What To Know About Managing Allergy Headaches

There are a lot of things that could contribute to a headache, from hunger and dehydration to stress or exhaustion. While these are the most frequently pinpointed causes, one more culprit you might not have considered is allergies. 

 How Do Allergies Lead to Headaches?

Allergies cause inflammation in the sinuses, leading to congestion and facial pain or pressure. With sinus headaches, you’ll likely feel the pain around the eyes, cheeks and forehead. Most describe the pain as a dull ache, rather than a stabbing pain associated with normal headaches.

Allergies may increase the risk of migraines, which are often described as an intense, throbbing, one-sided pain. One small 2012 study found that 37% of people with allergies also have migraines, compared to just 5% without allergies—and this connection grows stronger with age. Allergy symptoms like congestion, inflammation and poor sleep can irritate the trigeminal nerve, which brings sensory information to the brain, triggering migraine attacks. Allergies can also disrupt the parasympathetic nervous system, causing stress and contributing to migraines.

We may need further research to understand the full connection between allergies and migraines.

How Can I Find Headache Relief?

There are a few steps to preventing and managing allergy-related headaches and migraines:

1. Schedule an allergy test to identify the specific allergens causing your symptoms
2. Try your best to avoid the allergens you’re sensitive to. For example, if you’re allergic to pet dander, consider waiting for a hypoallergenic pet to go up for adoption at the Charleston Animal Society in lieu of bringing home a furrier dog.
3. Take daily allergy medication (decongestants, antihistamines, etc.) during flare-ups
4. Consider long-term treatments like immunotherapy

With sinus-related headaches, try a few of the following to ease congestion:

• Place a warm compress over your eyes, nose and cheeks
• Drink plenty of water, juice or herbal tea
• Take a hot shower with a towel placed under the door
• Sit over a bowl of hot water with a towel draped over your head and breathe in the steam
• Irrigate your sinuses with a saline rinse

If your allergies are causing mind-numbing headaches, contact Charleston ENT & Allergy today to schedule an appointment with one of our specialists.

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