headaches which overlay the migraine itself making the pain worse.
If you have taken over the counter medication to treat your headache and it comes back worse after a very short period of time, it is most likely a migraine.
Are You at Risk For Migraines?
Migraines typically affect the following groups of people more often than others:
- Between the ages of 15 and 55
- Family history of migraines
- Women
- Those with vascular deformities
If you believe that your headaches are really migraines, see your doctor to receive proper treatment and reduce the occurrence of your migraines.
Speak Your Mind
You must be logged in to post a comment.