How many times have you heard of a person complaining of a sinus headache? Although they may actually be suffering from this type of headache, chances are that it is another kind of headache-most likely a migraine. Any kind of headache is annoying and painful. It does matter if you want to get the proper treatment. The treatment program for a migraine headache is different than the treatment program for a sinus headache because the root cause is different.
Typical Sinus Symptoms
The typical symptoms for a sinus-type headache are pain in the back of the forehead, cheeks and around the eyes. The pain is usually worse first thing in the morning and it can range from a mild discomfort to extremely severe. Some other symptoms that may also occur when you are experiencing a sinus headache include, but are not limited to, green or yellow nasal discharge, a stuffy nose, fever, tiredness, and possibly swollen lymph nodes. The fever and other symptoms may indicate an actual sinus infection and should be treated by a doctor. On the other hand if the pain is only in the cheeks it is probably a migraine-9 out of 10 headaches are migraines.
What Is A Migraine Headache?
Statistically, only 1 out of 30 people who claim they are suffering from a sinus headache actually are-the rest have a migraine. Migraines can be triggered by many of the same things that trigger headaches of the sinus variety-allergies and weather conditions included. They also cause pain in the same areas. If you are treating your migraine with sinus headache medicine it will probably not cause any problems, but it may not treat all of the causes as effectively as if you were to get a medication specifically designed for migraines-and why treat your body for something that you don't have.
Don't Get Confused!
One complication that you can get from taking sinus headache medication for a migraine is rebound headaches. These are headaches that are caused by a reaction to overmedication over a long period of time. Besides that, migraine medication can also treat the nausea, sensitivity to light and other symptoms that sinus headache medication will not touch.
Make Note Of Your Symptoms
The next time you feel a headache coming on take careful notice of the symptoms. Where is your pain located? Is it in your cheeks alone or is it also in your forehead and around your eyes? Do you have nausea? Is your sensitivity to light greater than normal? If so, you probably are not suffering from a sinus headache. With that in mind you need to start treating your headache like a migraine. Recognize the symptoms that precede this type of headache like blurred vision, seeing spots and jagged lines, etc. Without prompt treatment, a migraine can last anywhere from a few hours to a few days.
See Your Doctor
However, if, after checking your symptoms, you still feel like you are suffering from a sinus headache it is time to make a visit to your doctor. If your sinuses are infected you can cause serious problems by delaying treatment. Once you get to the doctor, make sure that you can accurately describe your symptoms and their progression. Let them know what medications you have already tried and how effective (or ineffective) they were. Your doctor will ask you questions about your medical history and may take a sample of your nasal secretions to test for allergies or infection. After you get the proper diagnosis, you can begin to get the proper treatment and medications and you will begin to experience greater relief than you may have known before.
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