Is it a migraine or a sinus headache?
I get these incredibly painful headaches over my right eye. I can push along my eyebrow and feel tiny knots. These headaches do not respond to any over the counter sinus pressure drugs or Excedrin Migraine. They persist for 2-3 days and cause my life to come to a screeching halt. I get nauseated and feel slightly feverish. The nasal passages on the right side of my nose feel like someone has poured hot sauce up into them. Once the headache finally goes away I am left dazed for several days after, seem to have memory loss and some drooping in my right eye. I get these blinding headache attacks once a month and they are usually set off by something like being in a bar with too much cigarette smoke or if I go without eating all day. I've tried everything (ice packs, heat/steam, sinus meds, migraine meds) and nothing kills the pain. Eventually I overcome these and am fine for a while until something sets them off again. I live in Texas where everyone suffers from severe allergies. Anyone else get these and what kills the pain? I get the the point I want to beat my head against a wall because these attacks are so painful. Is it sinus or migraine or a combo of both?
Are my symptoms a migraine or sinus headache?
I suffer with both sinus problems and migraines so I know the difference. What you are describing sounds like sinusitis. It's different things that can inflame your sinuses. For me, it is smoke, stiff air, certain scents or too much cold. It recently got horrible where it felt like it was a combo of both sinus and migraine pain. I had started a new job in a night club and it was the fact that it was hot in there, extra smokey without ventilation and me stepping out into the night's cool air with short dresses and open toe shoes that aggravated my sinuses. I haven't been back in over a month and still I've been having problems but they're slowly going away and getting better. The only things that help me are taking a hot shower where the whole bathroom is steamy which provides the moisture and warmth your sinuses need and medicine that has a combo of pseudoephedrine hci(can only get this over the counter now) and ibprophen. The pseudoephedrine is the only thing that really helps the sinus pain. Anything else is not worth getting. I almost forgot, Mucinex DM or the one that says it helps with the nasal congestion(I think it's Extra Strength) really helps too. If it's as bad as I think it is for you, take a Mucinex in the morning with a full glass of water and a dose of the medicine with the pseudo&ibprophen and then take another Mucinex 8-12 hours later. It works best when you take two daily. If by chance you are plus size like I am, don't be afraid to take an extra pill of the sinus medicine. If you're average size then don't. I hope that helps and I hope you feel better! I know you're pain but this really helps me...P.S-It may be something in your enviroment that has aggravated this problem if it just started not too long ago. Just think what have you done differently lately. It could be a scent, detergent, new area, anything. You never know what can affect you. Just think about it.
What is the difference between migraines and sinus headaches?
Though the symptoms during the beginning of both migraine and a sinus headache can be overlapping, with careful examination, one can figure out what it is that one is suffering from.Sinus headache typically occurs in the area of the sinuses —in the area of the cheeks (maxillary sinus), bridge of the nose (ethmoid sinus), or above the eyes (frontal sinus). Less often it may refer pain to the top or back of the head (sphenoid sinus). Sinus headache may occur on one side or both sides of the head and the neck is typically not involved. Migraines, however, involve throbbing pain which is limited to one-half of the head and most of the times the neck.Fever is usually associated with a sinus headache and not with a migraine.Migraines get worsened by light, noise and strong odors. That is not the case with sinus headaches.Itchy and watery eyes and discomfort or vertigo with movement is a common symptom in case of sinus headaches and migraine. The headache is the worst part of the migraine and can be severe enough to stop one from performing daily activities. With sinus headaches, one usually feels "sick" and the headache is not the worst part.Nausea is uncommon with sinus headaches and very common with migraines.Certain foods (most often linked with wheat or dairy products) which one might be allergic to can trigger sinus headaches. Migraine headaches can also be triggered by a number of foods, the most common ones being red wine, aged cheese (tyramine-rich foods), soy-based foods and nuts.
Can topamax help sinus headaches as well as migraine headaches?
Migraines are not always easy to detect. Tension headaches are the most common type of headache. Most people describe these headaches as a mild or moderate pressing, or tightening, head pain. Typically, tension headaches respond well to over-the-counter treatments. Unlike migraines, they are not accompanied by nausea or light and sound sensitivity. Also, normal activity will not typically aggravate them. Migraine headaches, on the other hand, often feature: * Throbbing head pain * Worsening pain with routine activity * Nausea and/or vomiting * Light and sound sensitivity Often, people with watery eyes, runny nose, nasal congestion and headache may think they have a SINUS HEADACHE. What they may be experiencing is a migraine. Nearly half of all migraine patients experience ocular or nasal symptoms, along with head pain. That's why it's always critical to talk to your healthcare professional.
