Surprisingly, about 90 percent of people who think they have sinus headaches actually suffer from migraines, according to a study of the 46th Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Head Society. Besides many patients self-diagnosing themselves wrong, even doctors misdiagnose headaches, telling their patients they have sinus headaches when they actually suffer from migraines.
Clues It’s Not a Sinus Headache
Before wasting more time and money on medications that don’t work look for these signals to determine if you have a migraine rather than a sinus headache.
- Trying various over-the-counter sinus medicines to relieve a seemingly sinus headache but not getting relief is a clue you probably suffer from migraines.
- Determine where the pain is located. If it’s a sinus headache the pain is behind the cheekbones, whereas pain from a migraine is usually on one side of the head.
- Besides headache pain do you have other symptoms such as nausea? Are you sensitive to noise and light while having a headache? If so, it’s probably a migraine.
Confusing Symptoms
Often people are confused because some of the symptoms of migraines are similar to sinus headaches. For example, you can feel congestion with a migraine headache as you can with a sinus one. Often migraine headaches can also strike whenever the barometric pressure changes, bringing symptoms such as runny noses or facial pressure.
The same nerve that is active in migraines also contains branches going to the sinuses. Therefore, it’s also possible that a facial migraine can be called a sinus headache. This is especially true when headaches are linked with vomiting, nausea, as well as noise and light sensitivity, in addition to visual disorders.
Other Types of Headaches
Besides migraines, people suffer from other types of headaches such as cluster headaches and tension headaches. Cluster headaches, typically found in men, involve pain in and around the eye and usually don’t last as long as migraines. Tension headaches create pain that feels like a band squeezing the head and is usually located on both sides of the forehead.
Causes of Migraines
Migraines, which are found more in women than men, are due to the cranial blood vessels dilating or widening. They are also caused by inflammation and the activation of the trigeminal nerve, as well as the branches of the trigeminal nerve.
Treating Migraines
- Medications – Ask your doctor to give you samples of migraine medicine. He’ll probably recommend taking it as soon as you feel symptoms. If the pain stops, it’s probably a migraine. Once you receive a positive diagnosis, experiment with different medications until you find one that works for you.
- Eliminate trigger foods – Many people suffering from migraine headaches are allergic to foods such as chocolate, caffeine, cheese, dairy products, aspartame, MGS additives, nitrates and alcohol. Keep a chart, listing everything you ate the day before you had a migraine and see if there’s a pattern and then eliminate those foods.
- Reduce stress – By reducing stress in your life you can help lessen your chances of migraines. Learn to handle emotions better as migraines can be set off by negative emotions such as anxiety, depression and frustration.
If you learn you do suffer from migraines, try to have a positive attitude, focusing on what you can do to relieve symptoms rather than dwell on your diagnosis. Remember, having a healthy mental attitude is part of reducing the frequency of migraines.
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