Migraines and sinus headaches are two common types of headaches that affect millions of people. But both are the most commonly confused types of headaches. But whenever people feel a throbbing pain in their heads along the cheeks they tend to assume it to be migraine. Without a proper diagnosis taking medications can only worsen the situation. But have you ever wondered if it’s a migraine or a sinus headache?
What is meant by a sinus headache?
A sinus headache feels pain and pressure in the head especially in the forehead and behind the cheekbones. The pain may get severe when you bend forward. Sinus headaches may make your eye itch and water.
What is meant by migraine headaches?
Migraine headache is not just a severe headache, it is a neurological condition that comes with a set of symptoms and to get sinus migraine relief there are different sets of treatments.
What is the connection between sinus headaches and migraines?
Sinus headaches and migraines are quite similar and identifying them can be a challenging task.
The shared symptoms:
Sinusitis and migraines share a similar set of symptoms, which is one of the challenging reasons to identify the type of headache.
What are the signs of a sinus headache?
- Feeling of pressure behind cheekbones, forehead, and nose
- Severe pain
- Worsened pain while bending forward or lying down.
- Fatigue
- Stuffy nose
- Aches in the upper teeth
Reach out to a sinus hospital in Coimbatore if you are experiencing any of the above symptoms.
What are the signs of a migraine?
- Blind spots in vision
- Spotting bright sparkles or dots
- Temporary loss of vision
- Changes in speech
- Viewing wavy lines
- Tingling or numb skin
The impact of blood flow:
The inflammation and congestion associated with sinusitis may affect blood flow to the brain, potentially triggering or worsening migraine headaches in weak individuals.
Neurological impact:
Both sinusitis and migraines involve complex interactions with the neurological pathways. The inflammation associated with sinusitis may trigger trigeminal nerves, which can play an important role in the development of migraines.
Sinusitis as a migraine trigger:
Some individuals report experiencing migraines specifically during or after a sinus infection. It is believed that inflammation and pressure associated with sinusitis may act as triggers for migraine.
Can a sinus headache trigger a migraine headache?
As previously mentioned sinus headache and migraines mostly have similar sets of symptoms, but they are not the same. Once the reason for the sinus headache trigger is identified, sinus headache can be resolved. But for migraine, long-term medications and treatment must be offered to prevent them in future. Proper treatment is needed for sinus migraine relief as they can be severe associated with symptoms.
Most sinus headaches are often linked to migraines. When you have an allergic sinusitis, your nasal passages can get irritated and inflamed in response to an allergen. Histamine is a compound released during a sinus infection that happens to trigger a migraine headache.
Who is at risk of getting sinus infections?
Sinus headaches are usually a result of sinus infections. Understanding the risk factors of sinus infections can help in preventing the risk of sinus headaches. The risk factors of sinus infections are:
- Allergies during seasons
- Frequent common cold
- Structural concerns with sinus
- Weak immune system
Who is at risk for migraine headaches?
It’s challenging to predict the cause of migraine headaches, however knowing the risk of migraines can help you to stay aware:
- Genetics
- Stress levels
- Lifestyle habits like smoking
What is the difference between a migraine headache and sinusitis?
While sinusitis is a condition that is often caused by an infection in the nasal cavity, and it may be caused by both bacteria and virus. While direct migraine headaches may be caused by anything and their triggering is wide, it can be bright lights, something that you ate, or even loud noises. They both have a different set of symptoms, but when migraine headaches due to sinus occur they tend to cause intense pressure behind the cheeks and forehead indicating a sinus infection.
How is a sinus headache treated when compared to migraine?
Sinus headaches are a result of sinus infections, to treat sinus headaches the ideal way is to relieve the infection. Talk to your sinusitis doctor if you are experiencing pressure around your nose or forehead area.
The treatment options for sinus headache:
In majority of cases, sinus infections are treated with home remedies like,
- Taking warm showers
- Inhaling steam
- Nasal cleansers
If the symptoms continue to persist a sinusitis doctor may recommend,
- The use of nasal sprays
- Antibiotics to reduce the infection
But in people who have frequent and severe infection sinus surgery may be recommended. It is important to take the medications and nasal sprays as per doctor prescription to avoid any complications.
The treatment options for migraine headaches:
Migraine headaches can be effectively managed once the triggers are identified. Usually a migraine specialist recommends two types of medications to calm the migraine.
Abortive medications:
These medications are taken when the signs of a migraine begin as it helps to prevent the severe pain and also helps you to get back to normal quickly.
Preventive medications:
These medications are generally recommended for people whose migraine episodes are quite frequent and severe. These medications are supposed to be taken on a regular basis or as recommended by a migraine specialist. They help in reducing the frequency and severity of migraine attacks.
Can migraines caused sinusitis be cured?
Usually when a migraine is caused by sinus infection, the first line of treatment would be to treat the cause of sinus infections.
Important Takeaway:
The relationship between sinus infections and migraine headaches are quite complex and tend to continuously evolve. Based on the symptoms it is important to identify the type of headache or if the sinus infection is causing your migraine as you can seek an accurate diagnosis and immediate treatment from a sinus specialist in Coimbatore to reduce the severity of pain.
