Migraines and allergy headaches both cause throbbing pain and can be debilitating when the pain is severe. If doctors or patients misdiagnose the type of headache, the wrong treatment may be prescribed and the patient won't get relief. A growing awareness of the differences between the two types is helping doctors diagnose and treat patients more effectively.
History
According to researchers at the Scottsdale Headache Center at Arizona Neurological Institute, many migraines are misdiagnosed as allergy-related sinus headaches. In a study published in the journal "Headache" in 2007, they explained the majority of patients they studied who had diagnosed themselves with sinus headaches actually had migraines or probable migraines. The reasons for these misdiagnoses came from pain location and triggering events such as weather changes, seasonal changes and exposures to allergens.
Theories
Even doctors can mistake migraine headaches for allergy headaches. In addition to the reasons cited in the study published in "Headache," the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery points out migraines may irritate nerves that terminate near the sinus cavity, thus causing patients to feel the pain in or near their sinuses. Another study from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, also published in "Headache," noted migraines were more frequent, though not more disabling, in patients with large numbers of positive allergy tests than in patients with fewer allergies.
Identification
The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that the symptoms of migraines and allergy headaches are similar, making them hard to distinguish. Not only do they both cause throbbing pain, but migraines can be accompanied by nasal congestion and may feel worse as you bend forward. If the headache is made worse by light or noise, or if it is accompanied by nausea, it is more likely to be a migraine than a sinus headache. Migraines also often include visual disturbances such as flashing lights or temporary blind spots.
Treatment
Once you know which type of headache you have, you can choose the proper treatment. Sinus headaches are caused by inflammation of your sinuses and can be treated with humidifiers, saline nasal spray or neck stretches. Medications could include antihistamines, decongestants or corticosteroid sprays. Migraines are caused by changes in the brain's blood flow. Lifestyle changes, such as avoiding cigarettes and caffeine, exercising regularly and reducing stress, help regulate blood flow and reduce migraine frequency. To stop a migraine in progress, doctors recommend drugs called triptans, which regulate blood flow in the brain.
References
- Headache; The Sinus, Allergy and Migraine Study (SAMS); E. Eross, et al.
- American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery: Fact Sheet - Sinus Headaches
- Headache; Allergy and Immunotherapy: Are They Related to Migraine Headache?; V. T. Martin, et al.
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Sinus Headache
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Migraine Headache
