Did you know that scientists recently discovered that migraines and allergies are directly correlated?
Allergy headaches aren’t uncommon among people, even according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology 70% to 80% of North Americans have headaches with 50% of them having at least one headache per month.
However, allergy headaches aren’t a medical condition on their own but a symptom of some other underlying medical condition. Usually, headaches can occur due to two reasons; external reasons like stress or fatigue and other is exposure to allergens, or so called allergy headaches.
Let’s decode what does an allergy headache feel like, why it occurs and how it’s different.
In this article
Types of Allergy Headaches
During an allergy, the body release a specific type of antibody, called IgE. These antibodies bind to different types of immune cells in the body, leading to release of chemicals. These chemicals thereby lead to the development of acute symptoms like sneezing, itchy and watery eyes. Moreover, with continued exposure to the allergen, mostly 4-8 hours after is characterized with additional symptoms as fatigue, irritability, and headaches.
Let’s discuss different types of allergy headaches, their causes, and duration.
Sinus and Migraines: Sinuses are the air-filled cavities in the skull and when there is inflammation of tissues in your sinuses then you might experience deep pain in the cheekbones, forehead, or the bridge of the nose.
Migraines also cause throbbing pain however the places can differ from sinus including temples, high in the forehead, and often on one side of the head. It can be triggered due to certain foods, hormonal changes, and stress.
Allergens and Seasonal Headaches: These headaches are triggered due to allergic reactions. These headaches can be due to increased exposure to allergens like pollen, dust, mites, etc in allergy season. These headaches can often be located in the forehead, nose, cheeks, and around the eyes.
There is a difference between allergy and normal headaches, let’s find out what an allergy headache feels like.
What can you do in 5 easy steps to take care of them:
- Reducing exposure to allergens can significantly decrease allergic reactions and related sinus issues.
- Antihistamines. Antihistamines are effective in managing allergy symptoms, including sinus congestion and headaches.
- Improving indoor air quality by using air purifiers can help reduce allergens and their impact on sinuses.
- Nasal Rinses. Studies show that nasal irrigation is beneficial for removing allergens and easing sinus symptoms.
- Hydration is the key.
Normal headache V/S Allergy headache
Understanding and identifying what kind of headache you are going through can help you in the long term and appropriate treatment of your condition. We all know that headaches can be of different types and they can affect different parts of our head.
However, the question remains the same: what is the difference between a normal headache and an allergy headache and what does an allergy headache feel like?
Allergy headaches are associated with sinus congestion, seasonal changes, and allergens like pollens, dust, molds, pet dander, or any other allergens that may cause allergic reaction to any individual.
Allergy headaches are mostly deep, constant, and throbbing pain that feels like pressure around the head and sinuses. The intensity of an allergy headache can vary from mild to severe and it can last for as long as you are exposed to the allergens.
Normal headaches often do not have any nasal or sinus symptoms like running nose, watery and itchy nose, sneezing, fatigue, or sinus pressure but allergic headaches do involve these symptoms.
These allergy headaches can go away on their own when your allergic symptoms subsides, although you can take allergy medication such as antihistamines or nasal sprays to relieve the discomfort.
When to see a professional
If your headaches are severe and frequent without any improvement and cause you difficulty in doing daily work then you should seek professional help. Headaches alone are not lethal, however, if they are accompanied by some other symptoms like fever, vision changes, or speech impairment then it might signal to other underlying diseases for which you should consult your health professional.
Takeaway
To conclude, we can say allergy headaches and normal headaches are way different than each other. So, this article about “what does an allergy headache feel like” tells you about how one headache is triggered when exposed to allergens or inflammation in tissues, the other is just a consequence of prolonged screen time, stress, lack of sleep, and posture.
Normal headaches can be treated with some simple painkillers or some lifestyle changes however, allergy headaches need allergy-specific treatments. Getting to know your kind of headache is crucial to select the most appropriate treatment. Keep reading such blogs from AspireAlive to gain insights on such topics.
Also, read everything there is to know about TMJ treatment here.