What's the difference between a migraine headache and a sinus headache?
A migraine headache is usually an intense, throbbing pain on one, or sometimes, both sides of the head. Most people with migraine headache feel the pain in the temples or behind one eye or ear, although any part of the head can be involved. Besides pain, migraine also can cause nausea and vomiting and sensitivity to light and sound. Some people also may see spots or flashing lights or have a temporary loss of vision. Many people confuse a sinus headache with a migraine because pain and pressure in the sinuses, nasal congestion, and watery eyes often occur with migraine. A sinus headache is actually not so common as initially thought. Sinus headache is due to a viral sinus infection which is accompanied with nasal discharge, limited or no smell at all, pain in the face, high pressure and most probably fever. The pain from a sinus headache can be treated with antibiotics. In case antibiotics do not provide relief then the pain may be due to other factors and a specialist should asses the situation again.
What is a sinus headache?
A sinus headache is a term for rhinosinusitis, which is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses and the nasal cavity. A sinus headache is a term that has confounded clinicians and researchers. More often than not, those who present with sinus headaches are actually experiencing migraines.sinus headache can either be acute or chronic, depending on the duration. Acute rhinosinusitis is diagnosed when the pain surrounding the sinuses does not persist beyond four weeks. On theater hand, chronic rhinosinusitis is diagnosed if the symptoms last more than 12 weeks. Acute rhinosinusitis can be caused by viruses or bacteria and is thus known as viral rhinosinusitis or acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. Differentiating between the two is important because treating bacterial infections is different from treating viral infections.
How do you know if it's a migraine or a headache cause by sinus issues?
Migraine actually is not generalized in the head but is one-sided. The sinus, if activated by the migraine, is on the same side as the migraine. In a migraine both sides don’t usually hurt and the pain is mostly in the head—except for trigeminal—and not in the sinus or the face.T test what you have if you are unsure, bend forward toward the ground with your head. If your headache gets so bad that you scream, that’s a sinus headache. If it mildly increases in pain and only on one side of your head, it is a migraine.Migraines also have other symptoms that sinus headaches don’t, such as sensitivity to light, sounds, smell, touch, taste, nausea, perhaps diarrhea or constipation, dizziness or vertigo. Migraine pain is normally not the first sign of a migraine but a headache may be the first and only sign of a sinus pain.Clearing sinuses will have no bearing on migraine at all.Hope this helps.
Sinus/migraine headache suffers only, Can you help?
I live in Illinois and the humidity here is not conducive for sinus problems. I have been diagnosed with migraine headaches and get about 4 a mo. The best remedy I have found is Imitrex but would rather not use it all the time. I feel that some of my problem is sinus related. I can lay down, feel just fine, and wake up stopped up- big time. I can hardly, if at all, breathe out of one or the other nostril. This problem is often accompanied with a headache that centers either in one eye or the other, center of forehead between eyes, right or left temple. Naisal spray, aspirin, Tylenol,etc. are almost no help. Being in an upright position helps a little but the congestion/headache usually do not go away. I have had 2 nasal surgeries but the problem remains.I sleep on two pillows to help keep my head eleviated a little but still have the problem. Ever suffer in a similar way? What do you do to remedy the problem? Thanks.
What causes sinus headache?
Sinuses are small, air-filled spaces in the skull that serve to reduce the weight of the head on the neck. Sinus headaches are usually caused by infections such as the common cold or the flu. It gives the feeling of having a ‘heavy’ head.The symptoms of a sinus headache include pain or pressure around the nose, cheeks, and forehead, throbbing pain around the face, a feeling of heaviness of the head, nasal congestion, worsening of pain when bending forward or back, fatigue, etc.Sinus headaches are mostly caused by an infection of the sinuses (sinusitis). Or due to allergies that irritate the sinus cavities.Sinus headaches are similar to migraines in some respects and this often leads to misdiagnosis. If you have persistent or severe sinus headaches, you should get it checked by a doctor to make sure it is in fact a sinus headache and not a migraine or other disorder.